The baby care program – a rights based approach
Grapesyard baby care center is a drop-in child protection haven targeting babies whose mothers are working in the Dandora garbage dumping site. The overall objective of center is to safeguard the health of children by providing better child care that includes, balanced diet basic healthcare.
Babies are brought in the morning for care and picked up in the evening. Beneficiary children are meticulously chosen based on set criteria before recruitment. Eligibility is based on age, nutritional needs and the mother must be working in the garbage dump site. At age 6, the babies at the center are excited and are admitted into Grapesyard Education Centre for early child development education and for continued care and support.
Dandora garbage dumping site is Nairobi’s only dumping site. The landfill directly puts food on the table for an estimated 3,000 families.
Each morning women, men and children descend into the garbage site to scavenge for plastic, metal and other discarded valuables for sale.
Women carry along their babies and strap them on their back or drop the down to play as they continue with work. This is because of the inability to hire baby seater or simply because of ignorance of the dangers of the garbage.
This exposes to dumpsite toxic air and make them suffer respiratory diseases often with fatality consequence.
Activities at the centre include baby-sitting, feeding, health screening, medical treatment support basic instructions.
The mothers whose babies are in the centre are equipped with parenting skills to make them better care givers. They are also encouraged to venture into income generating activity that would provide alternative source of income away from garbage site.
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