LATEST STORIES
0 Comments
I’ve just returned from Uganda, where I visited Karamoja, a region in northern Uganda where Children on the Edge has begun to replicate our successful Child Protection Team model. Children here are living on the edge of society, with little support. Read about how we're supporting communities here to better protect their children.  November 20th is World Children’s Day. This year's theme is ‘inclusion, for every child’. Across all our programmes, we ensure that children are included and given space to participate, so that they can realise their rights and thrive. Read on to see this in action through our innovative digital education programme in Bangladesh.
 India is home to the largest number of child brides in the world. Dalit children, as members of the lowest caste in India are especially at risk of child marriage and face discrimination at almost every level. Read about what we are doing to tackle child marriage and create protective environments for the Dalit children we work with.
 Children on the Edge envisions a world in which every child thrives regardless of their geography, ethnicity, gender, or caste. We place children at the heart of everything we do by working hand-in-hand with local communities to restore hope, dignity, and justice; and to actively involve everyone in creating transformation.
Our work over throughout 2021-2022 reflects these values and we’re delighted to share with you what we’ve achieved, thanks to our generous supporters. Download the Full Version or read our summary below.  Child Rights Clubs in Loco, Wandago and Masese I slum communities in Uganda give children the opportunity to express themselves and play an active role in their communities, campaigning and advocating for change.
Working closely with the adult members of the Child Protection Teams in their communities, the focus for the Child Rights Clubs in recent months has been on education and encouraging children to get back to school after lockdown. Find out what they have been up to below...  Children on the Edge is a Child Rights organisation, but what does that mean? What does a child rights organisation do?
 After five years of civil society campaigning (seven-years for Annie), Children on the Edge is delighted to announce that The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Act 2021 was officially signed into law on the 14th July 2021. The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2020 was passed by Ugandan Parliament on the 4th May 2021. Before it could officially become Law, it needed to be prepared for 'assent' by the President of Uganda.
We are pleased to say that The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Act was assented on the 14th July 2021 and communities now have the backing of the law to protect their children. Read more about how a Bill becomes law in Uganda. The new law aims to curb rampant cases of human sacrifice in Uganda by addressing gaps in the existing legislation that do not adequately handle the appalling practice of child sacrifice and ritual murder as a specific crime. Children on the Edge, together with Annie Ikpa (media professional and the instigator of the concept of this Bill), Children on the Edge Africa and World Vision Uganda have been at the forefront of campaigning for a change in the law, leading up to this crucial decision.  Children on the Edge works in coalition with local communities in some of the toughest places in the world, transforming the lives of marginalised children by creating protective environments where they can safely live, play, learn and grow.
It will come as no surprise that our focus in 2020-2021 has been responding to the coronavirus pandemic and it’s devastating effects in every area where we work. Not only this, but the children here have been leading transformation since 2017. When we first started working here, we asked the children what needed to change. They took us on a tour of the area and told us about some of the problems they faced. We interviewed many of them, and they created a map of Wandago with sticks, leaves and stones to show us the places that were safe and the places where they felt afraid. They told us about high levels of child exploitation, that there was little access to education and a lack of healthy jobs due to all the dangerous breweries that dominate the area. One of the main problems they described was how when they went to the well for water alone, many girls had been victims of rape and sexual assault. In the last few years, the Child Protection Team in Wandago have been working to stop this. They have done regular spot checks at the well, many workshops on child protection and ensured that no-one walks there by themselves. Since this point there have been no attacks. They have been working on wider issues too, supporting the opening of a new Early Childhood Development Centre, and starting a small loan scheme to create healthy livelihoods and make it possible for parents to send children to school. The same children who raised their voices about these needs in Wandago are now part of the Child Rights Club, piloted in Loco, but now also active in Masese I and Wandago. They are trained about their rights and work hand in hand with the Child Protection Team. Babra is the social worker for Children on the Edge Africa. She says, Children in Wandago are now not only safer, but teaching other children about being safer, delivering regular workshops to hundreds of younger children, and talking to parents about how to clean up the area and make sure children can go to school. They started the change, and they continue to lead, watch the video above and share the great news about the impact these children are having.
|
RECEIVE OUR EMAILSBlog Categories
All
Archives
September 2023
|
RSS Feed
