My name is Allan Njenga, I live in Kenya in Eastern Africa, Boardering the Indian Ocean.

Population: 32 million

Literacy: 85.1%

Life Expectancy: 44.9 years

% Below Poverty Line: 50%

Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose prices continue to decline. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems reducing agriculural output.

The Kenyan elite has mainly been concerned about retaining power and amassing wealth. The endemic corruption is gradually ruining the infrastructure, devastating whole industries and drying up the flow of foreign finance. President Mwai Kibaki, who come to power in 2002, has pledged to tackle the corruption.

Other challenges include high unemployment, crime and poverty. With more than half of Kenya's population living on less tha $1 a day, many youngsters move to the cities in search of jobs but end up on the streets. it is estimated that there are about 250,000 street children in the country.

Many more children have been orphaned by Aids. The HIV virus has become a silent disaster with about 14 per cent of the population infected. Another issue affecting Kenyan children is child labour: the country has more than 1.9 million children working as casual labourers, mostly without pay.

Compassion's ministry in Kenya began in 1980. Currently there are over 38,000 registered children in over 130 projects. In 2004, in addition to the normal project activities, Compassion supported more than 15,000 families badly affected by drought by providing extra food supplies.

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