LAIKIPIA UNIVERSITY (MAIN CAMPUS)

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

PROGRAM: BACHELOR OF PSYCHOLOGY

A REPORT ON A TWO MONTHS FIELD ATTACHMENT AT KIVULI CENTER

LOCATED IN NAIROBI COUNTY, DAGORETTI SUB COUNTY FROM 1ST FEBRUARY
2021 TO 26TH MARCH 2021.

PRESENTED BY:

NAME: MARIA MUTHONI KINYUA

REG NO: M23/2/1176/016

A REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY.

SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ENVIRONMENTAL

STUDIES

SUBMITTED TO DR. ENOS BARASA

DATE OF SUBMISSION:
DECLARATION

I, Maria Muthoni Kinyua, hereby declare that this training report is my original work and has not
been presented before in any institution of higher learning for an academic award or any other
purpose.

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DEDICATION

I sincerely dedicate this piece of work to Almighty God who enabled me to do this training, my
parents Patrick and Gladys who brought me up to the level I have reached and also for their
continued moral support which remained unrelenting to me, I also do not forget my two older
brothers who have been the sponsors of my education.

May God bless them all.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I want to thank Almighty God for bringing me this far and keeping me sound and safe with
good health and life during the entire attachment period.

The development of this report took the effort, support and guidance of a number of people
whom I wish to thank. I am grateful to the entire department of Public Affairs and
Environmental Studies for their guidance and moral support. I also thank my parents, Patrick and
Gladys for their moral support that has remained unrelenting. I cannot end this list without
acknowledging my two older brothers for both their financial and moral support to ensure that I
complete my education.

May God bless the all.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this report is to provide the details of the institution of attachment, a description
of all activities undertaken during the attachment period, professional and institutional challenges
faced during the attachment period.

The report also provides the objectives and benefits of the attachment to the trainee. The report
also gives the details of the attachment period.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION………………………………………………………………………………. i

DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………………………. ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT……………………………………………………………………….. iii

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………. iv

CHAPTER ONE……………………………………………………………………………….. 1

1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….... 1

1.1 Scope………………………………………………………………………………………... 1

1.2 Background information about the organization……………………………………………..1

1.3 Organizational structure and description……………………………………………………..2

1.3.1 Structure……………………………………………………………………………………2

1.3.2 Description (duties and responsibilities)……………………………………………………3

1.4 Aim, objectives, vision and mission statement of the organization………………………….3

1.5 Core values of the organization……………………………………………………………....4

CHAPTER TWO………………………………………………………………………………....5

2.0 Period of attachment………………………………………………………………………….5

2.1 Objectives of the attachment………………………………………………………………....5

2.2 Benefits of the attachment to the trainee……………………………………………………...5

CHAPTER THREE……………………………………………………………………………....7

3.0 Attachment engagement………………………………………………………………………7

3.1 Description of the activities during the practicum period………………………………….....7

3.2 Description of the skills learnt during the practicum period…………………………………10

3.3 Professional and institutional challenges faced during the practicum period………………..11

CHAPTER FOUR…………………………………………………………………………….....13

4.1 Summary of the attachment……………………………………………………………….....13

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Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….13

Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………..13

APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………….......14

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………..14

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 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The student training attachment is a mandatory requirement which aims at exposing the trainee
to real management, community development and conducting therapy sessions.

The training also equips the student with practical and technical skills as a partial fulfillment for
the award of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. It also introduces the student to the working
life.

Training time allows the student to link the theoretical principles learnt in class to real life
through professional and technical application. It gives the student practical skills and the work
environment enables the student to use the skills and principles learnt in class to serve the
institution and the society in general.

1.1 SCOPE

This report highlights a summary of the work done, problems/challenges encountered and
recommendations on how to address the challenges.

1.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Kivuli Center is a Koinonia Community initiative project located in Riruta along Kabiria road in
Dagoretti South Constituency, Nairobi. The center is about 10 km from Nairobi city center.

Kivuli began as a very small children’s center in 1992, and with time, the Koinonia Community
realized that there was a need to address the children’s problems in a broader way. This led to the
realization of Kivuli Center in 1997 to cater for the needs of vulnerable young boys. The main
focus was on the street children and youths around Kawangware, Riruta, other slums in Nairobi
and their environs. Today Kivuli Center has grown to become a means through which Koinonia
invites members of the local society to participate actively in projects aimed at improving the
quality of life of the whole society. It is a project that involves the whole community, promoting
the welfare of children, youth and other members of the community at large. The center houses
about 60 boys and provides a variety of activities for the resident children as well as the youth of
the surrounding area. Apart from children’s programs, the center has many other business
projects, for instance, a dispensary, computer school, micro-credit programs and a number of
other income generating initiatives.

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1.3 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DESCRIPTION

1.3.1 STRUCTURE

Koinonia General Assembly

Executive Council

Audit Committee Procurement Council PHRO Committee

Koinonia Central Administration

Program Management

Subordinate staff Peer education

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1.3.2 DESCRIPTION (DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES)

i. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The general assembly comprises of all full time members of Koinonia Community. A full time
member is one that has applied for a position and gone through the induction process
successfully.

ii. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

They ensure that all the transactions on organization’s property are legal and in line with the
constitution of Koinonia Community.

iii. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

They perform an oversight role on all the activities of the community.

iv. CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

The main function of the central administration is to coordinate, supervise, monitor and evaluate
the day to day operations of all Koinonia activities.

v. MANAGEMENT BOARD

The board oversees the human resource and financial aspects of the Koinonia Community and
also, it is the overall decision making body.

vi. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The HRMC is entrusted with developing human resource policies, human resource planning in
terms of selection, recruitment, staff development, setting of the performance standards, staff
performance appraisal and termination of employment.

1.4 AIM, OBJECTIVES, VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION

i. ORGANIZATION’S AIM

To promote best practice in the holistic care and protection of vulnerable children who are in
need.

ii. OBJECTIVES
 To increase the access to rescue and emergency support services by orphans and
vulnerable children (OVCs) with a specific focus on those in the streets and slums.
 To improve the quality of comprehensive care and protection services provided to OVCs
within a rehabilitative process with the participation of all stakeholders.

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  To increase access to quality education for the development of community capacities in
the enhancement of human capital, research and dissemination of information.
 To promote community empowerment, health and sustainable social capital for effective
societal reintegration of the marginalized youth and other vulnerable members.
 To promote social entrepreneurship for the sustainability of social initiatives and socio-
economic development of local communities.
iii. VISION STATEMENT

To empower marginalized and vulnerable community members with sustainable social services
for an inclusive Kenyan society

iv. MISSION STATEMENT

Koinonia Community is committed to the growth of its membership and to the service of the
society.

We are open to each other.

An essential part of our commitment is unity building/community building.

We see ourselves and all the people as called to work with God for the establishment of His
Kingdom.

1.5 CORE VALUES OF THE ORGANIZATION

i. We give a chance to the marginalized and vulnerable little ones in the community for the
promotion of human dignity.
ii. We aspire to offer everyone equal chances in life while respecting our diversity for
inclusiveness.
iii. We belong to each other and seek to empower the people we live and work with for
sustainable development.
iv. Our professional service is towards integrity, social justice and peace.
v. We live by the African and Christian spiritually.
vi. We live in communion as one family with brotherhood and sisterhood among members
and those we work with in openness and accountability.
vii. We care and share as we serve to establish the Kingdom of God.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 PERIOD OF ATTCHMENT

The attachment period lasted two months that began from 1st February 2021 up to 26th March
2021. I worked under an internal supervisor in Kivuli Center- Children’s department and
recorded in the attachment logbook all the daily work carried out during the entire practicum
period.

2.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE ATTCHMENT

The practicum fulfills the following specific objectives:

i. Expose the trainee to actual management issues and problems.

ii. Offer the trainee an opportunity to acquire and apply skills that would enable him/her
deal with management, social work and community development issues and problems.
iii. Expose the trainee to the process of planning, design, implementation and evaluation of
projects.
iv. Expose the trainee to the acquisition, synthesis, reporting and dissemination of data.
v. Offer the trainee an opportunity to learn the decision making process and develop skills
in management.
vi. Expose the trainee to institutional mechanisms for resolving conflicts between
development policies, management and administration, management of human resources,
financial management and general administration of the organization.
vii. Enable the trainee to develop co-operative attitude and team spirit.
viii. Expose the trainee to networking process and information sharing.
ix. Enable the trainee to be well braced with the challenges that come with career and learn
ways of dealing with the challenges or mitigating them
x. To enable the trainee to make contact with prospective future employers.
xi. To enable the trainee get the chance to put the knowledge learnt in school into practice.
xii. To enable the trainee gain experience in a career of his/her choice as a psychologist.

2.2 BENEFITS OF THE ATTACHMENT TO THE TRAINEE

i. Exposing the student to the demands and challenges of the workplace.

ii. Enabling the student to gain practical experience.
iii. Enabling the student to gain work ethics.
iv. Helping the student acquire self-reliance skills.
v. Enabling the student to contribute to the local industry.
vi. Enabling the trainee to develop work-based skills.
vii. Enabling the student to establish industry networks and contacts. It has been said many
times that it is not about what you know but who you know. While it is vital to know how

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 to perform the required tasks for a particular job, having a good set of industry contacts
behind you can be just as vital in helping you find and secure a job after you graduate.
viii. Helping the student to improve his/her cross/cultural communication skills.
ix. It gives the student a competitive edge over a graduate with no work experience.
x. The student gets to meet different people in his/her future career path.

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 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 ATTACHMENT ENGAGEMENT

In this chapter, the activities I was involved in during the attachment period, the skills I learnt
and acquired during the attachment period and the professional and institutional challenges I
faced during the attachment period are discussed in details.

3.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES DONE DURING THE ATTCHMENT PERIOD

i. Home tracing

Home tracing refers to a situation where, when a child has been left under the care of Kivuli
Center by either the parents, guardian or the county government, the social workers and
counselors in the organization make an effort of tracing the place where the child used to live
before or tracing where the child came from. The aim of home tracing is gathering the
background information about the child in order to create a case history of the child. The
background information gathered includes the parents’/guardians’ economic status, that is,
whether they are working or have a source of income or not. Home tracing also looks at the
living conditions the child was in, whether the child was going to school or not, if the child was
being physically and emotionally abused. Also, the state of the parents/guardians, that is,
whether they are alcoholics or abuse other types of drugs, whether they are still together (both
mum and dad are living together) and if they are, whether they live in peace and harmony or are
always fighting and whether they take care of their other children (if any) or they have neglected
them. Home tracing is very important, for example, in a case where the child had run away from
home and lived in the street then the information gathered about him assists in knowing how to
deal with him and also knowing how to help him reform.

ii. Home visits and follow ups.

Home visit takes place after the intake of the child into the organization. After being inducted
into the center, the child is taken back to school to continue with his studies. While in school,
some legal documents like birth certificate and the parent’s/guardian’s copy of their national IDs
are usually required in order to register the child in the education system (especially if the child
is a candidate). In this case, home visits are conducted in order to acquire such documents.
Another situation in which home visit is conducted is when empowerment has been done for the
parent. Empowerment is an initiative by Kivuli Center where some parents of the children who
are in the center are given money/capital to start small businesses in order to help themselves
financially. Hence a home visit is conducted to check on the progress of the business the parent
had started and this assists in knowing whether or not the parent has been assisted and also
determines whether he/she needs more financial aid.

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Home follow up takes place after the child has been re-integrated back to the community. This
normally takes place after the child has cleared his primary school education while still in the
center and is about to join high school. The child is takes back home and he is sponsored
throughout his high school education by the organization while living with his parents. The aim
of conducting a home follow up is to find out whether the child is keeping up with school, his
academic performance and also whether the parents also support the child financially (in terms of
buying books and other revision materials, school uniforms and any other accessory that the
child requires) and also emotionally by motivating the child.

iii. School visits and follow ups.

School visit refers to going to the learning institution the child is in to evaluate the learning
environment of the child. This includes the amenities in the school, the commitment of the
teachers to the child, whether the child is provided for learning materials and how the child is
disciplined when he misbehaves.

School follow up refers to constantly monitoring the progress of the child while in school. This
includes the academic progress of the child, the co-curriculum activities the child is involved in,
life skills that the child acquires as he moves on to the next class, growth in both personality and
character of the child based on his interaction with other children and any leadership ability that
the child has portrayed.

Both school visit and school follow up are conducted a least once every week.

iv. Community empowerment

This refers to the process of enabling communities to increase control over their lives. These
communities could be local, national or international, with specific or broad interests.
Empowerment refers to the process by which people gain control over the factors and decisions
that shape their lives.

In Kivuli Center, community empowerment is done in the following ways;

 Economically

This involves giving parents capital to start small businesses where they live in order to achieve
financial stability. The parents are also advised and given few business tips that really help them
manage their small start ups.

 Socially

The management in Kivuli Center usually holds conferences mostly on weekends where people
in the surrounding areas are called and talked to about various social issues like co-existing

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together, working together in peace and harmony, helping the local authorities in curbing malice
in the community like theft and drugs and alcohol abuse.

 Morally

The boys that are under the care of the center are always taught moral values like respect,
discipline, living peacefully with other children and using polite and acceptable language when
addressing other people. The parents of these children are also urged and encouraged to uphold
these moral values in their lives even when they are at home.

 Academically

All the boys living in Kivuli Center are enrolled in various schools around Kabiria and its
environs. After school, they have tuition classes every evening in the center. Several teachers
have been assigned to cater for the academic needs of the children in the center who are in
different classes. Also the management in the center buys both text books and exercise books for
the children. Their stationery requirements and school uniforms are also catered for. This ensures
that no child in the center lacks anything when he is in school.

 Spiritually

The center has a chapel within it and every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday the boys have mass.
While in the center, most of them undergo catechism classes and eventually graduate and then
they are baptized.

 Psychologically

Every Saturday, counseling sessions are conducted for the boys. This can either be individual
counseling or group counseling. During my attachment period, counseling sessions were
conducted mainly on weekends because on weekdays the boys were in school. The sessions
really help the boys both mentally and emotionally and most of them improve in behavior over
time.

 Healthcare

Kivuli Center has a dispensary which provides health care services for both the children in the
center and also the surrounding community. For the children, the services are given for free but
for the other members of the surrounding community, they pay for the services. Hence the
dispensary also acts as a source of income for the organization.

 Economically

Within the organization, some space has been rented out to several business owners who are
doing really well. Some of the businesses these people are involved in include carpentry, visual

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arts, making of wood art and sculptures, hotel and a metal welding shop where they make doors,
windows and so much more.

v. Community intervention

In general terms, community intervention refers to actions that address social problems or unmet
human needs, and takes place in a neighborhood, community or other settings.

During my eight weeks attachment period, I participated in the following community

intervention activities;

 Street work/ rescue

This is where the staff in Kivuli Center joins forces with other staff from other organizations and
they all go to the nearest slums, gather street children and talk to them. The aim of street work is
to try and convince the street children to accept the help that these community organizations
offer. The help includes counseling them, providing them with food, shelter, clothing and
education. Some of these organizations also go an extra mile by tracing the homes of these street
children and empowering their parents/guardians.

 Community awareness

This often refers to the degree that people generally know about each other, about social norms
and people’s different roles within the community and about issues that affect the community. In
Kivuli Center, there is a conference room where members of the community hold meetings every
single day to discuss matters that directly and indirectly affect them and also coming up with
possible solutions.

 Assisting parents who visit the center by either providing a solution the problems that
they have or referring them to people/organizations that can help. For example, Kivuli
center hosts boys, hence if a parent or a concerned person has come to the office and has
a girl who he/she would like to leave under the care of the center, such a parent is
referred to another home which shelters girls and there the parent gets the help that he/she
needs.

3.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SKILLS LEARNT DURING THE ATTACHMENT PERIOD

a. Improved communication skills Because of interacting with so many people during the
attachment period, I have learnt how to communicate better to different people of
different ages and different personalities. I have learnt how to communicate new ideas,
feelings and opinions in various areas effectively. I have also improved a lot in my
listening, observing, speaking and empathizing skills.
b. Emergency response. This includes any systematic response to an unexpected or
dangerous occurrence. The goal of an emergency response procedure is to mitigate the

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 impact of the event on people and the environment. The emergency response I was
involved in mostly was taking the children to the dispensary whenever they reported that
they were sick and I would find out the sickness and the required medication.
c. Studying behaviors and characteristics of clients then knowing how to deal with them.
This happened after interacting with the children of Kivuli Center for a while.
d. Improved time management. I acquired this skill through reporting early to the office
during all the working days and also completing given assignments on time.
e. I also learnt how to write reports on the home visits or home tracings I was involved in.
f. Decision making. Before starting my attachment, the human resource manager gave me
the freedom to know and decide how my everyday schedule would go. Through that, I
learnt how to decide on what was supposed to be done at the right time and in the right
place.
g. Co-existing with fellow staff. This I learnt through teamwork, conflict management and
resolution.
h. Problem solving skills. The manager used to give us very hard tasks and a time frame to
solve them. Hence we learnt to critically think and solve the tasks effectively and on
time.
i. Commitment. I reported to work every working and I did everything that I was told to do.
j. Patience. This I learnt through dealing with different people who have different
personalities.

3.3 PROFESSIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES

I. Professional challenges
 Sexual harassment. The person in charge of the social workers and other staff used to
touch and hug me inappropriately when I was beginning my attachment. He restrained
himself after I reported him to the human resource manager.
 Not being funded when doing a school or home visit. I was using my own money to pay
for bus fare when doing these visits most of the time.
 I took time to adapt to the organization at the beginning of my attachment. But after the
first two weeks I got the grip of it.
II. Institutional challenges
 The senior staffs leave most of the work to the junior staff, interns or the volunteers who
are in the center.
 The people in charge of the departments wait until the last minute to complete a task or a
mission.
 Local authorities exploit the organization by extracting a lot of money from them because
it is a non-governmental organization.
 Some boys normally run away from the center or refuse to go to school occasionally and
this always put the staff in the organization under a lot of stress and pressure from both
parents and local authorities.

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 There is occasional lack of water in the center hence water is bought from outside
sources.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 SUMMARY OF THE ATTCHMENT

CONCLUSION

The two months field attachment exposes the trainee to hands-on approach of the skills learnt in
the university and prepares them for the work environment. It is a good way practicing and it
nurtures one into a prepared individual when it comes to tackling challenges, performing tasks
and interacting with fellow employees.

It is a good opportunity to test one’s preparedness to undertake the demands of the chosen career
and to shape them up. Therefore every student should practice the attachment.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The people in charge of the organization should be more respectful to their juniors especially of
the opposite sex. They should not touch or talk to their juniors inappropriately while in the
workplace.

The management should financially support volunteers and interns when they are doing a school
or home visit.

The senior staff in the organization should be committed to their work and finish their tasks on
time instead of waiting till the last minute then they put the burden on their junior staff.

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APPENDIXES

REFERENCES

i. Kivuli Center administration, staff information of the facility

ii. Mish stories, M.S. (2005). Basics of addiction counseling: desk reference and study
guide

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