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Executive Summary
Multiple factors such as poverty, violence and neglect continue to push children outside family care around the world. Although different interventions such as family reintegration or foster care aim to return children to safe family environments, they are not always feasible for older children. In such instances independent living may be considered as a form of alternative care which allows children to gradually gain autonomy making reintegration into their communities possible. This literature review explores current international and selected national policy on…
Abstract
Given the narrow scope and conceptualisation of inclusion for young children with disabilities in research within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contexts, we draw on a bioecological systems perspective to propose the parameters for a broader unit of analysis. This perspective situates human development within a specific cultural context in which family, peers and schooling are regarded as key in responding to young children with disabilities in a given setting. We outline a new bioecological model to illustrate the proximal and distal factors that can influence inclusive…
Retrak, Chisomo Children’s Club, and the Malawi Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability, and Social Welfare sought to address the lack of information on the number of children living and working on the streets in Malawi, a common problem throughout the world. The research team undertook an enumeration study of children on the streets in Lilongwe and Blantyre, using the capture/recapture methodology.
The study estimates the number of children living and working on the streets in Lilongwe to be 2,389 and in Blantyre to be 1,776; this is based on children reporting or being observed to…
On July 28, 2015, the CPC Learning Network hosted a webinar featuring Joanna Wakia, Monitoring and Research Advisor at Retrak, Charles Gwengwe, Executive Director at Chisomo Children’s Club, and Mr. McKnight Kalanda, Director of Child Affairs in the Malawi Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability, and Social Welfare.
Very little evidence exists about the numbers of children living and working on the streets globally, undermining efforts to ensure they receive adequate and appropriate care. In order to inform policy and practice in Malawi, Retrak,…
Les enfants et les familles vulnérables ont besoin d’un système de soutien social qui réponde aux problèmes qu’ils rencontrent grâce à des solutions efficaces et durables. Les observations présentées dans ce rapport sont un « cliché instantané » des pratiques prometteuses en matière de développement et de pérennité de la communauté. Ce rapport explique comment SOS Villages d’Enfants contribue à l’autonomisation des communautés, qui soutiennent ensuite elles-mêmes les enfants vulnérables et leurs familles.
In this paper, Retrak outlines its approach to conducting outreach work with children living and working on the streets. Retrak suggests that effective outreach work should recognize children’s experiences of broken relationships and understand the importance of street life and peer relationships to those children. The paper makes recommendations for outreach activities and outreach workers and offers an outline of principles of outreach work and outreach aim and processes.
EveryChild is an international development charity working in 17 countries with a strategic focus on children without parental care. This document outlines EveryChild’s approach to the growing problem of children without parental care by defining key concepts, analysing the nature and extent of the problem, exploring factors which place children at risk of losing parental care, and examining the impact of a loss of parental care on children’s rights. It also provides principles for good practice in trying to reduce the number of children without parental…
This report, prepared for UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) assesses the capacity in Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia to manage alternative care systems for children.
In general, it is difficult to obtain information on alternative care in the assessed countries. There is limited to no systematic, central data collection or collation on children living in informal or formal alternative care situations. Without systematic data, it's difficult to discern trends, and many observations rely on interviews and anecdotal evidence. The information gathered is not…
International agencies are increasingly recognizing the role of religious organizations in establishing effective HIV/AIDS interventions. Despite some negative perceptions of their role and impact, faith-based organizations (FBOs) are among the most viable institutions at both local and national levels and have developed experience in addressing the multidimensional impact of AIDS and its particular impact on children.
Religious organizations are prevalent throughout Africa. In the six countries chosen for this Study, the number of local congregations is estimated to be in excess of 150,…
This study, carried out by Jill Donahue and Louis Mwewa and guided and supported by a multi-agency steering committee, documents visits to 30 communities in Malawi and Zambia, where the initial mobilization and capacity building work was done as long as ten years ago. A key aim was to find out what (if anything) these communities are still doing for children and why these efforts have continued.
The findings are encouraging and have specific implications for current programming across a range of contexts where action is needed for vulnerable children. The study found that…