The legal needs of young people leaving care are wide, and largely invisible.
A missing birth certificate means no national ID. No national ID means no bank account, no formal employment, no tenancy. For survivors of abuse in care, the barriers multiply. A system that failed them once now asks them to navigate it alone in order to seek any form of redress.
Three advocates from Nairobi have joined us this quarter on a pro bono basis to help close that gap.
What they will do
The work falls into two categories.
Document recovery. Helping young people obtain the paperwork the system should never have lost — birth certificates, school certificates, proof of care status. These documents are not bureaucratic formalities. They are the keys to almost every door in adult life.
Legal accompaniment for survivors. Standing with young people who experienced abuse in institutional care and who are ready — on their own terms, at their own pace — to pursue accountability. This is careful, long-term work. No survivor is pressured. Many simply want to be believed, and to have it on record.
What this makes possible
Legal aid is our third pillar of support. Until now, it has been the most stretched. These three advocates double our capacity, immediately.
If you are a legal professional in Kenya and want to discuss contributing your time to this work, the contact for that conversation is on our contact page.