- Plan International, APAD and Turkana County have rolled out a parenting programme in Kakuma targeting 1,320 parents, with 728 having already completed the 17-module training.
- The programme has combined parenting education with unconditional cash transfers, including support for parents with disabilities, under the three-year Nurturing Futures initiative funded by Danmarks Indsamling.
- Beneficiaries have credited the programme with improving their parenting knowledge
Plan International Kenya, the Agency for Cross-Border Pastoralists (APAD) and the County Government of Turkana have rolled out a joint programme designed to equip crisis-affected parents in Kakuma with positive parenting skills, targeting 1,320 parents through a 17-module curriculum covering positive caregiver-child relationships, parenting-related stress and how to create a safe and supportive environment for children.
The first cohort of 728 parents has already completed the training, while a second cohort of 592 parents is expected to begin sessions in the coming weeks. Speaking after attending a session at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, Deputy Governor Dr John Erus praised the initiative, saying well-nurtured children would contribute to the goals of both KISEDP and the Shirika Plan when they came of age. “I am particularly impressed that the program includes parents with disabilities and also offers unconditional cash transfers. In this way, vulnerability has been turned into something positive for refugees facing the pressure of raising children as parents in Kakuma camp and Kalobeyei settlement scheme,” he said.
Dr Erus commended Plan International for working with APAD as its local implementing partner, saying such partnerships build the capacity of local institutions to sustain the project beyond its implementation period.
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Plan International Country Director George Otim said the choice of Kakuma was informed not just by data on the refugee crisis but also by advice from the County Government and UNHCR. He clarified that the Parenting Under Pressure (PUP) programme is part of the three-year (2024-2027) Nurturing Futures initiative, supported by Danmarks Indsamling. “Plan International works with children and girls in crisis, particularly in Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) counties such as Turkana, as well as underserved communities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee settings,” he said.
Betty Kinyonge, an officer implementing the Nurturing Futures Project, said refugees face significant pressure in parenting, making the targeted intervention particularly beneficial. “Kakuma Refugee Camp is not easy for parents; there are a lot of things they are going through. What we are trying to do with Parenting Under Pressure (PUP) is to equip parents with knowledge to face stress and understand how to bring up their children healthily and positively,” she said.
Nelly Mukucha and Kamariza Aisha, refugee parents who completed the 17-module curriculum and benefited from unconditional cash transfers under the programme, said the intervention has improved opportunities for children to grow without unnecessary violence and poor parenting support. “As parents, we are now fully aware of the needs of children in different categories from age 0-8. While we implement the teachings in our homes, we also share the same with other parents we interact with daily,” Mukucha said.
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Aisha, who also benefited from the cash transfer intervention, said the total cash disbursement, amounting to Sh28,530 over three instalments of Sh9,510 per month, enabled her to start a business that now feeds her six children as she implements the lessons at home.
By Otieno Sadat
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