Feature: Kenyan slum children find solace in community service

Located on the eastern fringes of the Kenyan capital, KCC village, deriving its name from a creamery (Kenya Cooperative Creameries Ltd.) nearby, is an embodiment of urban poverty and neglect.

The clogged drainage system in the village is a powder keg waiting to explode and trigger an avalanche of health and ecological disasters.

Thousands of casual laborers and small scale traders reside in this shanty town where basic hygiene is a luxury thanks to erratic water supply, broken sewerage system and poor solid waste disposal.

A group of young volunteers from KCC village has nevertheless refused to conform to the status quo by lending free service to spruce up their neighborhood's image.

Local charity groups earlier this year mobilized school-going children to participate in community service and help reclaim KCC village's famed luster.

dozens of youngsters joined adult supervisors to unclog the drainage system and slash overgrown vegetation.

Allan Kimani, a 13-year-old class eight pupil was in high spirits as he narrated how participation in cleanup activities every Saturday provided a reprieve to boredom.

"I always look forward to join my friends in the cleanup exercise around this neighborhood every Saturday morning. This is a refreshing alternative to the boredom associated with staying indoors," Kimani told Xinhua ahead of the International Children's Day to be observed on Monday

The first born son of a casual laborer has limited access to trappings enjoyed by his counterparts in leafy suburbs, but has vowed to pursue education that would guarantee him an escape to drudgery.

Kimani was inspired by his teachers to embrace community service as a way to improve academic and social skills.

He attends a charity-funded primary school that provides formal education while imparting life skills to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

An avid reader and sports fan, Kimani aspires to become a doctor and be part of the solution to the myriad health challenges affecting the community.

"It is very distressing to watch a child limp because of hunger or an ailment that can be treated using simple medicine. Our neighborhood has a fair share of treatable ailments and hope to offer permanent solution when I become a doctor," said Kimani.

Community service is a clever way of shielding slum children from vices such as petty crime, drugs abuse and risky sexual behavior.

A female social worker at KCC village, who requested anonymity, said children who volunteered their time to clean the neighborhood had better performance in school.

"It is crucial to mentor under-privileged children to become responsible citizens despite their unfortunate circumstance. These children are part of transformation in their immediate surrounding thanks to community service," said the social worker.

Kimani and millions of Kenyan poor children are unbowed in their quest to overturn their tragic circumstances and succeed in life.

His peers in KCC village and other slums in Nairobi have experienced grinding poverty and social exclusion, but their involvement in community service has renewed their vitality and hope.

Joy Masika and her young friends are sweeping alleys leading to their neighborhood early Saturday morning.

The 14-year-old class eight pupil lives with her parents in a rundown civil servant quarters and learnt from a tender age the value of community service.

Masika is accustomed to financial hiccups that blight working class families, but mentorship from teachers and a local preacher has inspired her to utilize her talents and make the world a better place.

Masika told Xinhua she joined a church-run peer group to be part of solution to social and environmental problems affecting low-income suburbs.

"We devote every Saturday to clear garbage littering the estate and assist the county government dispose it safely. The community has supported our volunteer work," said Masika.

She is fully aware of the vulnerability of her age mates to become ensnared by anti-social behavior hence her devotion to productive activities.

Charity groups have initiated novel programs to ensure slum children are well rounded academically and socially.

At St John's Catholic Church in Nairobi's Korogocho slums, youngsters have found solace in extra-curricular activities like sports and performing arts.

A volunteer male social worker at the facility told said Korogocho children have embraced sports, music and drama to enlighten their immediate community on social ills like alcoholism, crime and prostitution.

"One way to rescue slum children from the jaws of poverty and negative influences is to engage them in extracurricular activities and volunteerism," said the social worker. Endi