Kafaalah, an Islamic form of alternative care, offers a family-based solution for children deprived of parental care. While it does not confer full legal adoption rights, it enables a family or individual to assume responsibility for a child’s care, protection, and upbringing. Kafaalah can offer a culturally acceptable and religiously endorsed pathway to family care in many Muslim-majority contexts where adoption is not practised or accepted.
In this video, practitioners, faith leaders, and a Kafaalah caregiver share experiences in promoting and strengthening Kafaalah as an important part of family-based alternative care in Kenya. They highlight the benefits and challenges—including legal, cultural, and administrative barriers—and share lessons on supporting families, ensuring child-centred placements, and safeguarding children’s best interests within the Kafaalah system. The associated discussion guide provides different topics to discuss in association with the video.
This video is part of a series of practitioner learning videos from Kenya.
For more practitioner learning videos, watch our Cambodia and Uganda series.
