Darkness falls quickly across Kenya's arid plains.

In the shadowy half-light, filthy mounds of rubbish are piled in flea-ridden alleys.

Children as young as five forage for food among used syringes and excrement.

A far cry from the cosy warmth of a living room in Bedminster.

Thika is the remote town 40 miles north of Nairobi where 22-year-old Meg Burley has chosen to live, over a place at a London university.

She was due to begin her MSc degree in Globalisation and Development in September. Instead she decided to stay on in Kenya with a charity that rehabilitates street children.

These urchins have been cast out from the cycles of abuse and violence that plague families which have fallen victim to civil unrest.

Many are forced to beg or rake together scrap metal to sell for money. And some end up sniffing glue to dull the mental and physical pain.

"Due to the political violence there are hundreds in the area struggling to survive," says Meg.

"Many had their homes burnt, saw their friends and families being hacked to death by machetes and have lost all their possessions, not to mention their livelihoods.

Meg is one of three Westerners working in a team of 30 for international charity Action for Children in Conflict (AfCiC).

Amid the squalor, Meg's team works with vulnerable children including victims of rape and sexual abuse.

She says: "In Thika a child is raped every day and abuse is very common.

"You can see children as young as five walking around the town. They collect scrap metal, do casual jobs, beg and sniff glue to take away the pain, hunger and desperation that they face.

"On the streets children are exposed to sexual and physical abuse, forced labour and other dangers including disease and HIV."

Meg decided to join AfCiC and raised £1,200 to help with relocation to Africa in December last year. She had to delay her trip because of fighting in January.

The charity works with vulnerable children offering counselling to help them cope with their ordeals.

It teaches skills to help them return home and reintegrate with the community.

Meg's main role is to identify and help vulnerable families. As family sponsorship programme coordinator she helps them start up their own business so they can be self-sufficient.

They do this by taking out a micro loan – which they pay back at a low rate.

She regularly visits slums or rural areas.

She adds: "It never fails to surprise me the conditions some people live in. A tiny corrugated iron shack for a family of six. No beds – just sacks on the floor."

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to the East African country. Meg has been in Kenya since March.

She previously worked for the Highways Agency in Bristol and was due to start her second degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in September.

She said: "Because of the situation and knowing how valuable the work that the charity is doing, I have decided to give up my place at university and stay here for the next few months.

"Especially due to the recent financial crisis, I can see how important it is to try and find more donors."

There are 30 staff on the project. Most are Kenyan and there are only two other international volunteers.

Meg also works in Thika Women's Prison where 70 women are held. Two thirds are awaiting trial and many are reportedly innocent, but unable to afford legal costs.

She says: "As we entered we saw two shocking things; the women began to sing, welcoming us and praising God. It was inspiring to see women in such a desperate situation, thanking God and trusting in him.

"Also shocking was the number of small children who imprisoned there, locked up all day in an empty cement room while their mothers worked in the prison. In Kenya, if a mother is convicted of a crime, the children have to accompany her into prison if there is no one else to take care of them."

The charity offers counselling and life skills works with the children to provide non formal education and recreational activities.

Meg also teaches art therapy to street boys, who she says are friendly and playful despite their horrendous experiences.

She adds: "It is easy to forget, when you see them on the street, picking through rubbish and sniffing glue that they are just kids who have had their childhood taken away from them."

Working conditions are often dangerous for Meg.

"It's always challenging, sometimes unsafe and often amusing," she says.

However, world events that have taken place in the last year have drawn media attention away from Kenya.

But there are thousands of displaced families with no homes, jobs or personal items. Until recently, most were living in refugee camps.

Rising inflation means the cost of food has soared. Much is out of reach for most of the population. To make a donation see www.actionchildren.org and to volunteer email Meg, from Bristol, at kenya@actionchildren.org.