Protection & Human Rights

The Children’s Rights Learning & Research Lab is a hybrid education and research project designed to strengthen children’s rights, protection, and well-being in Kakuma Refugee Camp. The project combines child-friendly rights education with participatory research to generate high-quality evidence that improves child protection systems. Through interactive learning hubs, caregivers and children especially girls and young children aged 0–5 participate in structured sessions that teach children’s rights using storytelling, play-based learning, visual tools, and peace-building activities. At the same time, the project conducts ethical, child-sensitive research to understand children’s experiences of safety, protection risks, early childhood stimulation, and access to support services. The combination of learning and research ensures that children not only receive knowledge about their rights but also become active contributors whose voices shape local protection practices. Findings will inform community child protection committees, service providers, and county institutions, while educational materials will strengthen knowledge at household and community levels. The project advances the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by promoting: 1. Survival and Development Rights (Article 6 2. Protection from Violence (Article 19) 3. Girls’ Rights and Non-Discrimination (Article 2) 4. Participation Rights (Article 12) 5. Early Childhood Development Rights (General Comment No. 7) The initiative will create an evidence-based model that can be replicated in other displacement contexts to improve children’s rights education, strengthen protection systems, and elevate the lived experiences of refugee children.