Encouraging children and youth to take charge of their lives
SCAI believes youth are powerful agents of change not only for tomorrow, but also for today. As in many developing countries, the children in Nepal face a myriad of challenges in their daily life, and as they move into their late teens and finish school and college, they are faced with even greater challenges and decisions. Through their own first-hand experience, the children and youth know best what their needs are and what has to change within their local communities to minimise risk, improve the quality of life and have the opportunity reach their full potential.
How our support helps
SCAI helps children and youth become valuable members of their communities, equipped to become well-educated leaders of their communities in the future.
We advocate for children’s rights and bring together the people concerned for the well-being and development of children and youth in each community, such as teachers, community leaders, child workers and the children themselves. We facilitate the formation of the children’s clubs and child protection networks where participants work together to improve the lives of children now and in the future, as well as having a positive impact on the communities in which they live.
Our program gives children a voice, an opportunity express their views and the chance to play an important role in decisions that impact upon them in their local community.
What support we provide
Through awareness-raising activities, capacity-building workshops, peer-to-peer education, training and ongoing guidance, SCAI and its partners continue to build child-friendly environments where the children are a safe, nurtured and respected, and where the children can come together, learn, practise and take action where they feel it is needed.
We teach the children and youth about:
- Child Rights including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
- Child Rights related acts, laws, bylaws and policies and institutional arrangements in Nepal
- Four pillars of UNCRC; Survival, Protection, Development and Participation
- Various forms of Abuse, Violence, Neglect, Exploitation, and Separation from family, Trafficking, Harmful Traditional Practices and other issues such as early marriage
- Prevention and compliance of Child Rights and Child Protection issues in society
- How they can participate and bring about change in today’s society
- Process of formation, roles, responsibilities and obligations of the Children’s Clubs and the Children’s Club Network
- Club management, planning and how to implement their advocacy activities
- Life skills
- Study and career guidance
- Peer to peer education
They practice and take action through activities within their clubs and networks and out in the community through:
- Giving speeches and presentations
- Participating in group workshops
- Performing dramas
- Going on field visits and meeting with members of the community
- Sharing their issues and agendas with key leaders within the community
- Advocating for change where they see injustice taking place
- Undertaking volunteer work
- Participating in rallies and community awareness programs
We were thrilled to hear that within the first few weeks of the child clubs being formed, that a group of teens got wind of a child marriage taking place and peacefully managed to stop it from going ahead. – Emma
All children from class 5 onwards are included in the children’s clubs across 30 schools in SCAI program areas. That means almost 350 children and youth are being directly empowered!
These children and youth will then pass on what they have learnt to others, creating an even bigger network of change agents to bring about meaningful advances on key issues within their extended communities for current and future generations.