December December the month to remember... in Kenya

In the Manyatta slum, opportunities for children to stand up and be heard by crowds of over 800 people are pretty rare. Yet that’s exactly what 12-year old Gaya got to do at the Viva Christmas Party in his community just a few weeks ago.

Gaya’s church is part of our city-wide network in Kisumu, Kenya, and so when the network decided to hold a Christmas Party he was one of more than 700 children to attend the festivities. The meal they ate together provided a welcome change from the daily fare of maize and beans, the presents they received were, for many, the first toys they had ever owned and the games were enjoyed by attendees of all ages.

In the afternoon all the children and adults gathered together to hear the Christmas message, which Gaya had been chosen to help present. “I spoke for a time of 10 minutes and they were all listening to me!” he told us proudly. “I never had this opportunity to speak to so many people, it made me feel very honoured and happy.”

As a result of the party Gaya is now involved in Viva’s Child Ambassadors programme, which focuses on developing children’s leadership skills and empowering them to play a part in shaping their own futures. He felt so encouraged by his experience at Christmas, and by the network’s faith in him, that he wanted to commit to help other children gain confidence to talk with adults and know they have the right to be heard, and has vowed to “speak up for children everywhere, and help them to do the same thing.”