child participation in maban, south sudan

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


• 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.


• 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 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


• 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.


• 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.


• 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.


• 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.

child participation in maban, south sudan

Government & Nonprofit