OUR STORY
Children on the Edge is a child rights organisation, based in Chichester, West Sussex, which has worked for over three decades to support some of the most marginalised children worldwide. Scroll to find out about how we began and more about our history...
Dame Anita Roddick in Romania
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THE START OF OUR STORY Together with our CEO Rachel Bentley, the late Dame Anita Roddick sparked the beginnings of Children on the Edge in 1990, in response to the Romanian Orphanage Crisis. After witnessing the appalling conditions in Romanian orphanages first hand, Dame Anita Roddick mobilised her company, The Body Shop International, to help. Over 30 years later, we have worked in more than 18 countries, and currently support over 20,000 of the most marginalised children, in some of the toughest situations worldwide. |
OUR HISTORY
In 1990 Rachel visited Romania with Dame Anita Roddick in 1990 to help institutionalised children left in orphanages from the brutal Ceaușescu regime. This trip marked the very beginning of Children on the Edge. Initially, this involved helping three orphanages in the small village of Halaucesti in the Iasi district of Romania.
By 1992, the team had developed considerable expertise in working with institutionalised children, establishing a programme to integrate them back into society. This prompted the organisation, upon invitation to expand its work into Albania.
By 1994, the work developed into Bosnia. It was clear that the organisation was working primarily with vulnerable children, in particular those without parental care. It was then that Rachel Bentley co-founded Children on the Edge. Rachel still leads the organisation today and has since been recognised for her work with marginalised children and awarded an OBE for her services to the protection and education of marginalised children worldwide.
In 1999, thousands of Kosovan Refugees arrived in the town of Korce, Southern Albania where we were working. We became involved in the relief effort, developing the skills necessary to work with refugees. The same year, we expanded into Kosovo to help rebuild the schools and communities devastated by conflict. Working with the children of Kosovo developed our expertise to include children in post conflict situations.
In 1990 Rachel visited Romania with Dame Anita Roddick in 1990 to help institutionalised children left in orphanages from the brutal Ceaușescu regime. This trip marked the very beginning of Children on the Edge. Initially, this involved helping three orphanages in the small village of Halaucesti in the Iasi district of Romania.
By 1992, the team had developed considerable expertise in working with institutionalised children, establishing a programme to integrate them back into society. This prompted the organisation, upon invitation to expand its work into Albania.
By 1994, the work developed into Bosnia. It was clear that the organisation was working primarily with vulnerable children, in particular those without parental care. It was then that Rachel Bentley co-founded Children on the Edge. Rachel still leads the organisation today and has since been recognised for her work with marginalised children and awarded an OBE for her services to the protection and education of marginalised children worldwide.
In 1999, thousands of Kosovan Refugees arrived in the town of Korce, Southern Albania where we were working. We became involved in the relief effort, developing the skills necessary to work with refugees. The same year, we expanded into Kosovo to help rebuild the schools and communities devastated by conflict. Working with the children of Kosovo developed our expertise to include children in post conflict situations.
Children from the child friendly centre in Indonesia
In 2000 Children on the Edge was invited by UNICEF to work with traumatised children and youth post-conflict in Timor-Leste and in 2004 when an earthquake and tsunami hit Indonesia, we utilised our skills to help children in the area most devastated by the disaster.
Children on the Edge became an independently registered charity in 2004. We still rely on generous fundraising and support from The Body Shop At Home and today thousands of consultants across The Body Shop at Home support Children on the Edge.
Since 2004, we have expanded our reach to include:
After a successful pilot project in Soweto slum, Jinja, Uganda in 2012 which provided safety, education and nutrition to over 300 children we have now moved to support six other communities. In order to do this most effectively we have registered there as 'Children on the Edge Africa'.
In 2016 we began campaigning to change the Ugandan law on child sacrifice.
In 2019 we began supporting Congolese refugee communities in Kyaka II refugee settlement to provide early years learning for their children.
Our programmes around the world have gained international recognition for their innovative approach and positive impact.
Children on the Edge became an independently registered charity in 2004. We still rely on generous fundraising and support from The Body Shop At Home and today thousands of consultants across The Body Shop at Home support Children on the Edge.
Since 2004, we have expanded our reach to include:
- Helping children who have escaped ethnic cleansing and persecution in Myanmar as: migrants, refugees and IDPs (internally displaced people) living within Myanmar and on its borders.
- Enabling children in the post earthquake slums of Port au Prince to access sports coaching, mentoring and nutrition.
- Providing education for working children and Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh.
- Supporting education and child rights programmes for children from the dalit ‘untouchable’ caste in India.
- In response to the Syrian refugee crisis we have also supported the building and running of refugee camp schools for over 300 children in Lebanon.
After a successful pilot project in Soweto slum, Jinja, Uganda in 2012 which provided safety, education and nutrition to over 300 children we have now moved to support six other communities. In order to do this most effectively we have registered there as 'Children on the Edge Africa'.
In 2016 we began campaigning to change the Ugandan law on child sacrifice.
In 2019 we began supporting Congolese refugee communities in Kyaka II refugee settlement to provide early years learning for their children.
Our programmes around the world have gained international recognition for their innovative approach and positive impact.
Watch this interview with our co-founder and CEO Rachel Bentley about our work 'on the edge' over the past 30 years.
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