Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: An Innovative Approach to Solving the Burden of Street Connectedness in Bungoma, Kenya

Objectives: Reach International Children Center (RICC) was established with the aim of rescuing, rehabilitating, and restoring street connected boys in the city of Bungoma, located in Bungoma County, in Kenya. In this study, we will describe the strategies employed by RICC to achieve this objective. Methods: The Kenyan government recognized that street connectedness was a major psychosocial issue in Kenya (1). Abundant Life Church, a Christian not-for-prot organization established RICC with the aim of rescuing, rehabilitating, and restoring young boys back to the community. The Rescue: Young boys (age 8 to 12 years) are identied during outreach programs. The boys undergo medical clearance and are accepted into a structured program at RICC. The Rehabilitation: The rehabilitation program at RICC involves assessment and training in ve dimensions: Psychological, Social, Academic, Physical development, and Spiritual. The Restoration: Most boys are restored after eighteen months. Following restoration, the staff at RICC continues contact with the restored boys to monitor how well they have adapted to their home for a period of 12 to 18 months. Results: Atotal of 21 (n=21) boys have graduated from the program. The average duration of the rehabilitation phase is 18 months. Fourteen boys (67%) are thriving, two (10%) are in progress and ve (24%) need ongoing support. These results indicate a 76 per cent success rate for the program. This study describes an innovative solution for the problems of street connectedness in Kenya.