The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important agreement by countries who have promised to protect children’s rights. The Convention explains who children are, all their rights, and the responsibilities of governments. All the rights are connected, they are all equally important and they cannot be taken away from children.
Bamporeze believes that every child has basic fundamental rights. These include the right to:
- Life, survival and development
- Protection from violence, abuse or neglect
- An education that enables children to fulfil their potential
- Be raised by, or have a relationship with, their parents
- Express their opinions and be listened to.
In order to ensure that child rights are realised and respected in the targeted communities, Bamporeze has introduced a wide range of child protection initiatives involving children groups, provision of child friendly booklets and facilitating workshops for adult trustees in the community.
Children groups assemble up to 25 children aged between 7 and 11 as well as children 12 to 16 and they serve as recreational and learning forum for children. Experience sharing, interaction and discussion about child rights among children is highly encouraged in a safe space like environment. Additionally, Children are able to showcase their talents, learn more about life skills and pick up leadership skills in a fun and child friendly way.
- Various Child friendly booklets which contain and teach children more about child rights and child right protection initiative accessible in the country are provided and distributed through the Children groups and onto the community.
- Adult trustees are the elder trustworthy members of the community who are selected by their community to be trained, to volunteer and dedicate their time in educating the community (Children and their parents) about child rights in order to reduce and eventually eradicate child right abuses in their communities.
- Children are friendly, trust and confide their experiences to adult trustees who can then report any type of abuse to the authorities to handle. Adult trustees encourage the culture of speaking out and reporting all types of child abuse.
