The Body Shop At Home and Children on the Edge: Kickstarting A Year of Learning for Refugee Children

24/1/2022

The Body Shop At Home has been a passionate supporter of Children on the Edge for over two decades and earlier this month; we gathered with them online at the Global Kickstart Conference with the theme ‘The Power of Us’.

We were honoured to be able to share with thousands of The Body Shop At Home consultants, more about our work with refugee children. We talked about why providing education to the youngest children who have fled conflict and violence can transform lives and create powerful change.

We also shared how in 2022 we want to kickstart a year of learning for refugee children; with the support of The Body Shop At Home.

FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 WITH THE BODY SHOP AT HOME

Thanks to their amazing hard work and committed fundraising in 2021, the wonderful consultants at The Body Shop at Home raised a phenomenal £659,843 for Children on the Edge. This will go such a long way to support our work; and we’re looking to them to continue this amazing fundraising effort in 2022, to help reach more refugee children with vital education.

BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD

Children on the Edge was co-founded by The Body Shop’s founder the late Dame Anita Roddick in 1990. As Eastern Europe fell apart, the orphanage crisis in Romania hit our screens.

Anita wanted to do something to help, but unlike everyone else, she went to the places where no one was helping; she found the forgotten and overlooked children who were in desperate need of support. She found ‘the edge’, and Children on the Edge continue to operate in this way today.

"My passionate belief is that business can be fun, it can be conducted with love and be a powerful force for good."

ANITA RODDICK

WORKING ON 'THE EDGE'

Over the years in all of our work, we have gone to places far from the media spotlight and worked with some of the most marginalised children in the world, living in some of the toughest situations. We have partnered with local organisations, supported communities to realise their rights and ensured that children's voices are heard.

Today, the “edge” takes us into refugee camps, slums, and warzones where we support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Congolese refugee children in Uganda, and internally displaced Kachin children in Myanmar.

We are working with communities to create safe spaces where young refugees can thrive.

A group of young Congolese refugee children learning outside. They are sat on woven mats and are looking up at their teacher who is holding some coloured stacking cups.

Cluster group learning for Congolese refugee children in Kyaka II refugee settlement, Uganda

Six young rohingya children are stood on a bamboo bridge, holding onto the railings and waving

Rohingya refugee children in Kutupalong camp, Bangladesh

REFUGEE CRISIS

It is shocking to know that there are more refugees in the world today than at any time since World War II. Children are fleeing conflict to neighbouring countries for safety and need help.

It is a global crisis we must engage with. So it stands to reason that 80% of our work is with refugees.

EDUCATION IS KEY

When we speak with people living in the refugee camps we work in, they tell us that they are desperate for education for their children. Education can transform a child’s life and bring remarkable changes.

Children on the Edge works with children under the age of six offering ‘early years education’. Input at this crucial time of brain development can quite literally change the arc of development and future for a child. Read more about the importance of Early Childhood Development and Education.

Children on the Edge are committed to providing education for as many children as possible. We currently support over 12,000 refugees. But we have plans to support many more and, with support from The Body Shop At Home and our amazing supporters in 2022, we can do this.

It costs £100 per year, or just less than £2 per week to provide an education in a safe place for each child we work with.

ARE YOU A CONSULTANT WITH THE BODY SHOP AT HOME?

Through your business, you are part of a powerful force for good, changing the lives of refugee children around the world. Thank you.

We are so thrilled to be working with every region and all the new Children on the Edge Ambassadors this year. We have such an exciting year ahead. Every region in the business has a dedicated 2022 fundraising page for Children on the Edge. Every £1 you raise will count towards your region’s fundraising.

Make sure you sign up for our emails to stay in touch with the latest news from Children on the Edge.

KICKSTART A YEAR OF LEARNING FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN...

A great way to support Children on the Edge is to continue to promote and sell the 30ml hemp hand cream. Sales of these hand creams in 2021 helped to raise £154,578!

By selling two hemp hand creams you can raise £2 for Children on the Edge, which can create a safe space for a child to learn for a week.

At Kickstart, Ben shared a video about Anita and her passion to be “on the edge”. Do share it with your customers and friends. There are plenty of other videos here too, all in your own Body Shop at Home playlist on our Youtube channel.

Discover more ideas on fundraising events to join, and some resources to help you to promote amazing, life-changing hemp hand cream.

Our dedicated Fundraising Team is here to support you every step of the way.

Contact: [email protected]

THANK YOU

To all our supporters from The Body Shop At Home...thank you for all you do. We are so excited to see what 2022 brings. Let's come together and kickstart a year of learning for refugee children.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FUNDRAISING WITH THE BODY SHOP AT HOME

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