Although children and young people have largely been afforded both procedural and substantive rights, their access to the fundamental right to an effective remedy in case of alleged rights violations is rather wanting.
Equally, obtaining legal information, advice and legal representation is very limited especially for vulnerable children and youth. Access to justice is therefore, the vital intervention that can breach this gap.
Access to justice implies legal empowerment as well as access to justice mechanisms and remedies that are child and youth-sensitive. It is essential to liberty, fairness and dignity and should be guaranteed to all individuals.
It is in line with this that MIF has developed the Ngao Initiative.
The Kenyan national anthem recognises justice as our shield and defender. Ngao is the Swahili word for shield and represents MIF’s commitment to promote access to justice. The initiative’s goal is to foster the self-advocacy of vulnerable children and youth so that they can speak out and act on their own behalf. The initiative achieves this by:
Providing legal aid through the establishment of a legal clinic that will work to address rights violations of vulnerable children and youth.
Providing continuous civic education for youth and children in order to promote their participation in democratic processes.
Improving legal literacy of children and youth by – empowering children and youth regarding pertinent issues involving the law.
Establishing a legal podcast.
Working together, we have impacted the lives of more than 200 children for the better. Be part of the solution by supporting MIF transform the lives of more children!