Imani policy for volunteers
IMANI POLICY FOR VOLUNTEERS / MISSIONERIES / INTERNS
Welcome to Imani children’s home that takes care of children in need of special care and protection. Working at Imani children’s home as a volunteer/intern and missionary worker is quite exiting and educative as you interact and get exposed to all activities pertaining nurturing of children in a unique participatory manner of training them to be responsible children through their developmental stages in life according to their age and hence self reliant in all aspect of life.
Our vision is to contribute into a society in which all children will be able to lead a dignified existence with equal and just access to opportunities in life.
Imani is born on its core values that form the basic foundation that runs the home as follows:
- Open heart for children
- Professionalism
- Partnership
The caregivers at the home comprise of our beloved Mum who is also the founder of the homes, managers, administrative staffs, house mothers, uncles, aunties’ grandpa referred to as Guka, grandma as cucu.
Imani is a community based organization situated in Kayole; Nairobi Kenya, working with the community on re-integration and rehabilitation of orphaned and vulnerable children. Imani is registered with the ministry of gender, children and social development as a charitable children’s institution. Imani provides temporary shelter to children in need of care and protection.
Our admission criterion is from five years and below irrespective of their race, disability or any kind of their special needs. Our vision is to contribute in the society where children will be able to live a dignified existence with equal and just access to opportunities in life.
Imani celebrated her 20th Anniversary on 20th March 2012 reflecting on the milestone they have gone since its inception. Indeed it has been a transition of working with various categories of children, from street children by rehabilitating and reintegrating them back to the community of which its fruits have been realized through the products that have risen from the institution ranging from engineers, doctors nurses ,social workers, chefs, mechanical engineers, businessmen and women, beauty therapists, artists name them. We cannot forget to thank the almighty for all these doings and hence prayers are mandatory in our daily activities of work.
We have grown from rehabilitation of street children and now taking care of Orphaned and Vulnerable children with minimal stay as possible with an aim of exiting them back to the community either through adoption foster care and family re-unification to families or prospective parental willing to take up parental responsibilities. These children are referred to us by the children department, the police station the administration police from the community and partner organization.
Imani has seven branches with a capacity of between 250-300 children from one day old to 18 years with categories depending on their needs as follows:
The baby’s unit referred to as Imani (C) started in 1999 as a home to children from one day old to 2 years. It started with four children who are now sitting for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education this year. One of them is now in form two. At any given time the babies unit has a population of between 50-100 children. One of our strategies has been admit, rehabilitate and reintegrate back to the community through the laid down structures of the government. Imani (A) takes care of children from 2years to 18 years; Imani (B) from 1.6 years to 10 years, Imani Ngong is a rescue centre for survivors of any form of abuse. Imani Malindi is a holiday resort home for our children and a rescue center for children who are taken in for early marriage. Imani Kasarani and Kibera are for girls and boys who are in different colleges but still being supported by Imani in preparation for them to join the community.
One of Imani challenge has been alternative care for children with special needs due to unwillingness of people wanting to take up parental responsibilities hence remained a dilemma for the institution after they have past the age to continue being sheltered.
Never the less, not every child who is free for adoption is given out especially for those who test HIV positive or have some form of disabilities. We refer them to our different centers to enable them join school and live a normal life like any other child in a family.
However, this has raised an alarm for the intuition to focus on other alternative care plans for these kinds of children within our mandate focusing on their way forward. It shall require the support of every likeminded individual who are passionate to these kinds of children to give a hand so that these children may never lack a place to call a home even after their age criteria. Aluminous of Imani have thought of coming up with a project to support their brothers and sisters to walk from Nairobi to Malindi to raise funds to build a home for these special children and the aged who have nowhere to stay or have no one to look after them. The home shall also benefit other children in different homes that may be facing such a challenge and also some of their care givers and missionaries who took care of them when they were young and have nowhere to call a home or nobody is willing to accommodate them at their old age. This shall mark the end and the last project of Imani.
You shall be expected to read our volunteer policy code of conduct and child protection policy and append your signatures.
The managers at the centers shall allocate you duties which you may be attached in the different departments and areas within the homes and of course with the supervision of the officer in charge of the attached areas.
The home set up is indeed a real home where you will expect all kinds of operational activities just like any other family home set up that you may imagine of i.e. .child care ,laundry services ,feeding programs ,school programs ,small scale farming ,gardening ,poultry farming ,dairy farming ,cleaning of the compound rabbit keeping and many others that you come across or assigned to.
Therefore it’s our efforts and yours pulled together to realize our dreams in ensuring that we have achieved our objectives of bringing up these children in a responsible and Godly manner by helping them to learn, participate and enjoy in everything that they do, not forgetting that we are their mentors. It shall require you to be ready to learn and also put into practice by doing it.
You shall be expected to read and understand the following policies and append your signature to the document.
Working hours
Your working hours shall be from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, how ever in the event of any change of the hours you shall be notified by your immediate supervisor for the adjustment to fit the working schedule of the children.
Confidentiality
Children cases are confidential, therefore to interrogation them on matters torching on their personal history, past, present, or any condition that they may be having is not allowed .if you have any concern or clarification kindly speak to the social worker.
Use of abusive language
Use of abusive language or behavior in a manner that will threaten the children and other workers is not allowed. If you have any complain or something that you are not happy about or discomfort, feel free to contact the manager or the head of volunteers for advice or direction.
Intimacy
For us to achieve our goals and serve our children better, personal interest in relation to relationship amongst children, staffs, and other co workers is prohibited. This may change the focus of serving the children’s better, and bringing un necessary un rest as per work ethics of professionalism.
Dressing code
We advice one to dress in white clothes appropriately in respect to the children we are serving.
Report writing
You are advised to submit your views reports and recommendations to the head of volunteers before submitting them to your relevant offices, colleges, organizations and countries for vetting and approval in respect to the dignity of our children.
If you will not be comfortable with any of the work that you have been assigned to, we shall kindly request you to terminate your contact at your own will.
Meals
During your volunteer ship, you shall be provided with the normal meals that are provided at the center. In the event of any special diet in relation to your health please contact the management for advice.
Security
The home operates from Monday to Sunday .As far as your security is concerned we shall expect you to observe your movement of in and out of the compound and especially at late hours. The latest time to report in the compound is at 6.00 and if for any genuine reason for any delay or overnight stay, please calls the office to inform them of your whereabouts.
Left over’s
Kindly serve as much as you will be able to finish. We do not encourage left over’s since it shall be disposed to the dumping areas to encourage more children back to the street.
Gifts and incentives
No one is allowed to offer any kind of gifts or incentives to the children and staffs without permission from the head of volunteers. Let the department be notified of the motive of the above.
Signed by—————————————————————
Full names————————————————————-
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Verified by————————————————————-
Designation————————————————————
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