Advocacy - Child rights in East Africa
Activities and outcomes in year one
The project targets Soroti and Lira districts in Uganda, Nyeri and Kajiado North districts in Kenya and in the Moshi - Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.
Outcomes
During the first year of the project, primary activities undertaken by the partners included baseline surveys to understand child rights issues in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
These surveys gathered valuable information relating to the level of community awareness on child rights; the level of implementation of legislation that responds to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their parents/guardians; the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) to advocate for rights of OVC; and the level of media coverage on issues relating to the rights of OVC.
- 1. Increased Registration of Children
With support from the project, 30 children in Moshi, in Tanzania, obtained their birth certificates, which will enable them to get registration and start attending school.
- 2. Increased public awareness of child rights
In Kenya, KANCO partnered with the Meru Council of elders – Njuri ncheke - whose responsibilities include judgment and punishment in the Meru community. They formed a partnership to create awareness about children’s issues, TB and HIV. In Uganda, NACWOLA have involved children in identifying issues affecting them, using drama and community meetings. In Tanzania, community awareness meetings on children’s rights were held around the Moshi and Mwanga districts.
- 3. Increased access of OVC and people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) to legal services
KIWAKKUKI has established links with women rights organisations, KWIECO and AJISO, which work with poor women in local areas. The Government of Tanzania, through Mwanga District Social Welfare officer, has made a commitment to get involved in child rights campaigns organised by KIWAKKUKI and has promised to prioritise children issues.
In Uganda, partners of NACWOLA, including the Probation Office, FAPAD (Facilitation for Peace and Development) and FIDA (Federation for women lawyers in Uganda), have promised to offer legal support.
- 4. Increased participation of OVC and PLHIV in planning at all levels
The number of community-based children’s clubs has risen to 21, from 14, in the Hai, Mwanga and Moshi rural areas of Tanzania. Activities in the clubs include talking about HIV and AIDS.
- 5. Number of organisations networking to raise awareness on children’s issues
NACWOLA met with the district local government officer and their disucssions have resulted in the government promising to be more active on children’s issues at a local level. KANCO worked with its members in Kajiado and Nyeri districts, as well as the National AIDS Control Council and other organisations working on child rights projects. KIWAKKUKI worked with its local partners in both government and CSOs during the baseline survey and an awareness creation exercise.
- 6. Increased media coverage capturing issues related to OVC
In Uganda in particular there was keen media interest and an appreciation that for the first time NGOs had asked them to participate in project discussions and not just cover events. KANCO also involved media in awareness raising activities, and in Tanzania, KIWAKKUKI briefed the media on the project.