Project Code: 27901
Project Name: Provision of child protection support to promote the safety and well-being of crisis-affected and marginalized children
Province: Balkh
Districts: Shortepa and Kaldar districts
Donor: (KNH) Kinder not hilfe
Beneficiaries: Host Community, IDPs
Project Start Date: 8/1/2023
Project End Date: 3/31/2024
Total Directed Beneficiaries: 1510 Students
Project Overview
There has been an increase in severe and wide-ranging Child Protection needs in Afghanistan. Around 10 million children need humanitarian assistance to survive, and all aspects of the crisis are negatively impacting children. The Protection Cluster’s most recent 2021 protection monitoring report, based on pre- August 15th survey data, identifies the following coping mechanisms that cause harm to children: sending children to work reported by over 18% of people surveyed, child marriage (8%) and forced marriage (almost 5%), child recruitment (over 5%) and selling/exchange of children for debt relief (3%). Preliminary observations and anecdotal evidence indicate an increase in use of these coping mechanisms, as the Afghan economy spirals downward, and food insecurity grows . The recent upheaval has only exacerbated needs and further complicated an extremely challenging operational context. The combination of food insecurity, unemployment and lack of educational opportunities will only increase stress and anxiety levels and other mental health concerns even further. At the same time, access to mental health care or psychosocial support remains out of reach for many, and the availability of appropriate child-focused counselling services is severely limited, particularly in rural areas. Based on recently conducted need assessment by OHW (April 2023) in Kaldar and shortepa districts which are located in north west of balkh province are very remote, most vulnerable and deprived. Residence of Kaldar and Shortepa district are faced to numerous challenges including poor access to social services, food, education, WASH, sanitation, job opportunities and social justice. During assessment interviewed children and their parents (225 HH in Kaldar and 307 HH in Shortepa districts). This need assessment revealed that the rate of early and forced marriages is at 75% higher as compared to previous published reports and many children are busy with physical hard working like working on agriculture and livestock sectors, working on the street and as labour to find income and support their families financially. Moreover, poverty also caused that most of the children remained from school. The rate of poverty is more 65% in both districts. Currently, on the other hand, people had rare awareness on importance of education and this was also caused that children did not access to education. A gender analysis reveals that there are many factors that constrain women and girls from participating in education, training and economic activities. These include lack of access to education, low vocational skills levels, preferential treatment of boys, household chores, assisting in family enterprises, lack of land ownership or capital, low confidence and the cultural expectation to remain as home makers. The fact that kids only go to school for three hours a day, giving them a lot of spare time, makes this situation worse. Children labour in street jobs, retail, construction, and agriculture. In the course of their employment, they deal with low or no pay, long hours, heavy loads, and verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. The majority of boy child labourers are employed by family companies. Many of the kids hope for a better life, to finish school, and to go on to colleges. They are aware, however, that only a small number of people can advance, and that those in rural regions are more likely to leave school before completing secondary or high school. OHW proposes support to affected children in emergency through already established community-based child protection network (CBCPN) with facilitation to School Students Councils (SSC), WASH, positive parenting referral services and awareness raising; also will help in decreasing children vulnerability to existed threats of physical, social and psychological in the community. In these interventions already trained community volunteers will be capacitated to maintain activities. Children will be provided with psychosocial support through the recreational activities as well as group/individual psychosocial support; case management and referral services to most vulnerable children with the support of community structures, assess the individual needs for every child, develop intervention plans, refer them to services and monitor cases till closed. Special attention will be provided to separated and unaccompanied children to ensure reunification with their families and communities; in addition, community engagement will be enhanced through existing community based structures and increasing capacity on monitoring of the most vulnerable children. Provision of awareness raising sessions to community members on child protection issues in emergency including GBV, force marriage, physical, emotional and sexual abuses with special focus to girls. Furthermore, special attention will be given to girls at high risk of gender based violence and further referring to appropriate services.
Key Activities
- Establish CBCPNs (Community-Based Child Protection Networks) in newly targeted communities
- Capacity building sessions/trainings for CBCPN members on various CP topics
- Orientation to key stakeholders on mapping and identifying child protection risks
- Orientation to key stakeholders on perception changes on disabilities for community leaders and parents of children with disabilities (CwDs)
- Parenting Programmes (Fatherhood, Positive Discipline, and Parenting Without Violence) for parents of vulnerable and at risk children.
- Establishment and support to School Students Councils (depending on locations) in selected schools to promote Child Rights, Child Protection, and Child Safeguarding
- Introduction of positive discipline techniques for formal 4 school teachers in each district 2 schools.
- Capacity building of School Students Councils on Child Rights, Child Protection, and Child Safeguarding based on CLPSA recommendations.
- Provide IGA (Income Generating Activities) to support parents of children at risk of child labour.
- Sensitization of employers in the private sector on Child Rights, Child Protection and hazardous work on children.
- Provide livelihood opportunities to the most vulnerable children and their families in targeted communities.
- Establish 4 wash points at schools to enhance access of student to save and clean water
- Construction of 2 latrines at schools to promote hygiene and seasonal disease.
- Provide/Distribute hygiene kits for 200 children to improve their health and prevent children from seasonal disease
- Conducting One day awareness session on hygiene (personal, family and Environmental)
Project Photos