The Gender Violence Recovery Center (GVRC) is a non-profit and charitable trust of the Nairobi Women’s and Children’s Hospital which currently has two branches: Hurlingham and Adams in Nairobi, Kenya. Two more branches, one in Ongata Rongai and the other in Mombasa are set to open by June. These branches will provide free medical treatment and psychosocial assistance to the survivors of Gender Based Violence.

While doing an internship with the GVRC, the review of files for case studies for their annual report indicated that last year (April 2009-March 2010) the total number of Gender Bias Violence (GBV) survivors was 2,487. Of this number, 45% were children, the majority being girls (87.5%) and the youngest survivor being three months old.

Sexual Violence is a terrible thing to happen to anyone irrespective of gender or age. While I realize I cannot do anything to change the fact that these children have been violated, I feel I must take a step beyond empathy or sympathy and instead do something to help these children heal.

While visiting the children counseling rooms at two locations, Adams and Hurlingham Nairobi, I noticed that the treatment rooms needed to be more child-friendly. The rooms were plain white without decoration and with only a few broken toys. Play and art activities are proven methods for helping children freely express their feelings, which might include fear of the unknown or the opposite gender, anger, confusion, a need for protection, embarrassment, or low self esteem. It is essential that these feelings are identified in order to facilitate the healing process. A counseling room for children survivors of GBV should be safe, comfortable and far from dull. It should be a place that is designed to let children be children.

I will use the funding from MiddSTART to paint, decorate and buy play therapy materials (e.g. doll houses, a range of toys, and drawing and coloring materials) for four children’s counseling rooms. By refurbishing these rooms, I hope to provide a conducive environment where survivors of violence can really “just be kids”, free to express themselves and as such, begin their journey to healing.