CANA CHILDREN RESCUE CENTRE

CANA established a rescue center for girls in response to a number of challenges
facing the girl child in such slum settlements of Mukuru.
These challenges include: rape and incest; neglect, abuse and abandonment by
parents/relatives; abandonment caused by death of the parents/guardian as a
result of the HIV Epidemic; lack of food or basic necessities at the household
level, etc.
Our core mandate described earlier couldn’t allow us to overlook these
challenges without providing all the necessary help CANA could give at that
time. That is when the idea of starting a rescue center for these children was
actualized.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
The core principle of the rescue center is to provide a safe haven for abused and
neglected young girls living in the slums of Mukuru, while enriching their lives
with the Good News of the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ, to establish and
facilitate a GOD-Fearing character within them.
Currently, the Rescue Center caters for 70 girls aged 3-24 years, and has
expanded to cater for 30 boys who have faced a similar experiences and
challenges.
For those 30 boys that have been rescued, CANA provides them with their basic
needs including education, at the household level through their guardians.
Our plan is to acquire a piece of land where CANA is able to house the boys,
and take full care for them, just like the girls.

OPERATIONAL STRATEGY
1.Family Reunification
If and when a thorough assessment is done, and its determined that its safe to do so,
the rescued girl’s first priority is to be reunified with her family and/or her relatives.
We work with government agencies in this instance to assess both the safety and the
financial picture of the family/relatives in order to determine if they will be able to
fully care for the rescued girl. The outcome of this assessment will determine if/how
the girl can be reunited with her family/relatives, either in the city or upcountry. We,
as CANA, facilitate her safe travel to her family/relatives.
2. Transitional Homes
If family reunification doesn’t succeed/not sufficient, the rescued girls enter a
transitional home, equipped with staff and services to care for her needs and
providing a safe place while a longer-term solution is found to help her towards
sustainable freedom. This home is CANA Rescue Center.
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3.Path to Freedom Plans
When we are involved in reintegration, whether it is in the family setting, or in a
residential transitional home setting, a member of our team will develop an
individualized Path to Freedom for the child. This plan focuses on decreasing the
vulnerabilities that led to her being exploited while providing new opportunities that
allow her to flourish in freedom.
The core of path to freedom plans for any of the girls, involves empowerment
through education up to collegiate level (if or when its possible), or training on trade
skills such as tailoring, hairdressing etc, to create a sustainable source of income in
which her livelihood will depend on.
The success of this plans is measured on whether each girl rescued has attained a
much better quality of live than the one she came from.