SECURING CHILDRENS RIGHTS

Childreach Internationals Strategy

2013-2016
| Childreach Internationals Strategy 2013-16

WHAT WE DO
Childreach International works with local communities in Africa, Asia and the UK to unlock childrens potential,
empowering them to advocate for their rights to education, protection from abuse and other issues central to
having a brighter future.
Our work will not stop until the world is a place where all children have the opportunity to unlock their
potential in life, and where children are able to secure their own rights and demand what they are entitled to.

HOW WE DO IT
Children are at the centre of what we do, and we believe that they should have decision-making power over
their own lives. We work with local NGOs and our own affiliate organisations Childreach India, Childreach
Nepal and Childreach Tanzania who best understand the causes, consequences and solutions for child rights
violations in their communities.
We hold the United Nations Convention on Child Rights as the basis of our partnerships with children. This
Convention has been signed by all of the governments in the countries in which we work, enabling us to
sensitise and persuade a wide range of duty-bearers - parents, teachers, health workers, and government
officials - to abide by its provisions and listen to children when they demand that their rights are met. Much of
our work involves empowering children to make these demands themselves.

Front cover: a girl in India practices a speech about the Right to Education Act to the local government
This page: a girl in Tanzania at a school we have worked to improve

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OUR APPROACH
Child-centred community development
Children are at the heart of everything Childreach International does. We promote a child-centred approach
where children, their families and their communities are owners of the development process. Fundamental to
this approach is respectful and meaningful child participation. Our job is not to dictate to children but to
engage them to design and participate in programmes that reflect the needs and aspirations of their
generation.

Grassroots partnerships
We work in partnership with community-based organisations who are best-placed to understand the issues
faced by their communities and strive to support local activists who are passionate about improving the lives of
children. By involving the wider community in our work, we foster a sense of ownership and encourage them
to take responsibility for projects and shape their own futures.

Childreach International affiliate organisations

We believe that the best decisions are made locally and that every community and nation has distinctive and
unique approaches to finding solutions. In line with this organisational philosophy, each Childreach
International affiliate is registered as an independent charity with their own boards of trustees, comprised of
community stakeholders and child development experts. Although the organisations are independent,
collaboration is fundamental to the way we work, with staff on all levels from all departments working
together.

Holistic approach and child rights focus

We believe in a holistic approach to development and our work involves a number of activities that contribute
to the same goal and envisaged change for children. By addressing a variety of issues through lasting
partnerships, we form synergies, creating a multiplier effect that expands and strengthens the positive effects
of our work. As well as dealing with childrens immediate needs, our work puts childrens rights at its centre.
We will focus on addressing the underlying issues preventing children from fulfilling their rights, and we will
work with rights holders and duty bearers on all levels.

Active engagement of supporters

Wherever possible we seek to actively engage our donors and supporters to encourage them to gain a deeper
understanding of our work and become involved as active stakeholders, rather than passive contributors. As
well as creating an energetic and enthused supporter base, this has the added advantage of turning Childreach
International from an NGO into a global movement.

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OUR STRATEGY
Our strategy from 2013 to 2016 will work towards achieving our mission by putting childrens rights at the heart
of everything we do and holding duty-bearers, such as governments, to account for improving childrens
situations in the countries we work in. The strategy is an ambitious step to get us further towards achieving our
global mission, which we have been working towards since 2004.
This document presents eight priorities for our work with children. These are aims that Childreach India,
Childreach Nepal and Childreach Tanzanias strategies have in common - shared focuses that we will be
working towards in all countries. Childreach Internationals UK strategy, outlined below, is in place to enable
our work to focus on the eight priorities explained in this document.

Our mission
Improve
childrens access
to healthcare,
education and
child protection

Restore
children's
rights

Empower
children to
create positive
change

Use our global

voice to
influence others
to act
Establish a
global
movement of
child rights
supporters

Our UK strategy
Grow our reputation as a leading child rights organisation
This will involve expanding who we work with in the UK, collaborating with civil society, the government and
other NGOs and engaging more young people in child rights issues. We will invest in our capacity to advocate to
duty-bearers so that child rights becomes a consistent top priority for decision makers in the UK.

Improve the quality of our programmes and scale up successful programmes

We will ensure that our work is evidence-based; shows value for money and is inclusive; prioritises child
participation; and is externally and independently evaluated.

Put child rights at the heart of everything we do

Our approach to our work with children is shifting towards being rights-based, rather than needs-based. This
will involve putting more emphasis on inclusion, gender equality and non-discrimination; mainstreaming child
participation and embedding child protection policies across all affiliate organisations.

Build a unified global identity with a consistent voice

We will only achieve our strategic aims if all of our affiliate organisations in India, Nepal, Tanzania and the UK
are working towards the same goals. Building and maintaining a consistent global identity and voice will enable
us to work to the best of our ability, as well as strengthening our internal communications.

Grow and diversify our portfolio of resources, enabling us to invest in our future sustainability
We aim to increase our regular donor base, raise more resources through institutions and trusts and
foundations, expand the funds raised through challenges and run national appeals as a new source of income.
Broadening and growing our revenue streams will allow us to reach out to many more children and ensure the
sustainability of our work. We will also be focussing on building the capacity of our affiliate offices to drive their
own revenue, as well as collaborating on joint funding applications.

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CHILD RIGHTS: OUR MAIN PRIORITY

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OUR PRIORITIES
1. Demand that governments grant children their rights
The issue
Putting childrens rights at the heart of everything we do is a major part of our strategy. This approach
to development is known as a human rights-based approach, and is founded on international human rights
standards outlined in international human rights treaties. It seeks to analyse inequalities that lie at the heart of
development problems and redress discriminatory practices and unjust distributions of power that impede the
progress of development.

Our plan
By moving towards adopting a rights-based approach, we will identify the rights held by the children we work
with, and the corresponding agents who have a duty to ensure these rights are being granted. We will
work to strengthen childrens capacity so that they are able to demand what they are entitled to from
governments and schools.
We will work with local and national governments to ensure they are putting childrens rights on their agenda
and acting on this. We will put special focus on lobbying the government to ensure childrens right to education
is realised. We will work closely with other organisations, networks and consortiums to advocate and lobby for
child rights.
Click to read more >>

2. Make schools better places to learn in

The issue
School is a significant personal and social environment in the lives of its students. For many children however,
it is not always a positive experience. Some endure difficult conditions, such as inadequate sanitation, while
others may be forced to contend with discrimination, harassment and violence. These conditions are not
conducive to learning or development, and no child should have to experience them.
Schools should be safe, healthy and protective places; endowed with trained teachers, adequate
resources and appropriate physical, emotional and social conditions that are conducive to learning. Childrens
rights must be protected and their voices must be heard. Schools must not only help children realise their right
to a basic education, but also ensure that education is of a high quality.

Our plan
By working with various different people involved in the
running of schools, we will transform them into
effective, participatory and child-friendly places for
children to learn. We will renovate and refurbish
classrooms that are currently in bad conditions, giving
children the learning environment they deserve. This
will include building better toilets, constructing kitchens
and dining halls and installing water points so children
do not have to leave school to fetch water. Training
teachers will continue to be a focus of our work and
involves equipping and developing teachers to deliver
participatory and child-friendly teaching methods.
Click to read more >>

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Children in their classroom in Tanzania

3. Keep children safe

The issue
All children have the right to be safe from violence, exploitation and abuse. Because of their young age
and vulnerability, they are entitled to special protection. Millions of children around the world from all socioeconomic backgrounds and of all ages, religions and cultures suffer from daily violence, exploitation and abuse.
Millions more are at risk.

Our plan
By 2016, our organisations in India, Nepal, Tanzania and the UK will have achieved all eleven of the Keeping
Children Safe standards for child protection, meaning that we have taken every step we can to ensure that
abuse doesn't happen within our organisations.
This extends to the schools we work with, which we plan to make safer places where children are less likely to
suffer abuse. We will focus on preventing practices that endanger children at both community, national and in
some instances international levels, from corporal punishment right through to child trafficking.
Our work to prevent child trafficking in Nepal is one of our main focuses. We will work in a district of rural
Nepal that our research has identified as a high-risk area for child trafficking. By keeping children in school, we
will help keep them safe from being sold into the worst forms of slavery.
Click to read more >>

4. Invest in early years

The issue
It is estimated that globally, around 7.6 million children
under the age of five die every year. More than 25 times that
number - over 200 million children - survive, but fail to reach
their potential. Early childhood is the most rapid period of
development in a persons life and is crucially important
for every childs development. It is a period of great
opportunity, but also of vulnerability.
Intervention and education during early childhood are
crucial as they mitigate the impact of adverse early
experiences. For disadvantaged children, lack of support
during their early years has a multiplying effect: children
raised in poverty complete far less education than children
who grow up out of poverty, due in part to their lowered
ability to learn at school.
Young children play at school in Nepal

Our plan
What we do in Nepal is at the forefront of our work on early childhood development, with an innovative early
childhood development centre, called the Meera Centre, being constructed as a model centre that will
be replicated throughout Nepal and eventually the other countries we work in. Before early childhood
development centres are opened in these countries, our programmes teams will be conducting research and
making plans for how they will work with children under the age of 5.
Click to read more >>

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THE VALUE OF INVESTING IN

EARLY YEARS

Young children play

at school in Nepal

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5. Engage with adolescents

The issue
Adolescence is an age of opportunity for children. Defined by the UN as those between the ages of 10 and 19,
adolescents number 1.2 billion in the world. This time of a young persons life is critical. It is the point at which
investment can break the cycle of poverty. It is the formative period during which children grow into potential
agents of change.
Neither young children nor adults, adolescents lack access to the services that respond to their distinctive
needs. Interventions often focus on young children, and adolescents age out of paediatric healthcare
and are often unreached by programmes for adults. Many are excluded from services that reduce the risk of
HIV and STDs, or that would prevent pregnancy, due to laws that limit their access to these services without
parental consent. Some will have had to leave home for various reasons and will therefore no longer have the
protection of their families.

Our plan
Our work with adolescents will focus on empowering them to be aware of their rights. We will hold training
sessions and workshops to give adolescents the life skills they need to become economically independent and
prepared for adulthood. Childreach International is an organisation with youth at its core. We believe that
young people are best set up to be agents of change in their societies, which is one reason why we plan to
invest in adolescents the next generation of activists.
Click to read more >>

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6. Give children a voice and a choice

The issue
All children have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. They have the right to express their
views in all matters affecting them, and these views must be listened to and given due weight in accordance
with the childs age and maturity. Listening to children undoubtedly leads to better decisions, more effective
policies and programmes and longer lasting impact. When children feel lik e they are being listened to,
they are more likely to invest more of themselves in the process. Through participation, children acquire skills,
build competence, extend aspirations and grow confidence. Inclusion of children is a matter of justice and is an
essential investment in the future of society.

Our plan
Working more closely in collaboration with children to
help them articulate their opinions, develop strategies for
change and exercise their rights will be an integral part of our
future work. Creating platforms and opportunities for
children will give them the confidence to speak out and an
environment for them to develop as catalysts for change,
amplifying their voices.
One such platform is My School My Voice, our education
programme that runs in India, Nepal, Tanzania and the UK
with different focuses for the context of each country.
Despite these differences, these projects all provide an
innovative participatory platform for school children to
stimulate and provoke thoughts and actively participate in
social actions. They aim to provide a space for children to
feel, express and be listened to - an opportunity often
overlooked.

Children in Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat, India,

fight to end child labour in their community
Click to read more >>

7. Put girls at the heart of our work

The issue
Girls are in a particularly precarious position in economic development. They continue to be discriminated
against because of their gender and are subsequently exposed to many forms of violence including
sexual abuse, trafficking, forced into early marriage and pregnancy and female genital mutilation/cutting.
Harmful traditional practices such as son preference and female infanticide demonstrate the pervasive nature
of discrimination against girls.
Stereotypical attitudes towards women and girls in the family and community, including in their nonrecognition as heirs to family titles and lands and as household heads, reinforce the perception of their lower
status. Girls additionally are often prevented from attending school and receiving an education, which further
disempowers them and lowers their status.

Our plan
Our aim is to work towards ensuring gender equality between boys and girls, and work with boys and men to
combat any discriminatory attitudes towards women. We aim to bring girls up to the same level as boys to
ensure they have the same opportunities. Decision-making will take account of men and womens different
interests and needs, to ensure that inequality is not being unintentionally increased.
Putting girl-friendly toilets in the schools we work to improve will mean that girls will be less likely to drop out
of school when they start menstruating. Much of our work will aim to make sure girls are listened to and
included at school and in their child clubs. By removing barriers that keep girls from attending school and being
valued members of their communities, we will begin to bring change for girls and women.
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Click to read more >>

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE

INVEST IN GIRLS?
BEFORE

Girls are less likely to have a

chance to go to school than
boys

Gender inequality in education

costs the global economy some
$92 billion a year

Two thirds of the worlds 760

million illiterate adults are
women

AFTER

Investing in girls education

A girl whose mother can read is
could boost sub-Saharan
more likely to live past the age of five
Africas agriculture output by
25%
Just one extra year of primary
school is likely to boost a girls
eventual wages by 10-20%
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If girls participation in
primary education was equal
to boys, 3.6 million more
girls would be in school

8. Involve children with disabilities in our work

The issue
It is estimated that there are at least 93 million children with disabilities in the world, but numbers suggest this
could be much higher. Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalised and excluded groups in
society. They often face daily discrimination in the form of negative attitudes, lack of adequate policies
and legislation; they are effectively barred from being secured their rights to healthcare, education and other
fundamental rights. They are often likely to be among the poorest members of the population, and are less
likely to attend school, or have their voices heard in society. Given opportunities to flourish as others might,
children with disabilities have the potential to lead fulfilling lives and to contribute to the social, cultural and
economic vitality of their communities.

Our plan
Putting emphasis on inclusion, equality and non-discrimination will continue to be a priority in every
Childreach International organisation. Working in collaboration with partner NGOs, we will make education
more accessible for disabled children. In our school improvement work across Africa and Asia we will
make sure schools are better places for disabled children, including their classrooms, playgrounds and toilets.
This will provide disabled children with an environment that caters to their needs and make school life valuable
and rewarding.
Click to read more >>

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HELP US ACHIEVE THIS

This strategy lays out ambitious but essential goals for our staff around the world to work towards in order to
ensure that the voice of every single child we work with is listened to. Your support will enable us to reach our
aims and continue unlocking childrens potential, helping them secure their own rights and empowering them
to become agents of change.
However you choose to help us on this journey, we welcome your support and encourage you to become
actively involved in our work. Find out how you can get involved at www.childreach.org.uk/get-involved or
donate to Childreach International at www.childreach.org.uk/donate.
Thank you for your support.

Girls who are part of Balsena club in India, a collective of young people who advocate for their rights together

Childreach International (UK office)

23 Hand Court, London, WC1V 6JF
Phone: +44(0)20 3137 5500
Web: www.childreach.org.uk
Email: info@childreach.org.uk
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