Report on the OVC breakfast meeting on right to property ... - Kelin
Report on the OVC breakfast meeting on right to property ... - Kelin
Report on the OVC breakfast meeting on right to property ... - Kelin
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>Report</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>OVC</strong> C<strong>on</strong>sultative Breakfast Meeting<br />
The Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network <strong>on</strong> HIV& AIDS (KELIN) is <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> few organisati<strong>on</strong>s in Kenya<br />
and East Africa working <strong>on</strong> legal and human <strong>right</strong>s issues in relati<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong> health and HIV. KELIN’s goal is <strong>to</strong><br />
undertake advocacy and provide leadership in ensuring an enhanced <strong>right</strong>s based approach in health and HIV<br />
strategies and programmes.<br />
Acti<strong>on</strong> Aid Internati<strong>on</strong>al Kenya (AAK) is a branch of Acti<strong>on</strong> Aid Internati<strong>on</strong>al, which is an anti-poverty agency<br />
working in over 40 countries taking sides with <strong>the</strong> poor people <strong>to</strong> end poverty and injustice <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya is a n<strong>on</strong>-governmental organisati<strong>on</strong>, established <strong>to</strong> provide quality health care,<br />
support and empowerment <strong>to</strong> women and children infected and affected, <strong>to</strong> enable <strong>the</strong>m live positively with HIV.<br />
KELIN entered in<strong>to</strong> an agreement with AAIK <strong>to</strong> c<strong>on</strong>duct a half day c<strong>on</strong>sultative <strong>breakfast</strong> <strong>meeting</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>right</strong>s<br />
of <strong>OVC</strong>’s <strong>to</strong> family <strong>property</strong>, knowing government policies and procedures <strong>on</strong> administrati<strong>on</strong> of estates and of<br />
acquisiti<strong>on</strong> of registrati<strong>on</strong> of birth & identificati<strong>on</strong> documents. The <strong>breakfast</strong> <strong>meeting</strong> was held as a follow up <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> previous Nati<strong>on</strong>al Advocacy Workshop <strong>on</strong> Children and HIV in Kenya held <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> 30th of November <strong>to</strong> 1st<br />
December 2009 at Sarova Panafric hotel Nairobi.<br />
The overall objective of <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sultative <strong>breakfast</strong> <strong>meeting</strong> was <strong>to</strong> narrow in <strong>on</strong> <strong>property</strong> and identificati<strong>on</strong> <strong>right</strong>s<br />
of <strong>OVC</strong>’s by bringing <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r various <strong>OVC</strong>’s, care givers, <strong>the</strong> relevant government officials, n<strong>on</strong>-governmental<br />
organisati<strong>on</strong>s involved with PLWHAs, and even d<strong>on</strong>or instituti<strong>on</strong>s for an all round, all inclusive discussi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> how<br />
<strong>to</strong> enhance <strong>the</strong> realisati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> <strong>right</strong>s of <strong>OVC</strong>’s with regard <strong>to</strong> inheritance of family <strong>property</strong>, administrati<strong>on</strong> of<br />
estates and of acquisiti<strong>on</strong> of registrati<strong>on</strong> of birth & identificati<strong>on</strong> documents.<br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong> 1 officially commenced at 0745hrs with introduc<strong>to</strong>ry remarks from <strong>the</strong> Programme co-ordina<strong>to</strong>r of<br />
KELIN, Mr. Allan Maleche. Mr. Maleche gave a brief overview of <strong>the</strong> <strong>meeting</strong> and reminded participants that<br />
this <strong>meeting</strong> was a follow up <strong>to</strong> last year’s <strong>meeting</strong> held <strong>on</strong> world AIDS day where discussi<strong>on</strong>s were held with all<br />
stakeholders <strong>on</strong> issues affecting <strong>OVC</strong>. He recounted <strong>the</strong> particular issues of c<strong>on</strong>cern that came out of that <strong>meeting</strong><br />
as including;<br />
• Orphans accessing <strong>property</strong> from <strong>the</strong> public trustee<br />
• Orphans obtaining birth certificates and<br />
• Orphans obtaining Nati<strong>on</strong>al Identificati<strong>on</strong> cards.<br />
He stated that as a result of <strong>the</strong>se c<strong>on</strong>cerns it was agreed as <strong>the</strong> way forward that <strong>the</strong> relevant government authorities would be<br />
invited <strong>to</strong> brains<strong>to</strong>rm <strong>on</strong> how <strong>to</strong> best solve <strong>the</strong>se problems. As such, Mr. Maleche outlined <strong>the</strong> three (3) main objectives of this<br />
<strong>breakfast</strong> <strong>meeting</strong> being;<br />
• To hear from care givers <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir 1 st hand experiences in relati<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> afore-listed problems.<br />
• To hear from duty bearers <strong>on</strong> government <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> relevant policies and procedures.<br />
• To come up with <strong>the</strong> way forward/recommendati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> how <strong>to</strong> solve <strong>the</strong>se problems.<br />
Mr. Maleche <strong>the</strong>n requested participants <strong>to</strong> briefly introduce <strong>the</strong>mselves after which he invited Ms. Ruth Laib<strong>on</strong> Masha<br />
<strong>to</strong> chair sessi<strong>on</strong> I presentati<strong>on</strong>s. Ms. Masha emphasised <strong>the</strong> objective of this sessi<strong>on</strong> as put by Mr. Maleche after which she<br />
invited Ms. Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Mumma of KELIN <strong>to</strong> make her presentati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> “General overview of <strong>the</strong> issues affecting<br />
orphans and vulnerable children in <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>text of HIV.<br />
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