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Movement of people from the rural areas to the urban towns has changed the social support systems for young people. In the rural areas the people lived where they had the same culture and understood one another. The children were taken care of by the whole community. This meant that all children had reliable support through out their childhood. Urbanisation has changed this.Indeed the community cares less what happens to a neighbours child. Neighbours cannot dare to correct a child that does not belong to them. Adolescents are left to learn from peers, media and other soucrces that may not be very reliable. Many of the adolescents find themselves getting involved in hazardous sexual behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse. There is need to put into practice previously used methods to support the adolescents.

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Patricia was born in the western part of Kenya. She grew up in a rural setting before moving to the City of Nairobi. She worked as a secretary with an oil company before taking a course in Counselling Psychology. She is a post graduate student, taking a course in Communittee care and HIV & AIDS. She is married and a mother of three children.

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