Building Children's Capacity for Active Citizens

Introduction

Seeing the needs to change adults views in traditional way toward children and to empower children as well as having strong belief on investing in children and youth who are tomorrow's leaders, educators, fathers and mothers is fundamental to the sustained development and prosperity of Cambodia, CRF in partnership cooperation with CIFA decides to develop and implement a project "Building Children's Capacities for Active Citizens" aiming to complement to the above existing assistances in planning and implementation of "at least I can read and write! Primary education program for street children " in Neak Loeung, Peam Ror district, Prey Veng province.

Objective

The project's objective is to enhance knowledge and skills of staff and child care-givers, currently working for CIFA drop-in center, Neak Loeung, in delivering proper services/ practices to children living at the orphanage and to empower children to be able to self-protection and meaningful participation.

How we work

Aiming to improve the quality and effectiveness of work, the approach CRF adopted for CIFA-Neak Loeung to become a rights-based center focused on 3 domains of changes:

• the duty bearers,
• the rights holders, and
• the policy/guideline and mechanism existing within the organization/ center.

For this, the internalization of the concepts of child rights into the heart of the center does not end up in making children aware of their own rights, but also to make adults, especially those who work with/for children at the center, be responsible of their duties toward them and at the same time to create opportunity for them to exercise their rights and to freely express views.

For 2009, the project developed in pilot phase which lasts for 9 months, We work in partnership cooperation with International Center for Family and Children in Cambodia Organization (CIFA/CO) to assist staff members, care givers and children living in the center in planning, implementing and practicing through training workshops and consultations/meetings to strengthen their knowledge on CR and other child related issues. We also build capacity to adopt policy to work with children and to set up mechanism to respond children's needs and problems they may face.

Where we work

The project directly benefits 85 children and 10 staff members and care givers living in CIFA - Prek Ksay Khor Drop-in Center, Peam Ro district, Prey Veng province about 60 Km. south east Phnom Penh.

News from this project will be available shortly.