Tony is my host family's nephew, my cousin. He is 5 years old and lives next door with his father, his cousin and grandmother. His mother passed away a few years ago.

I knew something was wrong with tony the moment I met him. He always looks at the ground and never smiles. Whenever I gave him a hug or tried to cheer him up he always seemed so desperate for more attention. I never heard him speak one word for about 2 weeks! I asked his cousin Emily why he doesn't speak. She said he is just shy.

Yesterday I was walking home from work and I seen Emily. We walked together. I spotted tony playing at the bottom of the hill and Emily got really worried.

''We must take him home please or his father will beat him!'' she asked me

I took tony home and met his father. Tony didn't look at him when we walked into the house. His father was very tall and drunk. He was intimidating even to me. I asked Emily if tony gets beaten and she said no he doesn't.

The next day Emily had a large cut across her forehead. She told me that she ran into a metal sheet. I went straight to my host family to tell them. My host mother looked concerned but that was all.

In Kenya there are no social services to protect children. Beating your child is considered socially acceptable if it is to make them obedient. Corporal punishment is even used in primary schools!