C A L A O E X P R E S S 132 (November 2014) Monthly Internet Edition of the African Movement of Working Children and Youth (AMWCY) Published by Enda TM with the help of Plan *************************************************************************** Write to us at maejt94@gmail or at [email protected] and consult our website maejt.org * ************************************************************************** * AMWCY: Meeting of the Africa Commission and the Communication Group of AMWCY * Cameroun: WCY help market children to organize themselves * Côte d’Ivoire: Kick-off of literacy courses through electronic classes * Guinea: Sensitization activities on EBOLA * DRC: Providing school kits and sensitization on children’s education * Senegal: A training session on Participatory Action Research * Togo: Preventing the Ebola disease ***************************************************** * AMWCY: Meeting of the Africa Commission and theCommunication Group of the AMWCY The Africa Commission (COMAF) and the Communication Group of the AMWCY held their parallel meetings from October 20 to 31, 2014 in Thies (Senegal). COMAF’s meeting focused on the assessment of AMWCY’s annual activities, particularly child protection activities and campaigns against diseases such as Ebola. They also reviewed Members’ statistics and the responses regarding the impact questionnaire on rights, studied the 2014 budget and new membership applications, shared AMWCY’s monitoring and evaluation tools, and set guidelines for the Movement for the coming 05 years. AMWY continues to expand and grow. Statistics show that, in 2014, the AMWCY claims: 828,513 members and well-wishers; 268,853 members, with 57% of girls and 72.6% of children; 3,876 Grassroots Groups from 360 associations in as many towns and villages as in 27 countries. Responses to impact questionnaires on the rights added to these statistics give the following: 619,508 children feel that they are protected by the AMWCY; 464,409 children work less, and less hard thanks to AMWC; 448,568 had the opportunity to study or enroll for literacy courses; the health of 406,305 children has improved, 554,152 had more fun than ever before. Comaf held some working sessions with Save the Children during which debates focused on protection in case of natural disasters and on the prevention of Ebola. As far as the AMWCY’s Communication Group is concerned, it discussed the types of communication to be adopted when the movement has limited financial resources. It then drew up AMWCY’s communication and advocacy plans for the next three years, drafted “WCY Face the Challenge” N° 15, and produced comics on topics such as Ebola, AIDS and child protection. At the end of their meetings, participants had a debriefing session with their regional partners, diplomatic missions based in Dakar, and the media. For more information, click on AMWCY’s web page: maejt.org wilfriedson02@gmail , marikofatoumata@gmail awesuhaliu20@gmail * Cameroun: WCY help market children to organize themselves WCY have found that children are beaten up or jailed by police in the markets of the following cities: Akonolinga, Yaounde, Okola, Mfou. Children are often accused of stealing goods, work tools such as wheelbarrows in the markets. Based on this observation, WCY negotiated with local authorities and market managers, and organized sensitization campaigns relating to violence against children, the right to equitable justice in case of problems. They helped the children who work in these markets set up small trade-related committees to help them get better organized. The Mayors of the cities concerned gave a helping hand to WCY regarding their activities by funding the production of badges, T-shirts, putting a number to each owner of a wheelbarrow. WCY also negotiated the renting of wheelbarrows at lower costs from market managers. They put in place a contributions system to enable them to meet their needs through interest free loans. WCY also organized clean-up operations around markets, following which the Town Halls gave them wheelbarrows. On average, 3,500 children who work in the markets benefited from these activities. neilsonjust2012@gmail * Côte d’Ivoire: Kick-off of literacy courses through electronic classes After having trained a few WCY and literacy teachers on how to teach literacy classes through digital classes, the sections have resumed literacy courses for the benefit of the populations and AWCY members. The sections are: Abidjan, Adiaké, Bonoua and Grand Bassam. They were the first beneficiaries of the Sankore Program in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education and Technical Education (MENET), the Embassy of France in Cote dIvoire and the Education for All Network in Africa (REPTA). This program provides courses through an interactive board. Like the above sections, other AWCY continue to hold literacy classes and try to start other new classes in different neighborhoods and villages of the localities of each AWCY. In the digital class of the Carrefour Jeunesse in Grand Bassam, WCY have a total of 35 for day classes and 28 for evening classes, who attend the courses through the Digital Interactive Boards (TNI). Conversely, in the Social Centre of Grand Bassam, WCY have a total of 22 women taking literacy courses in order to be able to do the medical monitoring of their children. [email protected] * Guinea: Sensitization activities on EBOLA Like other WCY, Working Children and Youth in Guinea carry out manual activities to meet their needs. The practice of these trades requires that «you touch anything» with your hands, something that turns WCY into one of the most vulnerable groups regarding contamination by the Ebola virus. That is why, with the support of some partners, the National Coordination of AWCY in Guinea organizes on a regular basis sensitization sessions followed by the distribution of hygiene kits (for washing hands, soap, bleach, chlorine, etc.) in some AWCY Grassroots Groups across the country. The Ebola virus broke out in the Southern part of the country at the beginning of 2014. In addition to dead people, it leaves behind thousands of orphaned children. The community-based approach to child protection is the best remedy when it comes to helping these children. This is a strong belief that WCY translate as: «Many partners have already left us, but we are here to stay forever as far as we are concerned ». cn.aejtguinee1@gmail * DRC: Providing school kits and sensitization on children’s education On September 06, 2014, WCYA Uvira conducted a sensitization campaign in the Rugenge neighborhood on the theme «Education of children, girls and boys, WCY speak out». A whole day was devoted to this activity which reached more than 400 children, relatives and authorities. Megaphones roamed the neighborhood and, in the evening, a football match between WCY’s team and the team of the neighborhood took place at the playground of the Primary School of Muugano. It should be noted that the aim of this activity was to raise the awareness of the populations, mainly parents, on the benefits of educating their children. In fact, according to surveys conducted by WCY, this neighborhood has a big number of children involved in enameling at the Lake Tanganyika who do not go to school. At the end of the sensitization activities, children, relatives and all authorities were quite appreciative of WCY’s initiative, and promised to enroll these children to school. [email protected] Moreover, on the opening day of classes, WCYA Mbanza-Ngungu conducted, at its headquarters, a distribution of school supplies to 46 WCY, girls and boys, aged 6 to 17, who expressed their desire to go back to school. Among these WCY, 3 had never been to school and were enrolling for the very first time; 5 were going back to school after having dropped out (of school) for many years; and 38 were already in school, but found it hard to follow the courses, due to a lack of resources and the poverty of their parents. These children are faced with enormous material and financial difficulties. Most of them support their studies themselves thanks to what they earn from income generating activities. aejtmbng2008@gmail * Senegal: A training session on Participatory Action Research From September 18 to 20, 2014, WCYA Thies organized a workshop to strengthen Participatory Action Research (PAR) on the premises of the Easter Zone Town Hall. This training was attended by 32 participants, all AWCY members and Actors of the Child Protection Coalition (CAPE) based in different neighborhoods. This workshop was to share on protection activities at the neighborhood level; difficulties encountered, results and impacts. Participants were also strengthened on how to help children identify their problems in case of vulnerability: causes, signs, reformulation and search for solutions that they can better take care of children’s problems at the grassroots level. [email protected] , [email protected] * Togo : prévention de la fièvre Ebola On September 27, 2014, WCYA Togo organized a sensitization session to a large audience, on how to prevent Ebola contamination. This took place in the old Radio Carré Jeune Station (RCJ) in Avatame, Lome. It was organized by WCYA in collaboration with the staff of the radio, in particular, ASSI Eyana, and some local associations and NGOs. This sensitization session was attended by a huge crowd. Sensitization on the disease will go on in other areas of the country where WCY and other children are to be found. coordination01aejttogo@gmail , jephter02@gmail Looking forward to seeing you through Calao Express n°133 !
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 11:57:33 +0000
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