Nkundabana toolkit

Nkundabana toolkit: English

Nkundabana toolkit: French

Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 167 out of 182 in the Human Development Index (UNDP's Human Development Report of 2009). According to Rwandan Government sources, 56.9% of all Rwandans live on less than one US dollar per day (Enquête Intégrale sur les Conditions de vie des Ménages 2005-2006, NISR). Rwanda also has one of the highest numbers of orphans worldwide. As of 2005, 21% of Rwandan children were orphans (National Institute of Statistics 2005).These children face highly complex circumstances due to the combined effects of recovery from war and genocide, extreme poverty affecting 36% of Rwandan households, and consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.Communities have already proven to be supportive of orphans and vulnerable children in many ways. For example, many families foster orphans or unaccompanied children. However, the capacity of households to address the situation is decreasing, in part because an increase in fertility from 5.8 children per woman in 2000 to 6.1 in 2005 is causing rapid population growth.  The most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), conducted in 2005, reported that only 60% of Rwandan children live with both their parents. That means that 40% either live with only one parent, are fostered by their extended family, or live in households headed by children or young adults.  Despite the high-level commitment of the Rwandan Government to achieve the rights of all children without any kind of discrimination, access to basic services for the majority of OVC remains an enormous challenge.

In order to address this situation, MIGEPROF (Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion), in collaboration with its main partners, developed a 5-year National Strategic Plan of Action for OVC in 2007. This Plan of Action constitutes the national framework to guide all interventions in support of OVC. A comprehensive Minimum Package of Services for OVC has been developed (See MIGEPROF's  National Guide on a Minimum Package of Services for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (OVC)).

These services are already implemented by most of the stakeholders working with OVC.  One of these services, psychosocial support for the most vulnerable children using a communitybased  approach, is an important strategy to address the needs of children living without the supervision of an adult, and to help themcope with their early responsibilities as heads of households.

One of the practices in this field has been the Nkundabana (literally, “I love children”) model. Initiated by Food for the Hungry International (FHI) in early 2000, this model was further developed by CARE International in the former Gitarama province and now expanded to the Northern province.This model has been identified by the Rwandan Government as a best practice, and has been integrated as one of the priority activities of the National Strategic Plan of Action for OVC, under the strategic objective of “Strengthening of the capacity of OVC, families and communities to provide psychosocial care and support for OVC, including preventative and curative measures to increase well-being, resilience and self-esteem of OVC.”

Hard work, long hours and little pay: Participatory research with children working on tobacco farms in Malawi

Hard work, long hours and little pay: Participatory research with children working on tobacco farms in Malawi

Malawi has the highest incidence of child labour in southern Africa. 88.9% of the children in the age group 5-14 work in the agricultural sector, where tobacco estatesare highly represented. The number of children working on tobacco farms in Malawi has been estimated at 78,000 although the actual number is thought to be much higher.

Previous research gives some information on the different activities children are engaged in on tobacco farms, some information about the hazards children face and some understanding of why children are involved in this work. But very little work has been done with children themselves to find out how they experience and understand the work they do or to find out what children see as the best form of intervention.

For this reason Plan Malawi decided to undertake this participatory study. The research will be used to inform the work Plan and its partners in Malawi are doing to raise awareness of child labour on tobacco farms, to advocate for changed conditions and to develop interventions for the affected children.

The research approach was a participatory one in which 44 children (aged 12-18) from three districts across Malawi (Lilongwe, Kasungu and Mzimba) took part in a series of workshops. All of the children had worked full-time on tobacco farms during the 2007/2008 season. 16 were working full-time on tobacco farms at the time of the research and 18 part-time. The children worked on a range of different farms from large estates to small family farms. All worked outside their own families. Parents and para-civic educators were also consulted.

The workshops, which were carefully constructed to take into account ethical issues, included drawing, mapping, storytelling and discussion. All of the discussion was recorded and transcribed and this formed the data which was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings are presented under the set of themes that emerged from the analysis.

Convention on the rights of the child

Convention on the rights of the child.pdf

The States Parties to the present Convention,
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Bearing in mind that the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Recognizing that the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenants on Human Rights, proclaimed and agreed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,

Recalling that, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has proclaimed that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance,

Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community,

Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should
grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding,

Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity,

Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959 and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in articles 23 and 24), in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in particular in article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,

Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth",

Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption Nationally and Internationally; the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules) ; and the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict, Recognizing that, in all countries in the world, there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration,

Taking due account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for the protection and harmonious development of the child, Recognizing the importance of international cooperation for improving the living conditions of children in every country, in particular in the developing countries,

Have agreed as follows