How a cup of uji opened a conversation about rights, voice and safety
Sometimes, child protection begins with a simple question: “Do you know who you can talk to?”
Children make a sound when they are excited and hungry at the same time, and in September, that sound filled Olturoto Comprehensive School. One hundred and sixty (160) children gathered for Uji* Fest, a joyful After-School Programme activity. The day brought together nutritious food, children’s rights, participation and an honest conversation about protection.
*Uji is a traditional, nutritious East African (especially Kenyan) hot porridge made from millet, sorghum, or maize flour.
Children enjoyed their uji. They laughed, and they smiled. Most importantly, they talked about their voices, their rights and their safety.
“What Are Your Rights?”
Guest facilitator Muthoni opened the children’s session by asking what they understood about their rights. The children answered immediately.
“The right to education.”
“The right to health.”
“The right to have an identity.”
“The right to have a family.”
One after another, the children shared what they knew.
For the kickstart team, this response showed why regular opportunities matter. When children learn about their rights often, they begin to understand what those rights mean in their everyday lives.
Muthoni then took the conversation one step further. Knowing your rights also means knowing what to do when something is wrong. She urged the children to speak up when they feel unsafe, when someone violates their rights or when something happens that they do not understand. Above all, she encouraged them to identify trusted people they can approach for help.
Our General Manager then introduced the children to the Community Child Protection Committee (CCPC) members at the event, putting familiar faces to the community structures that exist to protect them.
A child needs more than the message “speak up”. A child also needs to know who will listen.
“What Are Your Rights?”
Guest facilitator Muthoni opened the children’s session by asking what they understood about their rights. The children answered immediately.
“The right to education.”
“The right to health.”
“The right to have an identity.”
“The right to have a family.”
One after another, the children shared what they knew.
For the kickstart team, this response showed why regular opportunities matter. When children learn about their rights often, they begin to understand what those rights mean in their everyday lives.
Muthoni then took the conversation one step further. Knowing your rights also means knowing what to do when something is wrong. She urged the children to speak up when they feel unsafe, when someone violates their rights or when something happens that they do not understand. Above all, she encouraged them to identify trusted people they can approach for help.
Our General Manager then introduced the children to the Community Child Protection Committee (CCPC) members at the event, putting familiar faces to the community structures that exist to protect them.
A child needs more than the message “speak up”. A child also needs to know who will listen.
A Child’s Voice Matters
The conversation gave children space to ask questions and reflect on what protection means to them. One child’s response captured the spirit of the session:
“Now I know who I can talk to if something is wrong. I am not alone.”
Small moments like this remind us why participation matters. Children are not passive recipients of protection. They hold views and experiences that adults need to hear, and they need safe places to express them.
Uji Fest also strengthened awareness of the Child Protection Champions within the school. This helps revive a network in which children look out for one another and know where to seek help.
A School Partnership Making a Difference
The Headteacher of Olturoto Comprehensive School reflected on the growing partnership between the school and Kickstart Kids International. He expressed his appreciation for the relationship and highlighted the tremendous change it has brought to the school, particularly through the opportunities and support that now reach children.
His reflections reinforce a core belief in our approach: sustainable child protection cannot happen in isolation. It takes schools, families, communities, children and partners working together.
More Than a Bowl of Uji
The day would not have been Uji Fest without the uji. Teachers helped serve all 150 children a nutritious bowl of uji with mandazi, and everyone received their meal in an orderly way. The excitement on the children’s faces was unmistakable.
But the meal meant more than food. Nutrition is part of child wellbeing. So are safe relationships, dignity, being heard and knowing where to seek help.
Children need all of these things to grow, learn and thrive.
That is why simple activities can open powerful child protection conversations.
Help Us Keep the Stories Coming
The day also marked a milestone for the school. The Rotary Club of Ngong Road and Olturoto Comprehensive School signed an MoU and broke ground on a new girls’ ablution block. More than 200 girls will benefit from the project, an investment in health, hygiene and dignity.
Rotary Club of Ngong Road President Muthoni explained why it matters:
“For a girl, having access to proper sanitation is not simply a matter of convenience. It is about health. It is about dignity. It is about confidence. And it is about having the opportunity to participate fully in education.”
This project reminds us that child protection goes beyond responding to harm. It also means building environments where children can learn, participate and live with dignity.
Help Us Keep the Stories Coming
At Kickstart, we believe that protecting children starts with strengthening the environments around them: families, schools, communities and the systems that support them. We put this belief into practice through the four pillars: Proactive Community Interventions, Foundational Family Support, Strategic Empowerment and Partnerships for Care Reform.
Uji Fest was one small day. Yet for 160 children, it created an opportunity to learn their rights, identify people they can trust, understand why speaking up matters and feel that their voices count.
With your support, we can create more opportunities like this. Together, we can reach children through safe spaces, child protection activities, nutrition, learning and family strengthening.
DONATE TODAY! And Help us give more children the chance to feel safe, heard and supported.
Because every child deserves to know:
My rights matter.
My voice matters.
My safety matters.
And I am not alone.