Supporting Slum Communities

Children on the Edge work with slum communities in Uganda, Bangladesh and India. Here children live in unsafe environments and face extreme poverty and exploitation. They are often denied their rights and struggle to access basic education.

We work alongside communities and partner with local
organisations to build protective environments for children.

We ensure they have access to education and we work together with families, teachers and the local community to create safe spaces where children can thrive.

TRANSFORMING SLUM COMMUNITIES IN UGANDA

Since 2012, when we began working with slum communities in Jinja, Eastern Uganda, we have seen the lives of slum dwelling children completely transformed.

These communities are now safer, and children are better protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

We currently work with six slum communities surrounding Jinja in Eastern Uganda, supporting them through a number of initiatives to create protective environments where their children are able to thrive.

Group of Ugandan men and women of different ages sat outside on blue plastic chairs taking part in a workshop delivered by members of the Child Protection Team and police officers in a Ugandan slum community.

WHY DO WE WORK IN UGANDA?

In Jinja, Eastern Uganda, thousands of people are crowded into eight slum areas. Slum dwellers face endemic poverty, poor sanitation, low employment and high crime rates. These areas are unsafe environments for children, who are at risk of maltreatment, neglect, exploitation and even child sacrifice.

When we started working here, high rates of HIV have resulted in many widows, child-headed and Grandparent-headed households. General health, hygiene and sanitation within these communities was often poor. There was rampant alcoholism, leaving children especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Theft and frequent instances of domestic violence created a volatile environment.

Child neglect was rife, with children regularly abandoned and left to fend for themselves and many at risk of child marriage. Nearby nursery schools and primary schools were run down and expensive to attend, stopping the most vulnerable children from enrolling. Some communities traditionally let their children wander unattended, resulting in many left alone and vulnerable all day whilst their parents were working.

A slum community in Jinja, Uganda showing a muddy street lined with makeshift houses and children playing barefoot outside.

Click to find out more about working on the edge in Jinja

WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP IN UGANDA?

We work closely with Children on the Edge Africa, our sister organisation, to support six slum communities around Jinja (Masese I, II & III, Loco,Wandago and Mafubira). We work with community members to help them transform their areas and make them safer for their children, creating a protective environment where children can safely live, play, learn and grow.

Six voluntary Child Protection Teams work with community members and families to keep children safe from harm
Small business loans are offered to ensure families can earn enough money to send their children to school.
Two Early Childhood Development Centres in Loco and Wandago provide education and support for the youngest children from the most vulnerable families at a vital time in their development.
Three Child Rights Clubs in Loco, Masese I and Wandago empower children to change their communities for the better.
At the national level we have been lobbying for a change in the law to protect children from Child Sacrifice. The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2020 was finally passed into law by the Ugandan President on the 14th July 2021

Members of the Child Protection Teams across six slum communities in Jinja, Uganda, gather together for a photo in their matching white tshirts / uniform.

Click to find out more about our work in slum communities in Uganda

"I AM VERY HAPPY THAT MASESE II CHANGED DRASTICALLY, TURNING INTO A SAFER COMMUNITY WHERE CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ARE NO LONGER VIOLATED. BEFORE, THERE WERE BREWERIES EVERYWHERE, LEADING TO RAMPANT ALCOHOLISM. THIEVES RESIDED IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS CHILD ABDUCTORS AND FAKE WITCH DOCTORS.

WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THE CHILD PROTECTION TEAMS AT FIRST, WHEN THEY KEPT ON TELLING US THAT CHANGE WAS COMING, BUT THE AREA REALLY HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER"

Justine, grandmother living in Masese II slum community in Uganda

SUPPORTING SLUM COMMUNITIES IN INDIA

In the urban and rural areas of Patna in Bihar State, India, Dalit communities living in slum areas are trapped in a cycle of poverty and exclusion.

Dalit children here are denied their rights and struggle to access education. We work with Dalit communities to break the cycle of discrimination and offer education to over 970 Dalit children, who cannot access school.

Members of a women's group in India sat on the floor outside on a coloured mat. Two children are sat with them. The women are smiling and look happy.

WHY DO WE WORK IN SLUMS IN INDIA?

Despite the caste system being outlawed, its hierarchical rules still pervade across India and result in the oppression and exclusion of those in ‘lower’ castes. The Dalits are considered to be the bottom rung of the caste system, and are often known as ‘untouchables’.

In many slum areas of Patna in Bihar State Dalit communities face severe poverty, crowding and appalling conditions. The ground is too sodden and muddy to build on, there is a lack of space to rent and any shelter that is available is often cramped, dark and flooded.

Bihar is in the top five poorest states of India and one of the biggest child labour employers. It is estimated that 55.9% of children in Bihar State are malnourished, which is the third highest level in all the Indian states. Recent research has also shown that the mortality rate of Dalit children is significantly higher than the rest of the population.

Abuse of the Dalit caste is particularly high in Bihar. This combination of persecution, discrimination and poverty leaves Dalit children extremely vulnerable. Not only this, but there are high numbers of ‘Musahar’ children who represent the lowest strata of the Dalit caste. The term Musahar literally translates as ‘rat eaters’, a practice which ostracises the Musahar from other Dalit castes and reflects their desperate struggle for daily survival.

A dirty street lined with rubble and muddy puddles depicting typical conditions for a slum community in urban areas of Patna, India. Children are playing and adults sat along the wall lining the street.

Click to find out more about how we work in the edge in India

WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP IN INDIA?

Our work in India is focused on providing education for the most marginalised Dalit children, informing Dalit communities about their rights and supporting them to realise them. By providing supplementary education and support for children, we aim to counter caste discrimination and enable Dalit children to integrate into mainstream school.

With local partner Navjeevan Educational & Social Welfare Society (NESWSD), we work alongside Dalit communities to give them the tools they need to practice self-determination and develop their ability to create better lives; breaking the cycle of discrimination. We support them to advocate for equality and sustainable livelihoods through non-violent action.

31 Learning Centres in Bihar State who offer education to over 970 Dalit children
We support 89 Women’s Groups and work with them to develop essential skills and knowledge so they can realise their rights and break the cycle of discrimination.
Older Dalit students that can’t access formal secondary schools are offered support from expert National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) teachers in three dedicated NIOS Centres
Twelve 'Children's Parliaments', consisting of ten elected ‘ministers’, represent their friends, learn about their rights and peacefully campaign in their communities.

Group of Indian children from a children on the edge school stood together outside in their community campaigning for their rights by holding up placards with various slogans on.

Click to find out more about our work with Dalit children in India

"THE WOMEN'S GROUP TAUGHT ME HOW TO SAVE FROM THE VERY LITTLE INCOME MY FAMILY HAD. SLOWLY OVER THE YEARS I WAS ABLE TO BUY FOUR COWS AND I AM MILKING THEM MYSELF. I EARN A GOOD INCOME FROM THE SALE OF MILK AND AM HAPPY I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OUR FAMILY INCOME.

I WANT MORE AND MORE WOMEN TO FORM GROUPS, SAVE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCOME OF THEIR FAMILIES. THIS MEANS WOMEN WILL BE ABLE TO GET RECOGNITION AND RESPECT IN THE FAMILY TOO".

Kaliya Devi, leader in the Stalin Nagar Women's Group

WORKING WITH SLUM COMMUNITIES IN BANGLADESH

Whilst we don’t believe children should have to work, the levels of poverty in the slum areas of Cox’s Bazar and Doharazi Enclaves in Bangladesh mean that families have little choice.

Thanks to the community schools we support, 1,400 children can continue to support their families without missing out on an education.

14 year old Bangladeshi boy with a mobile tray selling belel nuts in Cox's Bazar slum.

14 year old Arafat selling betel nuts in Cox's Bazar slum.

WHY DO WE WORK IN BANGLADESH?

Cox’s Bazar tourist beach is an area of outstanding natural beauty, yet it is ravaged by extreme poverty. As a result, rather than learning or playing, children often need to work to support their families.

Cox’s Bazar is has one of the highest rates of child labour across the country (9.4% compared to the national average of 6%) and even if children could survive without working, in the slum areas, there are no functioning government schools.

Since the early 1990s the Doharazi Enclave communities have served as a safe haven for Rohingya migrants fleeing abuse in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Falling outside of the scrutiny of the border police, refugees in these areas have typically sought to live below the radar. Living in crowded conditions, with a lack of resources, children here suffer from significant health issues and many do not have enough food to eat. Furthermore, there is no access to formal education.

Click to find out more about why we work in Bangladeshi slum areas,

WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP IN BANGLADESH?

Working with our partner organisation, Mukti Cox’s Bazar, we offer flexible education and support for slum dwelling children in Cox's Bazar and Doharazi Enclave communities, who cannot access mainstream education.

28 Community Schools enable 1,400 children to benefit from a quality curriculum, taught in colourful classrooms, with a focus on rights and creativity.

Children are able to join classes for a few hours each day, to fit around their work.

A day a week is set aside for play, self expression and the care of beautiful gardens that surround each centre.

Teachers are trained from within the community, so children are taught by trusted, familiar adults who understand their situation.

Group of Bangladeshi children gathered together in the garden of their school. They are smiling and huddled together looking at the camera.

"THE QUALITY OF TEACHING IN MUKTI SCHOOL IS VERY GOOD, THE TEACHERS ARE VERY FRIENDLY. I PRAY THAT MORE CHILDREN LIKE ME WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY IN THE FUTURE.

I WANT TO CONTINUE MY STUDY AND BE A DOCTOR WHEN I GROW UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR I WILL GET WITH THE LIMITATIONS I FACE. MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY DIE WITHOUT TREATMENT DUE TO SHORTAGE OF MONEY, AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TREAT POOR AND HELPLESS PEOPLE FOR FREE".

Houssin, aged 15, student at one of our Community Schools in Cox's Bazar

WHAT IS A PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT?

It is essential to build protection into a child’s surroundings. That’s why we work closely with those who impact children the most: the family, teachers, local community leaders, and the greater society.

Building this protective environment throughout each interconnected layer —from the family and classroom, to community and national level—ensures that children living in the slum communities where we work are not only physically safer, but have the freedom to develop and thrive.