Child Rights Advocacy

Children don’t always have a voice, and many children are vulnerable and at greater risk of being harmed or exploited. Many children endure violence and exploitation include forced labour and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Children with special needs/disabilities are particular vulnerable so they need safe adult to take care and advocate for their best interest and rights. Jitambue Kwanza is working hard to reduce over reliance on orphanages to care for most vulnerable children is an effort to provide sustainable child protection systems in Tanzania. Jitambue Kwanza believes families are the best safe environment for children to grow up in and works to ensure poor families have the support they need within the community and at government level or international level to continuing looking after their children. Child advocate typically gives voice to an individual or group whose concerns and interests are not being heard. Child advocacy can be done at the micro level (for one child or a few children), mezzo level (for group of children or at a community level) or macro level (for a category of children affected by a social issue). A child advocate will try to prevent children from being harmed and may try to obtain justice for those who have already been injured in some way. A child advocate may also seek to ensure that children have access to positive influences or services which will benefit their lives such as education, childcare and proper parenting. Malnutrition is another form of harm-there are many children who go to bed without eating and it is looked over by child welfare or the police. Another form of child advocacy happens at the policy level and aims at changing the policies of governments or even transnational policies. These advocates do lobbying, policy research, file lawsuits and engage in other types of policy change techniques many use Internet based techniques to influence decision makers.

ENDING INSTITUTIONAL CARE OF CHILDREN IN TANZANIA

“We don’t have orphanages because we have orphans, we have orphans because we have orphanages” Love. One-on-one care and attention, A sense of belonging and identity, Friendly and safe spaces to play, grow and learn, Trusting and honest relationships, Being part of a community. These are things that all children need to grow up happy, healthy and strong and that only a family can provide. Unfortunately, too many children today are growing up in orphanages or children’s homes. Such places even when delivered by well-meaning care providers, can never replace a family.

“Institutions can be closed but a family can never be closed”

ENDING CHILD-FORCED MARRIAGE

Create awareness on girls empowerment on the issue of child marriage is the advocacy strategy to inspire positive attitude toward girls and build consciousness about the effects of child marriage. To engage young girls and boys in protecting themselves against child marriage, child abuse, child labour and child exploitation.

FACTORS THAT LEAD TO AN INCREASE OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN TANZANIA

These factors include children who are living in an abusive environment, living with a sick parent or guardian, living with HIV, living with a disability, living in child-headed households, living in elderly-headed households, living with families facing absolute poverty, and living outside family care. All of these situations can make children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, illness, withdrawal from school, and emotional distress, grief, mental health problem and trauma .We need to work together to save our children in Tanzania now.

This is a group of (mvc) most vulnerable children we are working with:

Orphan children.

Children with disabilities (special needs).

Children parents.

Children with HIV/AIDS.

Children with albinism.

Children in/of street.

Children victim of rape.

Children in elderly families.

Children in exploitative labour.

Children sex workers.

Chronically ill children.

Children with early pregnancy.

Children in foster families.

Children who affected with Drug abuse.

Children forced marriage.

JITAMBUE KWANZA SEEKS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN THROUGH:

Family and Community support programs.

Implementationand enforcement of laws.

Norms and values.

Income and economic strengthening (poor family).

Create safe place for children to live and enjoy their dignity.

Parent and caregiver support.

Response and support Services.

Eliminating extremely corporal punishment in home and schools (primary and secondary).

Education and life skills.

Training parents, teachers, police, care givers, religious leaders about child rights.

Running child right’s campaigns on schools and streets.

Sensitize parents and community to invest in children.

A CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM INCLUDES:

Family strengthening services provided at the community level and supporting families at risk to stay together and become stronger through parenting support, housing support, strengthening family and social relationships, access to healthcare, protection, nutrition and education services, respite care, to special support for families with children with special needs, and income generation (economic activities)