O YOUTH AND CHILDREN

R RIGHTS SHIELD
G (YOCRIS)
A
N
I
Z
A
T
I
O
N

P
R
O
F
I P.O Box 180
Dedza
L Malawi
Tel/Fax :+ (265) 1 223 745
E Cell: +(265) 9 511 879
E-mail : yocri2004@malawi.net
yocris1@yahoo.com

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

OVER VIEW

C urrently more than half of the population of Malawi is below the age of 25. This shows that Malawi is a
youthful nation, on which the future of this country sorely depends. Hence significance of the saying that
the youth of today are the future nation of tomorrow is without question.

The youth represent a vast human resource
potential, which if properly natured and tapped
can contribute positively towards national
development. If neglected however, the youth
can also spell disaster for the nation. (Foreword,
National Youth Policy)
Despite the significant recognition the Nation
Youth Policy poses on the youth, their
participation in social, economic and political
development of the country is still questionable,
a situation, which requires attention to revert the
trend if we are to attain significant youth
contribution to national development.
However there are a number of issues impinging
on the youth’s contribution to national
development. High illiteracy levels, un-
employment, lack of scientific awareness, high
population growth rate and HIV/ AIDS
pandemic are among the issues that affect young
people.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Y outh and Children Rights Shield is youth oriented Non Governmental Organization and a non-profit
making organization founded in 2002. YOCRIS became fully fledged in may 2003. The organization
got registered with the Registrar General under the 1996 Incorporation of Trustees Act on 1st August 2003.
The organization also got registered with the National Youth Council of Malawi on 4th August 2003.

Youth and Children Rights Shield is currently provisions.

working in the areas of T/A Kachere,
Kachindamoto, Tambala and Kaphuka as its MISSION STATEMENT
impact areas. The areas have population of
105,343, 68,092, 51,711 and 103,622 and To contribute towards the transformation of
respectively (NSO 1998 Malawi Population and Malawi Society for the attainment of justice and
Housing census). YOCRIS also works in other peace.
Traditional Authority areas within and outside
Dedza district based on needs. YOCRIS primary OBJECTIVES
beneficiaries range from the ages 0-24. Age
1. To build the capacity of youth leaders
group 25 and above also benefit as secondary
and CBOs to take up positive leading roles in
beneficiaries.
society through appropriate training programs
to consolidate the culture of respecting human
YOCRIS intends to contribute towards building
rights and the fight to eradicate poverty.
the capacity of young people, preparing and
2. To enhance youth and community
empowering them to face the social economical
participation in issues that will contribute to
and political challenges facing the nation so as to
the social, political and economic
take up responsible roles in the society to
development of their societies
contribute towards social political and
3. To promote positive youth participation
economical development and attainment of
and responsible youth leadership in the
justice and peace.
democratic society and other issues that
affects youth welfare.
VISION 4. To protect and promote the rights of
children and the youth.
A Malawian society in which justice and peace 5. To embark on programs that prevents
prevails through the transformation of unjust the spread of HIV/AIDS and Sexual
structures and systems, on basis of constitutional Reproductive Health
and other international legal instruments

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

PROGRAMS
1. Child Rights Protection

T his is the program that looks at various issues with regards to children rights. The program
develops various innovative ways of protecting and promoting the rights of children and the youth
based on Convention of the Rights of Children and the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi and other
international legal instruments. The program looks at preventing, monitoring and reporting of child rights
abuses related issues. This program works towards protecting children from various forms of abuses and
exploitation.

The following are some of the strategic

strategies employed in this project:
1. Formation of child protection
committees
2. Training of child protection
committee
3. Training of child rights
monitors
4. Child trafficking prevention,
monitoring and reporting
5. Social mobilization campaign
on Child rights
Group Photograph of Girls who were rescued from child 6. Monitoring juvenile justice
prostitution. They were in Dedza Magistrate court administration
testifying how they were employed 7. Facilitation of social contracts
8. Advocacy

2. Primary Education Support Initiative

T his program aims at promoting and protecting the right of children to education since it’s a basic right
and one the mostly being violated in most of the rural set ups. The project is promoting rights based
approach when dealing with issues that affect access to and quality of basic education of children in
communities regardless of sex and gender.
The following are some of the
strategic strategies employed in the
program:
1. Capacity building for
community leaders, faith
community, opinion leaders
and school governing boards
through appropriate training
programs.
2. Advocacy on issues which
are impediments to girls
education
3. Social mobilization.
4. Training for transformation

Group photograph: participants to a training session that aimed at empowering Gender Advocacy Groups which
there to encourage more girls to continues with their education

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

3. Youth Participation

T his program aims at maximizing youth participation in the social, political and economical
development of their communities. It seeks to prepare the youth to face the social, political,
economical and cultural challenges ahead of them through capacity building.

Strategic strategies employed

under this program include:
1. Establishment of youth
clubs
2. Capacity building
training for existing and
new youth clubs in
number of areas
3. Capacity building
trainings for
Community Based
Organization in a
number of areas
Pix: Group of young people brought together to discuss issues
4. Agro base activities
that affect their communities to map up solutions
5. Entrepreneurship

4. Gender and HIV/AIDS Program

T his program aims at contributing towards the achievement of gender equality in the country as the
nation strives to achieve the gender parity in access to education and gender parity in a number of
issues. The program takes into consideration the National Gender Policy and all other international
declarations Malawi signed with regards to Gender. In the area of HIV/AIDS the program seeks to
enhance community mitigation in the impact of HIV/AIDS and increase access to treatment care and
support. Strategic strategies include:
 Community
mobilization on gender
base violence
 Sports for health
 Advocacy and
lobbying
 Research
 Capacity Building
 Establishment of
HBCs
 Capacity building for
Girls performing choir during Combating Violence the HBCs
Against Girls in Education Campaign

KEY THEMATIC ISSUES FOR YOCRIS INTERVENTIONS

 Child rights  Youth Participation (Governance)

 Basic education  Constitutionalism
 Youth Leadership development  Sustainable livelihoods
 HIV/ AIDS and Gender  Orphans and Girl Child empowerment

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

M ost of the projects YOCRIS implement use a community-based approach, rights based approach and
Participatory methodologies.

1 Community based approach

 Communities are empowered to own
their problems and identify solutions
to their problems within their society.
 Active involvement and participation
of the communities in planning,
decision making, monitoring, and
evaluation in all initiatives that affect
them.
 Establishment of community
structures where necessary to deal
with particular issues.
 Main streaming of pertinent issues in
the existing structures to ensure
Members of the community during Social Mobilization sustainability
Campaign at Njonja

2 Integrated approach
Deliberate efforts are made when designing projects ensuring that many stakeholders and various sectors
are involved. This is to ensure sustainability beyond project funded period.

3 Capacity building approach

Most of the projects are designed in such a way

that there is strong capacity building on members
of the community in relevant areas according to
he issues under interventions.

Members of the community posing for a

Photograph after a capacity building training

NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION

Youth and children Rights Shield uses advocacy and lobbying as one of its implementing strategies. YOCRIS is a
member of many networks at both national, region and district level. The purpose of such network is to add voice to
the advocacy and lobbying role it plays in influencing some of the policies. YOCRIS is a member of the following
networks.
 Malawi Education Network
 Human Rights Consultative Committee
 Malawi AIDS Services Organizations
 Malawi Reflect Forum (MAREFO)
 Forum for NGOs in Youth Development (FONYODE)
 Dedza District Child Protection Committee (Chair person)
 The Network Against Child Trafficking
 Child labour Network

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

PROJECTS
The following are projects, which some are currently running and others were concluded:

1. Enhancing community capacities in response to child labour

The project is being

supported by Human Rights Traditional
Consultative Committee Authority
through HRCC/NORAD Kachere
Basket Fund Project The Speaking during
project seeks to reduce the Child lobour
number of children engaged social
in child labour. The project mobilization
has for far withdrawn 663 campaign
children from labour force
and some have since been
integrated into primary
schools. The project is under
implementation.

2. Community participation the power for improving access to and quality of basic education
The project falls within the Primary education Support Initiatives program. The project aimed at increasing the
number of children accessing basic education in selected education zones in Dedza. The project was
implemented in selected education zones where an overall enrolment increase of 16% was achieved. The
project was funded by Action Aid through Commonwealth Education Fund.

3. Open discussions about HIV/ AIDS

This project aimed at mobilizing the communities to engage into constructive discussion on HIV/AIDS in
relation to their areas. The initial take of the project was funded by National AIDS commission. The project
was breaking the culture of silence and also at the same time drawing community into making plans of action in
relation to dealing with issues that are surfacing as a result of HIV/AIDS as to how best can they influence
behavior change to reduce the infection rates on HIV/AIDS and enhance community mitigation.

4. Community mitigation against the impact of HIV /AIDS

National Aids commission

through World Vision
International funded this project.
The project planed to put in place
Home Based Care committees in
the selected Group village Heads
in the area of Traditional
Authority Kachere in Dedza
District. This project is cared for
and supported chronically ill
people suffering from different
ailments in particular HIV /AIDS
related cases.

Drugs and ambulance bicycle being handed over to a home based care
committee

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

5. Combating Violence against Girls in Education

This was an a campaign that aimed at reduce incidents of violence against girls in school. This campaign was
funded by Action Aid through Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education.

6. Global campaign on Education

This is campaign that we run annual. The campaign is support by Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic
Education. Since the inception the campaign in Malawi the Coalition has been providing financial resource to the
member organizations including YOCRIS.

7. Integrated approach to combating child rights abuses

The project aims at mainstreaming child rights issues in community structures already in place. Program is being
supported by World Vision Dedza Office

8. Youth computerization project

This project is being supported with Connect Youth International UK based organization through National Youth
Council of Malawi. The project intends to impact information and communication technology skills to young people
free of charge. The project has supported YOCRIS with 5 sets of computers

9. Stars aware and international youth day commemoration

This initiative was funded by Nation youth council of Malawi it aimed at encouraging you people to access HTC
services which we brought to the venue f the event .

ACHIEVEMENTS
YOCRIS has remarkable achievements as an institution:
 It has successfully facilitated the persecution of perpetrators of violence against girls in various forms
 It has facilitated the prosecution of child abusers
 It has promoted culture of child protection within communities
 It has mobilized young people in Dedza to actively participate in the social economic development of their
communities
 Trained 100 Home based care givers to HIV/AIDS infected individuals
 It is contributed to increase in access to and quality of basic education in selected educational zones Dedza
 It has established five functional Home Based Care Committees (HBCs)
 It has increased access to treatment for the HIV/AIDS patient in some selected areas in the District through
HBCs
 Trained 73 members of youth clubs computer skills free of charge
 It has facilitated the withdraw of 663 children from labour force.
 It has facilitated re entry of 281 children into primary school having dropped out of primary school and
worked as child labourers

STRUCTURE
YOCRIS has a board of trustees headed by Chairperson. The board provides policy direction and guidance. Below
the Board of trustees there is secretariat which is headed by Executive Director The Executive Director provides
strategic plan implementation guidance. The Executive Director is supported by Programs Officer and project
Officers implementing each project. Finance and Administration Officer manages finances.

STAFF
The following are the key staff members
 Executive Director (1)
 Programs manager (1)
 Project officers (4)
 Finance and administration officer (1)

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 YOUTH AND CHILDREN RIGHTS SHIELD (YOCRIS)

LEGAL STATUS

Youth and children Rights Shield is dully registered with appropriated government institutions . See the registration
certificates bellow.

P.O Box 180

Dedza
Malawi
Tel/Fax :+ (265) 1 223 745
Cell: +(265) 9 511 879
E-mail : yocri2004@malawi.net
yocris1@yahoo.com

O R G A N I Z A T I8O N P R O F I L E