We wish to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the fact that henceforth, we are terminating our reformation program for the Kisumu-based street children. It has taken a period of exactly 26 months since you (Kisumu County Government) entered into an agreement with us (Center for Reformation and Rehabilitation). It is notable that the agreed duration for the program was 24 months and since the stipulated time has elapsed, we are bound to wind up our tools.
We wish to acknowledge that during the engagement, a lot was achieved both from your side and our end. First and foremost, your government managed to hit and even surpass the targeted number of street children for the reformation program. The targeted number was 155 and we ended up with 169 street children pursuing the course. Your government also managed to provide 90% of the required resources. Though this was 10% less the expectation, we appreciate your efforts and also acknowledge that it may not be possible to achieve everything 100%. Additionally, your reinforcement team was also of great help especially in events that they were instantly needed to come in and put things in order. That said, we would also wish to draw your attention to some of the achievements of the program.
Overall, we can strongly argue that the program was a success. Out of the 169 street children who were enrolled for the program, 132 were not only street children but also drug addicts. 23% of the participants were diagnosed with HIV and IDS while another 10% were diagnosed for other chronic diseases. At the time of the closure of this program, 127 out of the 132 drug addicted street children have completely reformed and no longer sniff glue nor take drugs. All the 23% who were diagnosed for HIV/AIDS have been put on drug and 75% of them are responding positively. On the flip side, barely half of those diagnosed for other chronic diseases are showing some positive response towards medication.
The 25% of the HIV/AIDS positive children who are reportedly not doing well are either as a result of them not observing strict medication schedules or are simply facing challenges of stigmatization. The 50% of those suffering from other chronic diseases and are not yet responding positively is as a result of needing more specialized attention which our organization is either unable to give or lacks resources that are necessary to observe. It is for these reasons, together with the time lapse, that we have decided to call off the engagement so as to allow room for other relevant professionals and organizations to take over and build on the milestones we have so far covered.
At the point of this disengagement, however, there are a few things that we would wish to let you know. The first is that we shall return all the original documents that your government entrusted to us. Secondly, we shall provide your office with all the progress reports for the 169 street children who were enrolled for the program. We shall also provide the medical records and individual files for those participants who were diagnosed and engaged in various treatments. Finally, our doors shall remain open for any consultations as your team may deem necessary from time to time. However, these consultations must adhere to our terms and conditions of operation.
We are very grateful for the period we worked together and we can only hope that we will both take the fruits of the program positively. Thank you a lot.
Very Truly Yours,
Center for Reformation and Rehabilitation
