From Vaticannews · Vatican News · · 50s
Kenya Church Calls for Child Protection
Kenya's Catholic Church urges stronger safeguards for refugee and migrant children amid displacement.
In brief
Kenya's Catholic Church urges stronger safeguards for refugee and migrant children amid displacement. Children in Kenya's refugee camps and urban areas deserve dignity and protection, not statistics. Originally reported by Vaticannews.
Child Dignity Call
The Kenya Catholic Church urges Kenyans to see every child on the move as a person deserving care, safety and opportunities.
“No child in Dadaab, Kakuma, Kalobeyei, or our urban centres is ever merely a statistic in a report, a burden at a border, or a forgotten casualty of regional conflict.”
Displacement Dignity
Bishop Makau states displacement does not erase a child's human dignity or worth.
“Your suffering does not diminish your dignity. Your displacement does not erase your worth.”
Child Protection Focus
The Church highlights children's vulnerability, recalling Jesus' words to prioritize their needs.
“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them.”
National Action Request
Authorities and humanitarian partners must uphold child rights and address trauma from family separation.
“The department urged public and private institutions to strengthen legal protection, support family reunification and address the trauma caused by family separation.”
Interfaith Cooperation
Faith communities should create safe spaces for children to be protected from exploitation.
“In Kenya, this forms fertile ground for genuine interreligious dialogue, where faith communities cooperate to weave networks of protection.”
Here's the gist
Children in Kenya's refugee camps and urban areas deserve dignity and protection, not statistics.
