The Kibera Kids Comp Camp – April 2016 Edition

Today digital literacy is no longer just a privilege for a few: but a necessity for all. Kids Comp Camp is a digital literacy initiative that seeks to front the spread of digital literacy amongst kids living in rural and marginalized communities. Read more about their amazing work on http://www.kidscompcamp.com/

Simba-Safe Kenya was excited to be part of the Kibera Kids Comp Camp alongside fellow bloggers theMagunga and LindaAfya under the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE). 14O children turned up against the expected 100 at YMCA Kibera Kenya Primary School. The children were engaging and eager to learn the basics of blogging and how they can share their stories with the world while also considering a future career in blogging.

The morning session started off with creative writing where the children wrote a paragraph story of what they enjoyed most during the just ended term 1 of this year. Thereafter they created a word document of their handwritten paragraph story. This was concluded by learning a step by step guide on how to set up a free blog and publish their stories with some tips on online safety. Here is a link to one blog that was published and is live https://fourqueensandfivekings.wordpress.com/2016/04/08/what-i-enjoyed-the-most-this-term/

How can you help? Kids Comp Camp April & May Edition is here; 4+ Counties & 500+ Kids.
Wanted: Volunteer Trainers, sign up via http://bit.ly/1McwQnf or Simply SMS ‘April SignUp’ to 0717 581 728.

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

WhatsApp gets end to end encryption – How this works – What this means

You may be seeing a certain message on your WhatsApp just when you engage a chat. There is a high chance that most of us have not responded to the prompt within the message that says “Tap for more info” because of the fear of spam or viruses. Users with the latest version of the WhatsApp app were notified about the end to end encryption feature when sending messages on Tuesday. The setting is enabled by default.

End-to-end encryption is available when you and the people you message are on the latest versions of WhatsApp. There is no way to turn off end-to-end encryption.

Encryption was thrown under the spotlight after the FBI asked Apple to help it access data on an iPhone used by California gunman Syed Farook.

WhatsApp said: “The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to. No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us.”

For added protection, every message you send has a unique lock and key. All of this happens automatically: no need to turn on settings or set up special secret chats to secure your messages.

What is the “Verify security code” screen in my contact info/group info?

Each of your chats has its own security code used to verify that your calls and the messages you send to that chat are end-to-end encrypted.

The verification process is optional and is used only to confirm that the messages you send are end-to-end encrypted.

This code can be found in the contact info/group info screen, both as a QR code and a 60-digit number. These codes are unique to each chat and can be compared between people in each chat to verify that the messages you send to the chat are end-to-end encrypted. Security codes are just visible versions of the special key shared between you – and don’t worry, it’s not the actual key itself, that’s always kept secret.

For more information you can read https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/en/general/28030015

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

 

 

Car Seat safety basics for children – Know the ages and stages

Child safety seats (sometimes referred to as an infant safety seat, a child restraint system, a restraining car seat, or ambiguously as car seats) are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions.
Car crash impact almost always leads to injury or death in children. This is because most children are not properly restrained in car seats which could have prevented many of those incidences.
The majority’s assumption is that most of these tragedies resulted from high-speed collisions; the truth is that a high percent of car accidents involving children happen on streets where the speed limit is 50 Kmph or less.
So if you own a car, this is one piece of baby gear you should plan to purchase long before your water breaks; it doesn’t make sense to buckle up as an adult driver and gamble on your child’s safety. It is wise to start shopping for a car seat around your sixth to eighth month of pregnancy. That should give you plenty of time to select the right seat.
The type of seat your child needs depends on several things, including your child’s age and size and the type of vehicle you have.
There are three basic types of car seats to choose from:
1.Baby (or infant-only) car seats: These should always face the rear of the car. They have a weight limit of between 9 and 15 kilograms. When your baby reaches the weight or height limits for his infant seat, move him to a rear-facing convertible car seat.
2.Convertible (or infant-toddler) car seats: These function as both rear-facing seats for babies and toddlers and forward-facing seats for older children. Many new ones are designed to hold a child of up to 18 kilograms rear-facing and up to 31 kilograms forward-facing. It’s safest to leave your child rear-facing as long as possible – in fact, the latest guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) say to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat until the age of 2, or until he reaches the seat’s maximum rear-facing height and weight limits. (Food for thought to Kenya’s NTSA about reinforcing local regulations).
3.Belt-positioning booster seats: These seats are for kids who are at least 4 and weigh at least 18 kilograms. They use the regular car lap and shoulder belts to secure the child. Backless boosters are fine when used with an automobile seat that provides head support.

To get more details about choosing a car seat locally, you will find great information from the following resources:
1. Uncle Bob’s Strollers and Car Seats; one of Kenya’s leading safety experts on car seats on http://unclebobs.co.ke/
2. Deacons Baby Shop branches at The Junction, Sarit Centre and TRM shopping malls. http://www.deacons.co.ke/babyshop/
info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

KWANI? celebrates World Storytelling Day 2016

Nairobi’s finest storytellers gathered at Kwani? to celebrate World Storytelling Day on Saturday 19th March, 2016 and consequently launched a global online writing contest via the Re-imagined Modern Tales website through which selected works will be published in an Anthology of New Tales to be used in school and community performances nation-wide.

The Storytelling Festival showcased a magical day of stories through interactive performances; reading nooks; workshops on illustrating, writing and poetry; an art exhibition and auction; a stories booth for the children to record their own stories and books stalls.

The theme for year 2016’s World Storytelling Day is ‘Strong Women’ and the day’s performances culminated in a riveting stage performance, where five of Nairobi’s most renowned actresses and poets, notably Sitawa Namwalie, Mumbi Kaigwa, Raya Wambui, Patricia Kihoro and Maimouna Jallow, re-interpreted five African novels by women authors for the stage.

Simba-Safe Kenya under the umbrella body of the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) facilitated a Teens Online Safety Training which focused on:
• Online safety & caution;
• Benefits of joining helpful online communities;
• Glaring risks of encountering Cyber bullies, internet trolls and stumbling upon pornographic sites;
• The risks that come with disclosing too much personal information online;
• Negative effects of joining the wrong forums; and
• General evils that come with anonymity provided by the internet.

The training was aimed at sensitizing young people about the risks that come with use of the internet and targeted children and their parents. Children are honing their writing skills and starting to make use of available new media and platforms for storytelling like blogs and their safety online is paramount.

The Storytelling festival is the first in a series of events by Positively African to promote oral storytelling and use the Modern Anthology of Tales to educate and engage both young and old alike on critical issues affecting the continent.

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

March 2016

School Bus Safety for Children –Back to School 2016

Picture courtesy of Lakewood Premier School–Utawala

For thousands of children nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus.
The greatest risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is essential that adults and children know traffic safety rules.
School buses are a safer mode of motorized transportation for getting children to and from school, but injuries can occur if kids are not careful and aware when getting on and off the bus.
Whether children walk, are dropped off by their parents or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they – and the motorists around them – take proper safety precautions. Here are a few noteworthy ones with respect to school buses:
• While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place on the pavement.
• The bus driver and others cannot see you if you are standing closer than 10 feet to the bus. Stay out of the danger zone and stand at least 5 giant steps away from the school bus.
• Wait until the bus stops, the door is opened and the driver/conductor says it is okay before stepping onto the bus.
• Learn how to use the seatbelt correctly and ask an adult conductor/ the driver for help to belt-up.
• If something falls under the bus, tell the driver…do not try to pick it up yourself.
• Be alert to traffic. When you get off the bus, look left, look right and left again before you cross the street and remember to always cross in front of the bus. Schools must however insist that the bus conductor crosses with the children at all times.
Back-to-school season is in full effect. Remember to safely share the roads with school buses, pedestrians and cyclists, and provide children with the necessary knowledge to stay safe at school.
#backtoschool
info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

Avoid parking lot accidents in your estate with these simple rules.

In July 2015, a three year old boy was crushed to death by a school van that had just dropped him home in an estate in Nairobi. Witnesses said the incident occurred when the van was reversing moments after the boy alighted.
These tragic incidences happen especially in the estate when reversing in such moments as distractions when driving, being pressed for time, certainty your child is inside, or playing elsewhere.
Residential areas commonly known as estates in Kenya have no playgrounds for children (sadly) and as such they play in the driveways and parking lots. The holiday season is here, schools are closed and that means our children are out in the estate drive ways and parking lots playing all day. Take time and review these simple rules with your child, and share them with friends, family and anyone who looks after your children. They could save a life.
1. Caution when in a driveway/ parking lot
Teach your child that a driveway is just like a road, and children should never play on roads. While you may think your driveway is a safe place to play, a small child crouching down is almost invisible to someone in a large car pulling in. Younger children will need added supervision as a safety measure.
2. No playing near parked cars
While a car may look stationary to a child, it could be about to reverse. As a hard and fast rule, teach your children that playing around cars is dangerous, and it’s best to be well clear when playing.
3. Beware of reversing cars
Kids walking on footpaths are often engrossed in their own world, and aren’t watching for cars reversing out of driveways. Younger children should hold the hand of an adult as they walk. Teach your child early to listen and look for cars backing out of driveways.
4. Moving cars mean kids keep still
Implement a rule that whenever a car is being moved – even just a short distance – kids are to be somewhere safe, supervised and kept still. This may mean younger children will need to be placed securely in the car while it’s being moved, if there isn’t another adult home to supervise. Carers / nannies in the house must communicate – there have been dozens of tragedies where one adult thought the other was watching the child. If you can’t see your child, always double check where they are, before moving the car.
5. The car walk around
Make it a ritual, whether with your children or not, to walk around your car before getting in. Cars have many blind spots, and you may not notice a small child until it’s too late. Don’t rely on reversing sensors or cameras. A quick car walk around will take seconds, but could save a life.
Make sure any other children who visit your home also know these rules, and make them part of your family’s routine. Go over them often, particularly with small children – who will no doubt remind you if you happen to forget any of the rules!
Happy Holidays!
info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

Button Batteries – What to do when your child swallows one

In recent years, our electronic toys and gadgets have become increasingly miniaturized. Their power requirements are being met by a new generation of compact, high-performance batteries. These disk batteries are small, pill- or coin-shaped devices that contain heavy metals such as zinc, mercury, silver, nickel, cadmium, and lithium. They also contain concentrated solutions of caustic electrolytes, usually potassium or sodium hydroxide. Their compact size and harmless appearance hide their true danger.
The danger comes when children (and sometimes adults) knowingly or mistakenly put these tiny batteries commonly known as button batteries in their mouths and swallow them.
Most swallowed button batteries cause no problem as they eventually pass through the body and are eliminated in the stool. However, sometimes batteries get “hung up”, and these are the ones that cause problems. A battery that is stuck in the esophagus is especially likely to cause tissue damage. An electrical current can form around the outside of the battery, generating hydroxide (an alkaline chemical) and causing a tissue burn. When a battery is swallowed, it is impossible to know whether it will pass through or get “hung up”.
Battery ingestion may not be obvious or symptomatic until harmful conditions develop. Thus, medical history and X-ray findings become exceedingly important for diagnosis.
The person who has swallowed a disk battery may have one or more symptoms.
• Vomiting
• Retching (gagging)
• Abdominal pain
• Low-grade fever
• Irritability
• Persistent drooling
• Difficulty breathing if the battery is blocking the airway
• Rash from nickel metal allergy
• Dark or bloody stools
If your child ingests a battery, this is what you should do:
Battery ingestion is a medical emergency. The most prudent home treatment for someone who has swallowed a disk battery is to give nothing by mouth and to go to the nearest hospital emergency department. If it will not delay going to the emergency department, bring a sample of the battery ingested. All disk batteries contain an imprinted code that can be used to identify manufacturer, the battery’s actual size, and its contents.
Battery removal will likely be accomplished with an endoscope. An endoscope is a flexible fiber optic scope with ports for grasping devices to be passed through it. This scope is passed through the mouth and into the esophagus and stomach.
• Endoscopy allows for battery removal and visual inspection of the esophagus for damage. If an endoscope is not available, removal by other means may be attempted.
• Transit time for disk batteries through the digestive tract ranges from 12 hours to 14 days. The majority of cells are passed in the stool within 72 hours. At home, strain stools for passage of the battery.

Image courtesy of foxnews.com
Article excerpts courtesy of emedicinehealth.com

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

10 ways to keep your children safer during the festive season

Image courtesy of http://www.mumzworld.com

1. Prepare Your Child

Teach children basic safety rules so that they are confident and prepared, rather than fearful.

2. Role-Play

Act out or discuss potentially dangerous situations so that children can practice how to respond.

3. Review and Practice

Children learn from repetition. Safety lessons need to be reviewed 5-10 times per year based on the age of the child.

4. Set Body Boundaries

Make children aware of the private areas of their body (“the areas covered by your underwear”) and explain that they should say no and then tell a trusted adult if anyone tries to touch them. We have more information on the UNDERWEAR RULE on our blog.

5. Discuss Good and Bad Secrets

Teach children that some secrets are okay to keep (like birthday surprises), but help them to understand that some secrets are not okay. Tell them that if anyone wants them to keep a secret about touching, they should not keep the secret and should tell a trusted adult right away.

6. Teach the Buddy System

Children and teens are safer when they stay with a friend or adult. This applies to walks, trips to the bathroom, outings, etc.

7. Use a Code Word

Choose a special code word that only you and your child know. Explain that if you ever send anyone unexpected to pick up your child, that person will use the code word.

8. Help Children Identify Trusted Adults

Talk with your child about trusted adults. Specifically identify who a child should go to in an emergency, such as a person using a cash register, security guard, policeman, mother with children etc. Read more on our blog under SAFE STRANGERS AND SAFE BUILDINGS.

9. Teach Telephone Skills

Teach your child your home or cell phone number and how to dial for help.

10. Insist on Background Checks

Insist that all nannies who work with your children have had background checks or a reliable reference person.

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

School Security Drills -A growing necessity for Kenya

School children crouch under their desks during an earthquake drill at the Baclaran Elementary School Unit-1 in Paranaque city, Manila Phillipines on June 7, 2013.

Panic prevailed at Strathmore University during a surprise security drill today at 12 noon with nearly 20 students sustaining injuries during the operation to determine the university’s disaster preparedness.
Students jumped out for safety through windows from the high-rise complex of classrooms and lecture halls largely driven by panic and the thought of the 2 April 2015 incidence where gunmen stormed the Garissa University College in Garissa, Kenya, killing 148 people, and injuring more.
Today’s well intentioned exercise at Strathmore University unfortunately brought an unexpected turn of events that needs re-examination of disaster preparedness especially in our schools. Drills are a first and important step in keeping schools safe and secure and if not well thought out or planned the intended course of action of learning points will not be achieved.
A School Security Drill is an exercise, other than a fire drill, to practice procedures that respond to an emergency situation including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation and that is similar in duration to a fire drill.
Judging from the Strathmore University incidence and the culture that we have of not having enough practice on safety drills in Kenya even as adults in the work place and other adult institutions, the element of surprise is not important to practicing the school security drills-yet.
We need to have regular School Security Drills and in that manner inculcate in the students and staff that this is not just for emergency situations but a routine procedure for staying safe. When everyone in a school regularly practices the plan, school personnel are more confident in making decisions to effectively and efficiently manage an emergency or major event. With good training and practice, everyone involved will be better able to react appropriately to emergency events.

Why should schools carry out Security Drills?
1. Because it is a requirement.
2. To test your plan -Because you are ready to see if your plan or a part of your emergency plan is complete enough.
3. To build the relationships you will use during a real disaster.
4. Because each drill you do will help you down the road.
5. To expose leaks, test perspectives and give confidence to the students and staff for what to do.

REMEMBER – THE BEST DISASTER IS A WELL REHEARSED ONE

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke

Have you been to The Nairobi Children’s Traffic Park? Fun and education with kids.

This unique park managed by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) educates children about road safety with the aim of reducing traffic accidents in the city.

Many children die from hit and run accidents on our roads, especially on estate roads. According to the Kenya Traffic Police department it is estimated that 620 children under the age of 16 died from road accidents out of 2,907 road accident related deaths in 2014. Globally, over 500 children die daily because of road accidents while thousands are injured. The objective of this program is to make youngsters aware of the rules to be followed while crossing a road, zebra crossings and traffic signs.

Children are taught road awareness whilst they ride their bicycles and tricycles on miniature tarmac roads, complete with traffic lights and traffic signs.

The Children’s Traffic Park Program has been beneficial to more than 60,000 school going children in Nairobi since its inception and is a fun way to learn about road safety.

info@simbasafekenya.co.ke