A chance to learn, a chance in life
REPORT S
SUMMER 2014
A child from the Batwa community, Burundi.
Welcome
There is a story of a young girl walking along a beach studded with stranded starfish. She picked one up and threw it back into the sea. Her big brother said “what are you doing, that’s not going to make any difference?” She replied “it will to that one”. There are nearly 30 million out-of-school children in countries affected by conflict. Millions are being abused, exploited and discriminated against. At Children in Crisis we are determined to follow the example of the girl in the story, and value the change to each and every child. But the brother has a point, the wider impact is important. How do we handle the dilemma? We start where we feel the needs are greatest. Children in Crisis strives to work in places which are challenging and remote – places where the urgent needs of children are not being met by anyone else. Even in these places we seek out the most disadvantaged children. Our new work in Burundi (see pgs. 4 – 5) has been planned on this basis. Second, people are not as helpless as the stranded starfish in the story. Our work is effective because we work with communities who share our vision of change and are prepared to commit their own time and effort to making it happen. We give a ‘hand-up’ not a ‘hand-out’.
Third, we make sure that we have sufficient focus and that the help that we provide does not fall short. For children to leave school without being able to read and write is falling short. The wonderful literacy programme in Liberia ‘OWL’ (see pgs. 6 – 7) will set minimum standards which will ensure that children leave school with the knowledge and ability to protect and empower them for years to come. Finally, we use your donations to encourage local income generation and, wherever possible, access to resources from local government, so that the changes you support are long lasting. Every pound given to Children in Crisis counts and has a tangible effect on our work. Each element of our approach: quality, long-lasting change, delivered where needed most, is designed to make your pound go further. The first step is always the hardest. New projects such as our work in Burundi will only ever become a reality thanks to your generosity and compassion. Thank you. Koy Thomson Chief Executive, Children in Crisis
Our mission Where resources are few, where education is needed to heal the nation, and where it is too remote for others, our aim is to support children to read, write, think, pursue their life goals and contribute positively to their communities. Children in Crisis 206-208 Stewart’s Road London SW8 4UB 2
Telephone +44 (0)20 7627 1040 Fax +44 (0)20 7627 1050
E-mail info@childrenincrisis.org Website www.childrenincrisis.org
Where your money goes: Programmes 78.5% Fundraising 20% Governance
Founder and Life President Sarah, Duchess of York
1.5%
Registered office as address UK Reg Charity No. 1020488 Company No. 2815817
Introducing... you Wishing to learn a little more about our wonderful family of supporters, we recently conducted a survey. Thank you to everyone who returned their questionnaire. We learnt a great deal which will prove useful when trying to find more good people like you to help support our work. We were also touched and inspired by the messages of support that many of you returned to us. Below is just a snapshot of what you told us…
Your preferred methods of donating: Cheque / charity voucher through the post Bank transfer* Bank card over the phone Bank card through the post Direct Debit or Standing Order By text message Online
84%
of you told us that most important to you is receiving personal stories from people helped by your support of Children in Crisis. We will continue to include these stories in our communications with you.
*We did not realise giving by bank transfer was preferred by so many of you. We will endeavour to facilitate this in the future.
When we asked you why you first started or continue to support our work you told us:
When we asked how you would describe Children in Crisis's work to a friend you said:
As a former teacher I view education as a “breaker of the poverty cycle and a counter balance to superstition ” Children in any country are the future “ ” Because it's not a massive charity that “has massive exposure and the issues
“A caring, essential charity”
with children in war torn countries need highlighting
“
”
I feel a lot of conflicts are started because people are not educated enough to see other solutions to disagreements
”
to have as much as I have “I feelandprivileged it makes me think of others ”
Very focused, serious, not interested in “gimmicks, focussing on areas that can be
forgotten. Also countries that aren’t always in the news, I like the fact that you strongly focus on education
“
Worthwhile, helping as much as you can, a little bit goes a long way
”
A worthy charity “that helps those often over looked ”
”
68%
of you support at least one other charity in addition to Children in Crisis.
If you would like the opportunity to give us your opinions and let us know a little more about you then please visit www.childrenincrisis.org/survey 3
Burundi
How we wish to help With 70% of the nation suffering from malnutrition, Burundi was recently given the unenviable label of ‘the world’s hungriest nation’.a Within this fragile context the Batwa community are particularly vulnerable; it is estimated that up to half of Batwa children die before their fifth birthday. Here, Programme Manager Amy Parker presents a photo report from the early stages of an innovative new project designed to help Batwa children by firstly supporting their parents. The greatest barrier for the Batwa children of Burundi to receiving an education and a chance for a better life is their parents’ poverty. Our contribution to the solution will be to support the Batwa and other vulnerable families to raise their incomes, showing people what they can achieve with new economically demanded skills. Working with a team of construction and architectural specialists and a well-established local NGO, we aim to build a Community Vocational and Training Centre (CVTC) in the Gasorwe region. The Centre will be a hub from which construction apprenticeships, vocational training and business and literacy courses will be delivered. These activities will be accompanied by savings and loan groups to help families smooth out their household finances and to cope during difficult times.
Architectural specialists from a top London firm are providing invaluable pro bono support and consultation. Here Simon and Susi examine the site where we hope to build the CVTC. a: 2013 Global Hunger Index. 4
One of the project’s aims is to prioritise environmentally sound construction and to provide apprenticeships in locally relevant building skills. This is Muyinga Library which is an excellent example of a local building constructed using local technology and materials.
Pottery is a traditional Batwa skill. By using ceramic floor tiles in the CVTC instead of cement we will be reinvigorating a declining skill and keeping money within the local market.
The Banana leaf and mud huts of the Batwa are cramped, smoky and ill-equipped to keep children warm and dry. We hope to provide construction apprenticeships which, as well as opening up employment opportunities, will equip the Batwa community with the ability to build better homes.
ÂŁ29,808
Over the last year we have carried out several consultation visits to learn exactly what the community needs in terms of building and skills development. We recently presented prototype models of workshop designs to help the community members better understand what the CVTC workshops might look like.
The estimated cost of the construction materials needed to build the Community Vocational and Training Centre.
The CVTC will offer exactly the kind of practical, long-lasting support that the Batwa community need in order to give their children a better chance in life. We would like to start building as soon as we can. Any amount given today can help. 5
Our Words Library T he stories take shape
63% of children in Rivercess County leave primary school unable to read or write. Isolation, poverty and the repercussions of Liberia’s brutal civil war has left this region’s primary schools unsupported and extremely under-resourced. Children in Crisis and our local partner organisation FAWE Liberia have identified that a major reason for so many children not learning to read or write is that there just is not the necessary reading material available to them at school or at home. The Our Words Library (OWL) project is working to address this.
From their hearts and memories…
school, each day building a new component of a story formed from the children’s own experiences and imaginations. Artists and FAWE staff were hosted by the communities and so also spent evenings collecting local folktales from community elders. The children played a key role, guiding them to grandparents who had precious stories to tell.
…to paper
The early months of 2014 saw an exciting component of the OWL project take Children in Crisis / FAWE Liberia have shape as primary school children created subsequently compiled, edited and printed and gathered stories from within their the wealth of stories produced by children communities. The children were and their communities. The result guided by a team of Liberian is a library of culturally relevant performance artists, trained reading materials, many with in story-making theatre wonderful illustrations from T he OWL techniques by Children the children themselves. project in Crisis / FAWE Liberia The story on the next page is also training primary in partnership with arts is just one lovely example, school teachers and organisation In Place created by children from empowering parents, despite of War. The team spent Boegeezay Community. their own illiteracy, to six days within each support and encourage We have recently supplied community, holding their children’s 15 primary schools with workshops with children after reading. these libraries of laminated, durable stories which will be used by generations of children when learning to read. We hope to reach a further 30 Rivercess primary schools in this way over the next two years. ‘I could see in their faces it made them proud to write their own story.’ Edward W. Slewion, 48, a member of the cultural artists group, talking about conducting storymaking workshops with primary school children. 6
T he Great Forest Village
An Our Words Library story created by children from Boegeezay Community, Moweh Dist rict, Rivercess County Illustration by Enoch Manden, Grade 3
Kportoh village, meaning “great forest village” was a small place with two huts, one big and one small. The huts were made out of mud with thatched roofs and were furnished with bamboo beds, bamboo tables and bamboo chairs. The village had rich and beau tiful vegetation. There were coconuts , kola, plantain and banana trees and plen ty of food like yams, rice, cassava and pawpaw which grew richly because of the fresh water creek nearby. Many birds, goats, dogs and mountain goat s also lived around the village. In one of the huts lived a young widow named Malaweh. She was a farmer who grew cassava and rice and fetched her own wood for cooking. Malaweh had a two year old son named Jukpakpea, which means “child is great”. One day during the rainy season, Malaweh's son got sick from a heavy downpour of rain. She was confused and worried and ran with the child on her back in tears calling for help from the villagers. She cried out, “Nejuway, Nejuway, my child , my child”. One of the villagers, a man called Garmonyou who lived alone with his grandmother, asked what had happ ened. Malaweh wept, “Jukpakpea fell unconscious after the heavy rain wet us. I don't know what to do”. Garmonyou calmly said, “Let us go to Sundayma, the native doctor”. They went to seek help from Sundaym a who chanted over the child and applied native medicine but the child did not recover. Malaweh carried her son back home while crying. Suddenly a stranger that was passing through the village heard her weeping and asked what had happ ened. She explained the condition to the stranger who luck ily turned out The cost of supplying one to be a nurse. He assisted her with medical drugs and primary school with a library Jukpakpea recovered quickly. Malaweh , and the villagers of ‘Our Words Library’ story were very glad and started cheering and dancing. Now cards. We have reached that the child was healthy, Malaweh and her son lived 15 primary schools so far happily in the great forest village. and hope to reach 30 more by 2016.
£455
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Art Antiques London Party in the Park Children in Crisis is delighted to report on the incredible success of a high-profile fundraising event in aid of our work. On June 10th, Kensington Gardens hosted Art Antiques London Party in the Park which was co-Chaired by our Global Ambassador HRH Princess Eugenie of York and charity trustee Alexandra Buxton. Amongst the evening’s 630 guests were Sarah, Duchess of York, Julia de Boinville, Cressida Bonas, Tracey Emin and Guy Pelly.
Guests were greeted by Penny Farthings…
After a champagne reception in which guests had enjoyed the opportunity to preview the fair’s collections of fine art the all-important fundraising began in earnest. The evening’s auctioneer, Lord Dalmeny, entertained and charmed dinner guests into placing generous bids in our charity auction. We are delighted to report that our guests raised £165,000 in support of our work. For a charity of our size to receive this level of support is incredible and will have a huge impact on our work. As Koy Thomson, Chief Executive of Children in Crisis, said:
The event had a theme of Victorian child’s play. Guests were greeted by Penny Farthings and characters from Oliver Twist whilst young volunteers from the JLD School of Dancing, dressed in Victorian outfits, brought a giant toy cupboard to life.
...whilst children from the JLD School of Dancing brought a giant toy cupboard to life.
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We are thrilled by the amount raised
We are thrilled with the amount raised. We can continue the work we have been doing for 21 years; giving less fortunate children a chance to learn and a chance in life.
Amongst the evening’s 630 guests were Julia de Boinville, Cressida Bonas, Tracey Emin and Guy Pelly.
What this evening could help achieve £165,000 is the equivalent cost of running a Community Based Education Centre in Kabul for three years. These centres give hundreds of out-of-school children (the majority of whom are girls) a second chance. Through accelerated learning classes they are taught a full primary school education in the space of three years. Giving them vital skills such as reading, writing and mathematics which can never be taken away from them.
T hank you A resounding thank you goes out to all the committee members, volunteers, prize givers and supporters who made the evening such a resounding success. We would like to give special thanks to Haughton International Fair for choosing Children in Crisis as their charity partner for 2014.
HRH Princess Eugenie of York arrives with her mother Sarah, Duchess of York.
Steve Golding, from Prestige designed a delicious menu inspired by childhood classics such as scotch eggs, jelly and ice-cream.
Dates for your diary: As you will have read above, as well as providing a great evening of entertainment and networking, Children in Crisis’s special events can help to change young lives. Here are a few ways in which you could get involved: Annual General Meeting, September 2014 – hear about Children in Crisis’s work and our vision for the future. Children in Crisis’s 21st Birthday, 15th October 2014 – celebrate our 21 years as a charity at Windsor Castle. Carols by Candlelight, 1st December 2014 – welcome Advent with celebrity readings, mince pies and carols by candlelight. Get Quizzical, January 2015 – come and test your brains against our quiz masters! Chairman’s Dinner, March 2015 – join us for our annual fundraising dinner in aid of Children in Crisis’s work. Call us on 020 7627 1040 or email events@childrenincrisis.org 9
T hank you for helping to build this school Children in Crisis would like to say a big thank you to our supporters for helping us build a new school for the children of eastern DR Congo. The school has been built for Bora community which suffered tragedy at the hands of the DR Congo’s civil conflict. Many of the community’s men were massacred, leaving behind a village largely made up of widows and children. Being so isolated and difficult to reach, the community has had to fend for itself. Desperate that their children receive an education, parents built a school themselves without any outside help. Sadly, a lack of proper materials and building skills meant that this soon became run-down and unusable.
We worked side-by-side This new permanent and durable school brings hope, support and a brighter future to the children of Bora. It would not have
Welcome! Here are some photos from the school’s opening ceremony, showing what an incredible difference the support that you give Children in Crisis makes: The children of Bora community welcome you to their new school, on the day of its inauguration. The new school has six classrooms, which will be able to accommodate up to 300 children. There is a head teacher’s office and a staff-room which will also serve as a meeting place for the community. 10
been possible to build the school without the incredible hard work and contributions of Bora community. They provided firewood to fuel brick kilns (being so remote, bricks had to be fired on site), delivered water for cement and rocks for the foundations. Raheri, one of the mothers from the community’s school construction committee spoke powerfully at the opening ceremony: Education has to be our priority, even though there are so many other needs. We are poor. But to have the school is the main priority. If someone has knowledge they have everything.
It can get cold, windy and very wet on the South Kivu Plateau where the new school is located. Solid brick walls, a water-tight roof and shuttered windows will ensure that the children are kept safe, dry and protected from the elements. Good use will be made of the Plateau’s often heavy rains which will be collected in water butts to provide a source of clean water for the school. Together with the six proper latrines that we have built, the clean water supply will mean that fewer children will have to miss school because of sicknesses such as Diarrhoea.
New desks and benches will give the children space to sit, learn and write in comfort.
This is Helene, a pupil of Bora’s new school. She told us that she likes children and her mum and that she has lots of friends. They play together at school and at home they go to fetch wood together. At school, the subjects she most likes are French Grammar and Art and Music. She does not like Elocution. She also does not like it when other children fight. When she was in the 1st Year, they were studying in a straw and bamboo classroom. She says that the new school is brilliant!
£40
can help provide maps, charts and educational posters for a new school classroom. 11
Virgin Money London Marathon 2014 On Sunday 13th April a team of 35 supporters ran the famous 26.2 miles of the London Marathon. Some were racing the clock to beat their personal best, others simply to run with their friends, but they all came together to raise an amazing £65,000 for Children in Crisis.
Making changes
Meet the team
Children in Crisis could not be more proud of our marathon teams and what they help us to achieve. For them it is an emotional journey that begins by making a few changes: diet, wardrobe and a few tweaks to the weekly routine – out with the cinema, in with the 10k run. These seemingly small sacrifices have an incredible effect within the areas that we work. Take this year’s London Marathon team, together they raised £65,000; enough to construct a school on the remote High Plateau in eastern DR Congo. A new school will create learning opportunities for 300 children year-on-year, children who would otherwise be learning in dark, unsafe and cramped classrooms (see pages 10 – 11).
There is no single ‘marathon type’. Our teams are made up of people from all walks of life, each with their own different motivations for running. One member of our 2014 team, George, actually ran for us in 2013 but was not happy with his time. His solution was to put his running shoes back on and get training to reach the holy grail of marathon running – a finish time under four hours. In 2014 George ran it in 03:57:07, beating his 2013 self by six minutes.
My sister Amy works for Children in Crisis and I am constantly inspired by the work she does to give children a better education and a better start in life. Not only that but she ran the marathon for Children in Crisis in 2012. I wanted to do my part, with my two friends Lucie and Mel, in helping the amazing work undertaken by Amy and Children in Crisis. Sophie Parker, supporter and London Marathon runner.
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For trio of friends Sophie, Lucie and Mel it was not a case of chasing down personal bests. They wanted to run as friends, supporting each other every step of the way and raising money for a good cause. This is exactly what they did, crossing the finish line together having shared in an incredible day.
Join in It is now time to look forward into next year. We have already had people signing up to be part of the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon team and there are still places left for you to join too. Whether you are a seasoned marathon runner who wants to beat your old time or you want to challenge yourself and help us bring education to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. Whatever your motivation, we know that you can do this and would love for you to join us. If running a full marathon is not for you, there are still plenty of other ways to get involved. The Royal Parks Half Marathon is a beautiful autumnal run which takes you through London’s parks. Perhaps cycling is more your thing, in which case the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 might be the challenge for you. You can find out all the information on how to get involved at www.childrenincrisis.org/get-involved or by calling us on 020 7627 1040.
Fundraise for Children in Crisis Virgin Money London Marathon – the world's largest marathon and the ultimate challenge you can take on for charity. Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 – a fantastic 100 mile race around a circuit inspired by the London Olympic route. Royal Parks Half Marathon – this unique 13.1 miles run starts in Hyde Park and covers Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St James’s Park. London to Paris – whether you are a regular cyclist or simply enjoy a Sunday afternoon ride, this cycle challenge is perfect for you.
George, who this year beat his personal best by six minutes.
If you are interested in any of the above or have your own fundraising idea then please do get in touch as we would love to hear from you. You can email Katy & Georgina at events@childrenincrisis.org 13
Update: Social Worker Project After 30 years of on-going conflict, many children in Afghanistan have known nothing but war, poverty, displacement and suffering. Vulnerable young people, forced into life on the streets, are increasingly brought into contact with a legal system that is poorly equipped to deal with their needs. With little or no support system from social workers, police or legal professionals, too many children are falling into an often dangerous detention system – detained on harsh sentences for trivial offences.
How we are helping Children in Crisis is working to provide vulnerable Afghan children with protection from violence, exploitation and abuse, and to increase the ability of the legal system to support their rights. Through this project, which continues a long standing partnership with UNICEF, we have been building Afghanistan’s child protection mechanisms. We have supported the juvenile justice system to develop alternatives to detention and helped communities and families to be better informed and equipped to protect themselves when in contact with the law.
to provide counselling and psycho-social support, and to use the alternatives to detention whenever possible.
Paperwork is progress Sometimes bureaucracy is essential. A lack of proper record keeping can leave children at risk of arbitrary and unaccountable treatment. Social Inquiry Reports (SIRs) detail the background of the child, the context of their arrest, the health and education of the child, and the living standards of their family. This paperwork is vital in encouraging alternatives to detention and is a strong indicator of how well Police, Social Workers and Legal Professionals are working to care for the children in their custody. Children in Crisis is happy to report that SIRs are now mandatory for every child in the Afghan juvenile justice system. A child’s case now cannot be heard without one.
Additionally, by creating a network of Social Worker Mentors and It is seemingly small changes like Community Workers, we have these that show how effectively trained Social Workers, Police, the Social Worker Coaching and Legal Professionals to The cost of training and Project is working to care for increase their awareness of coaching one Social and protect vulnerable children child protection, of the need Worker or Juvenile in Afghanistan. Thank you to all Justice Professional. of Children in Crisis’s supporters Too many children are falling into an for making this possible.
£39.25
often dangerous detention system.
Progress - in numbers 60 Social Workers trained/mentored 1,000 Police/Juvenile Justice
Professionals trained
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17 children now being issued with proper SIRs every month.
News in brief Including some great examples of how Children in Crisis’s supporters are helping to bring lasting improvements to the lives of the children that we reach. n eastern DR Congo we are seeing some Ichildren’s very encouraging improvements in primary school education as a
result of our latest Teacher Training Project. On average 12% more children are passing their end-of-term exams, whilst an even more impressive 21% increase in girl’s enrolment has been seen at the schools with which we are working. These results are testament to the help that Children in Crisis receives from our supporters. Thank you.
he number of women taking part in T savings groups at our Community Based Education Centres in Afghanistan
has reached 269. To date they have saved 301,250 AFS (£3,205.35). These savings give the women a level of financial independence, they can be used to start small enterprises and to help meet unexpected emergency costs such as family medical bills.
e are happy to announce that Tom Tyler n line with Children in Crisis’s commitment W has become our new Senior Project I to ensuring that we are using our Funding Manager. Tom has become an supporters’ donations in the most effective integral part of the Children in Crisis team since his arrival as an intern in 2009. His rise to Senior Project Funding Manager is an excellent example of Children in Crisis’s commitment to staff development and of how our work engages and inspires our team.
way, we recently appointed independent evaluators to assess our work both in Sierra Leone and DR Congo. The assessments took place in May and we look forward to receiving the final reports and learning from any recommendations made.
ongratulations and a heartfelt thank C you to Calastone Ltd. for organising their Charity Shield football tournament in
support of Children in Crisis. In all, 26 teams of twinkle-toed City footballers battled it out on the pitch, raising a fantastic £13,700 in support of our projects for vulnerable children in conflict-affected countries. Ultimately only one team could be crowned champions and this year the Citywire team took the shield. 15
Introducing‌ Peter Simms Children in Crisis is pleased to introduce to you the newest member of our team. Peter Simms joined us in May 2014 as the new Programme Manager of our work in Afghanistan. Here are some words from the man himself on his experience, motivation and the hopes that he holds for Children in Crisis’s work in Afghanistan: Having spent the best part of the last ten years working and living abroad I felt it was about time to come back to the UK and put into practice some of the things I have learnt. I have always worked in education and child protection, having started my career as a teacher. This experience allows me to maintain perspective when it comes to working with children and communities. After working for many years in international development across the Middle East and Asia, and having spent the last year in Afghanistan with the United Nations, I have strong opinions of how Non Government Organisations can best support local organisations and build resilience against vulnerability.
With Children in Crisis I hope to strengthen the opportunities for children and help build a more positive future. Children in Crisis protects and educates children facing the toughest hardships in countries affected by conflict or political instability. Children in Crisis
T: (+44) 020 7627 1040
206 - 208 Stewart’s Road,
E: info@childrenincrisis.org
London, SW8 4UB
www.childrenincrisis.org
Founder and Life President: Sarah, Duchess of York
Registered office as above
Registered charity No. 1020488.
Company No. 2815817
Printed on 100% recycled paper
I have always aimed to help in a way that is locally informed and which reflects the values and needs of the individuals involved. While this is never easy to do, especially in somewhere as complex as Afghanistan, I look forward to the challenge. Afghanistan is an astonishing country, rich with a culture and history too often characterised by recent turmoil.