Strategy for
Social Protection Rationale Children and adolescents are a significant target group in Stømme Foundation’s work. As an organisation with a rights-based approach to development and the vision of a world free from poverty, it is a key priority for SF to support our primary target groups – among them children and adolescents – to lead lives free of fear and want, and in full fulfilment of their rights. To SF, children and adolescents are both invaluable in and of themselves, and inherent resources with great potential to contribute positively to the development of their families and communities, both now and in the future. In this regard, SF is committed to ensuring that they become empowered people who are able to develop their full potential. However, children cannot become empowered agents of change if they are not safeguarded from abuse, discrimination and harm of any kind. In many of SF’s areas of intervention, particularly where a child is separated from his / her family, children are particularly vulnerable to harm. Recognising that the vulnerability of children may be multiplied where the child is a girl, disabled, displaced, or marginalised in other ways, SF’s work with social protection pursues a child-sensitive and inclusive approach. SF is committed to advocating for, and realising the rights of children to protection from violence and harm, as laid down in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). SF’s Child Protection Policy outlines the preventive and protective measures that should be taken in all programmes and communication that involve children. By contrast, this strategy focuses solely on SF’s programmes that are specifically designed to protect children from violent environments. SF’s Development Policy spells out the following priorities for SF’s work with social protection:
Thematic Goal STRENGTHEN SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS LIVING IN VIOLENT ENVIRONMENTS
Intervention
Outcome Safe environment and/or life skill opportunities created for vulnerable children and adolescents
Social Protection
Strengthened awareness of social risks and how to prevent them Advocacy for improved government services in child care and risk prevention
Definition To SF, social protection is concerned with preventing, managing and overcoming situations that adversely affect the well-being of children and adolescents1. More specifically, we understand social protection as the process by which social risks are minimised and safe living environments for children and adolescents are promoted and secured. To SF, social risks may include, but are not 1
This definition is based on the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development’s (UNRISD) 2010 definition of Social Protection.
limited to, the absence of stable and supportive families or households/homes, hazardous work, drug use, alcoholism, delinquency, forced prostitution, physical and emotional violence and other risks that young people may be exposed to by virtue of their living conditions.
Modes of Intervention SF’s involvement in social protection will primarily take place in the following ways:
1. Advocacy SF believes that it is the responsibility of the respective Governments to provide quality child care services and ensure that children and adolescents are adequately protected from harm. Thus, SF’s interventions should complement and never be a substitute for what the Government is supposed to do. Following our Advocacy guidelines and in accordance with the local context, SF will first and foremost advocate for improved government services in child care and risk prevention. In the process, SF will capitalise on the experiences and resources of our own partners and networks for children at risk.
2. Capacity Building SF will seek to build the capacity of both rights-holders and duty-bearers, including parents, child carers, local government officials and children and adolescents themselves, on the following issues: a) Their awareness of the social risks facing children and adolescents living in unsafe environments, and how to manage and prevent them. b) Their ability to and means of advocating for the rights of children and adolescents to protection from all forms of harm.
3. Service Delivery Where the state has not yet assumed full responsibility for, or is economically unable to adequately secure, the protection of vulnerable children and adolescents, SF may provide services to minimise these groups’ exposure to risk in the present. This may include working alongside the Government to provide shelter for children and adolescents at immediate risk of abuse. It may also include the creation of life skills opportunities that strengthen the ability of vulnerable children and adolescents to stand up for themselves and better withstand potential abuse. Where SF engages in service delivery, this should always be linked up to a more long-term advocacy strategy. Where SF has successful service delivery programmes, emphasis will be on advocating towards the Government for the replication and Government adoption of the concepts.
Approach SF is committed to taking children and adolescents seriously, encouraging them to achieve their full potential and actively involving them in decision-making that affects their lives. This includes participation, to the greatest degree possible, in the full project cycle; planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of social protection programmes. Furthermore, SF will make every effort to meet the needs and enhance the capacities of children and adolescents, while respecting, valuing and understanding them as individuals within their respective socio-cultural context. This means that, for example, in SF’s work with orphans, African programmes may uphold the importance of reuniting the child with their immediate and /or extended family, whereas in South America, although the aim of family reunification is desirable where possible, institutionalisation and/or foster-homes may be more relevant in a cultural context.
In order to strengthen our work with social protection, SF will pursue an integrated approach, whereby the fulfillment of the rights of children and adolescents at risk – in addition to having a value in itself – is also considered an entry point for developing the whole community. Thus, SF will work to combine interventions in order to promote synergy and ensure a better and safer environment for children and adolescents to grow up in. Through literacy training, communitymanaged microfinance and other ways of enhancing access to sustainable income sources, for example, the parents and/or foster-homes of children and adolescents at risk can be made more economically empowered. Thus, they will be in a better position to provide for their children, thereby reducing the risk that these children will be exposed to high risk settings like the streets.
Strømme Foundation, August 2013