child participation in maban, south sudan
TRANSCRIPT
SAVE THE CHILDREN
SOUTH SUDAN Child Participation and Gender Learning Event
3-5 November 2015 Entebbe, Uganda
Jean Syanda
BACKGROUND
Save the Children Maban Maban County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State has been impacted
by multiple crises. Save the Children started operations in response to
the Sudanese refugee influx in 2012, delivering integrated education
and child protection programming in Doro Refugee Camp. The
programme focuses on providing a quality-learning environment whilst
providing protection and psychosocial support to children both in and
out of school. The eruption of internal conflict in December 2013
caused significant population movement within South Sudan, bringing
an influx of internally displaced people (IDPs) to Maban. In spite of
ongoing conflict and insecurity, Save the Children continues to focus
on delivering an adaptable programme model to ensure continuity and
sustainability of the intervention.
Save the Children Maban Programmes in Brief. • Education
• Provision of learning and teaching
materials to 150 teachers and 7876
enrolled in primary learners. (Refugee and
host communities) and 2498 Learners in
accelerated learning program
• Constructed 8 primary schools
• 66 Temporary learning spaces – primary
and ALP
• Provision of leaning and teaching materials
for 10 Early Childhood Care and
Development with 1118 enrolled learners
• Provision of materials and school fees for
558 enrolled learners in secondary
school.
• Conducting in service teachers training
for 366 teachers.
• Formed 8 PTA’s, 1 BOG and 1 Education
committee as linkage between education
and community.
• Child Protection
17 Child Activity Centres (CACs) and
with an average attendance of 3466
children (Refugee and host community) 1320 children who have been trained on
child rights and provided with
psychosocial care under resilience
programmes. Identified, and responded to 1854
Unaccompanied and Separated Children
(UASC) and children at risk. 1603 separated children in interim foster care.
Strengthened child protection systems
through establishing and engaging 432
community members comprising of para
social workers, community leaders (chiefs,
women and youth leaders), and foster
care parents.
Child Participation in Programs
• Education:
• Children Clubs (CC) are established in all the 8 schools that SCI
supports. Representatives from all classes
• Children hold regular meetings for which they develop an agenda,
direct discussions and reflect on issues affecting them in the camps
• Patrons/Child protection focal points attend the meetings and give
direct support to address the issues raised and assist with
forwarding these issues to relevant duty bearers
• Children use this avenue to advocate for their rights
• Children have a forum in which to express their opinions and ideas
• Promotes leadership and positive interaction with peers
Child Participation in Programs
• The CCs are feedback avenues and peer education forums
especially for adolescents
• Disaster Risk Reduction: the approach used in this program
seeks to ensure children are at the forefront of risk identification
and response planning, using techniques such as interactive risk
mapping and mitigation planning
• The process ensures children are able to lead and have their voices
heard
• Children in schools are active in showcasing talents including
artistic skills, especially during significant calendar events
• The children decide on what is relevant to them, what to present
and how to organise their presentations and groups.
Child Participation in Programs
• Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) are trained on
child participation to encourage adults to provide space for
children to voice their concerns and views
• PTAs understand the importance of access to rights and of
mobilising communities to support the education program
• Provide materials for children clubs, recreational and
learning materials, children identify materials that they need
SCI provides to enhance child participation
• Children participate in assessments e.g participatory
assessments conducted recently by Multifunctional teams
under UNHCR coordination.
Child Participation in Programs
• Child Protection
• Children Activity Centers: formerly known as Child Friendly
Spaces, children in Maban are aware that these centers are safe
spaces for them to freely access and express themselves
• Activities are delivered using a structured weekly plan and the
provision of recreational and learning materials, targeting mostly
children below 12 years. They are encouraged to present their
work and showcase their artistic skills
• Skill building – bead work, knitting, decorating garments targeting
adolescent girls, initially identified by community networks but due
to peer influence many girls are encouraging others to attend
sessions. 500 girls engaged
Child Participation in Programs
• Skill building: brick making
and tailoring. This activity will
encourage adolescents to build
skills that they can use to earn an
income and support their
livelihood.
• Resilience programs:
adolescents engaged in structured
workshop aimed at improving
their coping, resilience and ability
to identify abuse. This then builds
their capacity to report, and seek
assistance.
• Children map risks, form
positive relationships and
friendships identify
opportunities within their
reach and seek support from
relevant community
structures.
• Radio programming with
resilience graduates: children
designing shows and
presenting them on radio that
showcase their skills and
advocate for children rights.
Child Participation in Programs
• Opportunities for participation in case management arise
during interventions and identification of Child
Protection concerns. The child gives their account of
events often in a safe and trusted environment.
• Recently in Maban FGD’s with separated children are being
held aiming to identify hidden needs that only they can
communicate. The groups will also serve as a forum for peer
support and aim to strengthen positive relationships and
interaction among children.
• Children have designed themes for booklets that will be used
in awareness on Child Rights and SGBV.
Overview of practice standards in child participation
• Standard 1: An ethical approach: transparency, honesty and
accountability
• Standard 2: Children’s participation is relevant and voluntary
• Standard 3: A child-friendly, enabling environment
• Standard 4: Equality of opportunity
• Standard 5: Staff are effective and confident
• Standard 6: Participation promotes the safety and protection
of children
• Standard 7: Ensuring follow-up and evaluation
• Red is good. Black means we could improve.
Challenges incorporating high levels of ChP
• The low levels of literacy in children affects their level of
participation as comprehension of child rights becomes challenging.
In most scenarios observed during interaction with children many
of them need more exposure to child rights information to
sufficiently participate. During a recent child protection assessment
is what noted during data collection that children’s comprehension
of child rights is very low and could have a correlation to low level
of exposure to formal education.
• Ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate is a
challenge. Girls remain underrepresented in schools and in other
programs, including at CFS’/CACs, particularly as they approach
adolescence. Likewise, children with disabilities do not participate
as often and SCI is interested in building the capacity of our teams
and communities for improved inclusion.
Challenges incorporating high levels of ChP
• Resources to effectively reach all children. Many opportunities
to participate require resources. With limited funding many
children miss out on participating to the extent we would
like. Eg: The radio program and resilience programs only
enable participation of 1.35 % of the population of children in
Maban camps; skill building includes 7.62%.
• Low community participation in programming and lack of
volunteerism in communities has also influenced children’s
attitudes toward participation.
Challenges incorporating high levels of ChP
• Difficult cultural environments and practices reduce
opportunities for children to participate. Practices and
harmful protection concerns including excessive domestic
chores, grazing, baby sitting, early marriage, child labour and
body marking reduces children opportunities for participation
as they are engaged in these activities that hinder them from
accessing their rights
• The environmental, economic factors such as drought, famine,
poor livelihood opportunities, food insecurity and political
unrest also hinder children opportunities for child
participation in Maban.