Albania: Preventing child trafficking Trafficking is a global problem affecting large numbers of children every year. Children and their families are often lured by the promise of better employment and a more prosperous life far from their homes. Children who have been trafficked in Albania often end up working as slaves in households and girls can end up in the sex industry or begging in the streets.
Working in partnership with local authorities and youth centers, and advocating at local and national levels, this project aims to address some of the root causes of child trafficking, such as poverty, the marginalization of minorities, poor education and employment opportunities, domestic violence and the unequal status of girls.
Under the project, two important youth centers and a sports and recreation facility have been established to help children at risk of being abused or trafficked.
Bangladesh: Improving nutrition and child health through schools Almost 23 million children are enrolled in school in Bangladesh, but to get the most from their education they need to be healthy. Nutrient deficiencies, common parasitic infections, and poor vision and hearing are having a negative impact on school enrollment, attendance, learning achievement and earning capability.
Save the Children is providing health and nutrition benefits to about 22,000 children (6 -12 years) enrolled in school in the project area of Nasirnagar. The children receive de-worming medication, iron supplements and annual eye examinations, and their schools are equipped with first aid kits.
A key part of the program is providing school children and community members with access to safe water and toilet facilities through the creation of 64 wells and gender-specific toilets. Schools are very important ways of promoting good health and healthy lifestyle practices.
China: Children affected by migration Hundreds of millions of people, both from within China and across its borders, are flocking from rural areas to urban centers, seeking a better way of life. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who may be further marginalized when left behind in rural areas or migrating to urban areas, are particularly at risk.
These children face a variety of problems including malnutrition, bullying, neglect, and poor access to education, healthcare and safe places to play. Older children also face being forced into child labor.
This project aims to influence national policies and improve protection for children and young people affected by migration, by contributing to the development of integrated child protection mechanisms throughout China. At least 20 children’s activity centers have been established under the project to protect children most affected by urban migration.
India: Tackling child domestic labor Children in domestic work are invisible and are most vulnerable to all forms of exploitation and abuse: physical, emotional and sexual. They have little or no access to quality education or opportunities to play.
The difficulty in protecting child domestic workers is that these activities take place in private homes and that children in this position are considered to be “workers” by the greater community. The issue of child domestic work, and the focus of this three-year program, is closely linked to preventing trafficking of children, child sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. To fulfill this goal, drop-in centers have been created to provide quality education and life skills training to strengthen and protect children in urban and other affected areas.
• Over 3,000 child domestic workers identified in Kolkata • 1 ,300 child domestic workers reached out through direct intervention programs in Kolkata • 60 new Drop-in centers operational for repatriated, at-risk % at-work children • 75 Children’s groups formed and actively involved in the campaign in West Bengal • 1 87 formal schools and colleges & over 17,000 students sensitized • 75% villages are child domestic workers-free through 100% repatriation in WB • More than 1600 child domestic workers reunited with family • 3,000 plus children mainstreamed into formal schools and vocational training in West Bengal • 31 Municipal wards covered through direct interventions • Local Child Protection & Ward Committees formed at Kolkata • 300 volunteers engaged in anti-trafficking • 45 children rescued from abuse
Kyrghystan: Supporting children with cleft palate Children with un-treated cleft palate have problems eating and speaking and are thought of as being disabled. As a result they often have limited access to the normal kindergarten and school system and consequently better opportunities in life, and have even be placed into institutional care.
In co-operation with the Ministry of Health and local hospitals in Kyrghyzstan, this project aims to prevent children with lip or cleft palate from marginalization or abandonment, by supporting operations and medical care, raising awareness and access to education in kindergartens and schools.
This has involved organizing surgical operators and medical care for 345 children in the country, followed by working with the children, their families and the wider community to ensure the children are re-integrated into society.
Pakistan: Rehabilitation and protection of earthquake-affected children The 2005 Pakistan earthquake resulted in 73,000 deaths and left a similar number of people badly injured, including 18,000 children and 900 teachers. An estimated 2.8 million people were left without shelter. About 7,670 schools were affected, mostly primary and middle schools, leaving an estimated 1 million children in need of re-schooling. Vulnerable groups include orphaned children, children with impairments and disabilities, children and families who lost their livelihood, income, shelter, and social support networks.
Save the Children has established a child protection system at a community level in the two most affected districts. The focus is on giving institutions and the community the tools to protect 50,000 children from possible abuse and exploitation.
Romania: Preventing child trafficking Child trafficking is lucrative and often linked with other criminal activities and corruption. It is usually hidden and hard to address. Children who have been trafficked in Romania often face a range of other dangers, including violence and sexual abuse. Some are even arrested and detained as illegal aliens – often with little or no access to their parents or other support services.
This project works directly with victims of trafficking and to address its root causes, such as poverty, poor education, domestic violence and the poor status of girls.
To date the project has provided counselling for 11 girls and helped them to return to school or enter vocational training. Additionally, 705 parents and 977 children have taken part in training courses on methods for non-violent education of children.
Russia: Improving conditions for children with disabilities Children with disabilities have the right to play, to learn and to be loved. In poorer communities where there is a lack of medicine, health and transport services, disabled children can miss out on education and the chance to interact with people in their community. Working with local partner organisations, this project aims to promote children’s rights and participation, improve services for children with disabilities and integrate them into society.
Two peer groups, each with 20 parents of children with disabilities, have been set up to promote awareness of the needs of children with disabilities and provide a support structure for community engagement.
Vietnam: Enhancing early childhood development through reading Many young children in rural and isolated regions of Vietnam, especially those from ethnic minorities, have limited access to books and learning materials. Many communities lack preschools and parents are often not equipped to provide the critical stimulation needed for their children’s early learning and development.
Many ethnic minority children do not speak or understand Vietnamese, which leads to high dropout and repetition rates when they begin formal schooling. The Reading for Children project improves children’s literacy skills, parent-child bonds, strengthens the capacity of parents and teachers to teach children, and mobilises communities to become more involved in creating a welcoming environment for children.
The initiative also better prepares children for success in primary school by training kindergarten teachers on how to conduct weekly reading sessions, conduct monthly parenting meetings, and create and manage community based mini-libraries.
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