2012 Annual Review (US edition)

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Annual Review 2012

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02&03.Contents.pdf

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Contents 03 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

Introduction Together for children in 2012 Viva staff share personal highlights from the year A dramatic rescue in Nepal The world’s youngest policy advisor in Guatemala Viva’s year in numbers Children take the lead in Kenya An unexpected opportunity in India Film festival fun in Uganda An Early Encounter in Bolivia How your gifts were used to help children this year

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All the children named in this Review have had their names and photos changed in accordance with our Child Protection Policy Photo courtesy of John Cairns (johncairnsphotography.co.uk)

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Introduction Children can often surprise us. When we give them the chance to speak, and take the time to listen, it turns out that they know far more about the world than we realize.

This Review certainly shows the truth of that: Ugandan teenagers boldly challenging adults to put a stop to child abuse; a five-year-old girl giving policy advice to the Vice President of Guatemala.

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Sadly, however, what we also find when we listen to children is that many of them know far too much about the world. They have been through traumas that no child should ever have to face. This Review introduces us to those truths too: a young Latino girl taken advantage of by police officers; a Nepalese child whose hands have been broken through forced labor.

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Viva has always striven to achieve a delicate balance in its work: to champion the inclusion of children and empower them to engage with the world, while also protecting them from its dangers. It is a challenging balance to maintain and the following pages will show you, through a mix of personal stories and succinct, compelling data, a glimpse of what and who has been involved in making that a reality this year.

You will see how 6,500 caregivers, dedicated local people who protect and advocate for children day in day out, have been equipped to thrive in their work. How 1,500 churches, powerful shapers of a community’s values, have been helped to better serve vulnerable children. How 1,300 organizations, already dedicated to meeting the many needs of children, have been

strengthened to be there for them in the long term. How children themselves, with their unique and important insights and ideas, have been empowered to speak out on behalf of thousands of their peers. How decision-makers, those with sway in social and political circles, have been influenced to use their power for the good of children. How 35 networks, united groups of local people and projects, have grown into reputable, sustainable and effective drivers of change for children – in fact, 8% more effective overall than last year.

I hope you will also see the part that you have played in this joint action for children. The 810,000 changed lives you will read about are due in no small part to the ongoing gifts and prayers of our supporters and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for partnering with us this year.

As I read this Review I found myself moved, encouraged, impressed and blessed and I pray that you will feel the same.

Scott Hannah | Board Chair

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

04&05.Together.pdf

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Together for children in 2012

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Together for children Want to know more about how Viva works to change children’s lives? Check out our ‘Together for children’ booklet online at viva.org/together or contact northamerica@viva.org and we’ll be happy to mail a hard copy to you.

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Viva’s heart is to see children kept safe and healthy, given opportunities to learn and empowered to play a part in shaping their own futures. You know that’s our vision; you’re involved with us because you share it. But how much do you know of what we’re doing to make it a reality? Here’s a quick guide to the key players we have worked with this year to bring change to children’s lives…

THRIVING WORKERS

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Across the world there are local people responding to the needs of children in their communities, but they often lack the skills and support they need to offer those children a more secure future. We’re working to boost caregivers’ knowledge, experience and practical skills so that they can offer children care that is both loving and professional.

SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS Many community-based organizations working to help children get so busy with the day-to-day that they can’t think about the long term. We’re working to help these projects meet globally recognized standards in areas such as governance, staff care and financial accountability, giving them the strong foundations they need to care for children long into the future.

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ENGAGED CHURCHES Local churches play a unique role in setting the value system of a community and have great power to bring change to people’s minds and hearts. We’re helping local church leaders and congregations to better engage with the children in their area and make sure their churches are safe and welcoming places for children.

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EMPOWERED CHILDREN No one can understand the needs of children better than children themselves, and often they have remarkable insight into the situations of risk in which they find themselves.

We’re working to make sure their voices are heard, their rights are upheld and their questions and ideas are taken into account.

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EFFECTIVE NETWORKS As well as helping people, organizations and churches to provide the best possible care for children individually, we want to enable them to work well together. We unite those groups under the banner of a local network, combining their different skills, resources and contacts to bring about far-reaching change for children that would not be possible for one organization alone.

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS If a network represents most of the people responsible for reaching out to children in a given area, that makes it a voice worth listening to. We’re helping networks to build relationships with government officials, community leaders and others with social or economic power, so they can use their influence to shape attitudes, actions and policies to better serve children.

CHANGED CHILDREN’S LIVES

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

06&07.Highlights.pdf

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“I am so proud of the network and Viva in Guatemala for their government award.”

Carmen A, Latin America office (read why they received it on page 11)

“Hearing that 127 boys were rescued from forced labor in sari factories by the efforts of the Nepal network. We cheered all across the office!”

Katy T, UK office (read the full story on page 9)

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“When my husband Rob (and fellow walker Leon) finally finished Walking Home From Mongolia. I had to manage without him for six months, but the boys have raised more than $93,000 for Viva’s work in Asia and I’m so proud of them.”

Christine L, Hong Kong office

“Welcoming the four amazing ‘Ride for respect’ cyclists as they came wheeling into Kampala after their 500-mile adventure through Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. They raised an amazing $9,976 for Viva and the networks to make sure more of Africa’s children can be respected, protected and loved.”

Isobel B, Africa office

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“Hearing about what children in Uganda did for our 2012 World Weekend of Prayer - they chose to pray for the adults who had hurt or abused them. The fact that prayer gave them the strength to forgive those people just blew me away.”

Ingrina C, UK office

“We aimed for 45 organizations in India to complete the two-year Viva Equip training. I thought this was quite improbable! But through God’s grace, and the efforts of the Viva Equip mentors, actually 46 organizations have completed the training. Praise God.” Nitin T, Asia office (read about the impact this is having on children’s lives on page 17)

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“It was a source of great pride, and thanks to God, when the Uganda network won a national Child Protection award for involving and empowering children with disabilities.”

Mim F, Africa office

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Viva staff share their personal highlights of 2012…

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“Watching kids from our Buen Trato campaign make a presentation to the President of the Bolivian Parliament about better treatment of children was awesome. And then to see them grabbing hold of any MP that walked through the lobby, making them sign a commitment to protect and care for children, was just brilliant.”

Brian W, UK office

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“When we went to speak at a large church in California and, in addition to the church itself wanting to partner with Viva, 70 individuals signed up to pray for children in Nepal. Seeing people moved by the stories they heard to respond in this way was a real blessing to me.”

Paul K, North America office

“Being on a Skype call with 25 of our international staff, talking, praying and laughing together while on four different continents.

Our work with children is only possible because of the commitment, passion and dedication of this amazing Viva family, and getting to know them has been the highlight of my first few months as CEO.” Andy D, UK office

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

08&09.Nepal.pdf

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“After the network’s action the Chief District Officer has now declared he will do everything in his power to make Bhaktapur a child-labor-free area.”

Dhan Raj Ghimire, network coordinator in Kathmandu, Nepal

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Thank you to those of you who have chosen to StandOut with us against child exploitation and abuse in Asia.

Your invaluable support helps to make rescues like this possible. viva.org/standout

NETWORK: CHILDREN AT RISK NETWORK NEPAL (CARNETNEPAL)

LOCATION: KATHMANDU, NEPAL ORGANIZATIONS & CHURCHES INVOLVED: 378 VIVA PROGRAMS RUNNING: VIVA EQUIP, WORLD WEEKEND OF PRAYER, VIVA CHRISTMAS PARTIES

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Nepal The Nepal network has spent much of its time forging and growing relationships between local organizations and churches serving children. Earlier this year we saw those efforts pay off, as the network brought together more than 80 people to rescue 127 children from forced labor in sari factories in Bhaktapur.

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The delicate embroidery and beading that makes traditional Nepalese saris so beautiful is painstaking work. This can lead factory owners to seek workers with small hands, good dexterity and no power to fight unreasonable working hours: namely, children. “They are like slaves” says Dhan Raj Ghimire, the coordinator of Viva’s partner network in Nepal. “The children will work from seven or eight in the morning until midnight. If they get sleepy and stop to rest, they will be beaten.” Some of the children are runaways, conned into thinking they would be looked after if they worked at the factories; others have been taken as collateral for their parents’ debts.

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Although this exploitation is widely known, it can be hard to pin down the culprits. Many factory owners employ adults as well as children, and ensure that only the over-18s are visible when inspections occur; others simply bribe officials to look the other way. However, earlier this year the local authorities suspected that lots of the small factories in Bhaktapur were employing children as young as six, so a series of surprise raids was planned.

Knowing the reach of the network, the authorities asked for their assistance in gathering help from the community: within two days more than 80 volunteers from different churches were mobilized.

These volunteers, accompanied by local policemen, raided 39 sari factories, confronting the owners and forcing them to reveal their underage workers. The volunteers discovered dozens of young boys, hungry and frightened, their bodies scarred and bruised. Two of the children had broken hands from the beatings they endured and many of the boys were found to have serious eye problems

A Nepalese child forced to work on intricate sari beading

due to their intense and lengthy work. “It was a dangerous mission, but we know so many people were praying for us” Dhan Raj reports, “and, by God’s grace, 127 boys were rescued from these horrifying conditions.”

The reach of the network meant that within two days more than 80 volunteers from different churches were mobilized It took over a week to identify and contact the families of the boys, but the various projects and churches in the network were able to offer them food, shelter and clothing until they were safely returned to their homes. Family counseling and support has also been arranged, and many of the boys continue to be helped by projects within the network.

Dhan Raj is proud of the way in which local people pulled together, saying “After the network’s action the Chief District Officer has now declared he will do everything in his power to make Bhaktapur a child-labor-free area. The government has also been drafting a new policy on Child Protection and I am helping to advise on this. The network has clearly shown its benefit here and now our children will be safer for it.”

THRIVING WORKERS SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS ENGAGED CHURCHES EMPOWERED CHILDREN

EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

10&11.Guatemala.pdf

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“Now you have to keep me safe, and all the other children too. Please tell all the people and just make it a rule for everyone. Thank you!”

Ingrid Perez, five-year-old girl in La Terminal, Guatemala

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NETWORK: RED VIVA GUATEMALA

LOCATION: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA ORGANIZATIONS & CHURCHES INVOLVED: 18 VIVA PROGRAMS RUNNING: VIVA EQUIP, CHILD AMBASSADORS, EARLY ENCOUNTER, WORLD WEEKEND OF PRAYER

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Guatemala Five-year-old Ingrid’s simple but profound advice (left) was given to Dr. Raphael Espada, the Vice President of Guatemala. But how did such a young girl, born in a tin shack next to the city dump, get a chance to talk to Guatemala’s second most powerful man? It was through Viva’s ongoing Buen Trato (good treatment) campaign, which has been so successful this year that the Guatemala team were given an award of recognition by the government.

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The campaign is designed to be run by the children themselves and works to make adults more aware of the ways in which they treat children badly and cause them harm, intentionally or unintentionally.

The children engage with a wide variety of adults, from parents, teachers, social workers and doctors to policemen and even government officials, talking to them about how they can make sure children are kept safe and loved. Because the campaign is run through the local network in Guatemala City it allows even the smallest of projects - and children - the chance to have their views heard by people in positions of power; people they would never normally reach.

Because the campaign is run through the local network it allows even the smallest of projects and children - the chance to have their views heard by people in positions of power A small number of children are chosen to be Child Ambassadors, leading and representing their peers. It was in this role, accompanied by 19 of her fellow Ambassadors, that Ingrid helped to lead an event at the Royal Palace, facing an audience of over 200 leaders of child and education-related organizations including the Minister for Education and the head of the government’s Human Rights department.

Ingrid gets a hug from the Vice President after delivering her message about keeping children safe

The event was opened by 17-year-old Mattias, who spoke forthrightly about how the government needed to make children a priority; not just with their words but with their actions. Then a quiet young girl got up to tell her own personal story of a childhood characterized by constant hunger, regular beatings and the roving hands of several local police officers. Many listeners were shocked, which gave the next young speaker a captive audience as he took the mic and explained some very practical ways that adults could change their behavior to keep children safe. He then invited everyone present to sign the Buen Trato petition and commit to making sure the children of Guatemala were given the best possible treatment.

As part of the campaign adults are given a sweet to eat, as a kind of ‘inoculation’ against treating children badly. It was just after Ingrid handed a sweet to Dr. Espada that she delivered her advice: “Now you have to keep me safe, and all the other children too. Please tell all the people and just make it a rule for everyone. Thank you!” In response to this young girl’s bold request the Vice President has committed to making the protection of children a priority over the coming year and is continuing to meet regularly with both network representatives and the Child Ambassadors themselves.

THRIVING WORKERS SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS ENGAGED CHURCHES EMPOWERED CHILDREN

EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

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Our year in numbers

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across the world

13,000

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In total the networks were powered by 13,000 staff and volunteers

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When we measured the networks’ ability to help the children in their communities, they were found overall to be 8% better and stronger than last year

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networks are running Viva Equip, making sure their member organizations are trained to offer the best possible care to children

CHILD AMBASSADORS

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FROM

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of these childcare workers were supported and resourced for their work with children through Viva’s training

COMMUNITY NETWORKS

NETWORKS

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This year we partnered with

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20 in Latin America 5 in Africa 10 in Asia

are speaking out on behalf of thousands of their peers and have had their concerns and ideas heard by millions of people

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Together with the networks we ran 125 different programs for children

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Through those networks

n we d the orks’ help dren their ities, ound e 8% nger year

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have been working in unity for the children at risk in their communities

Network involvement with national governments has increased by

100%

The care that children received from the various network members ranged from education, healthcare and counseling to housing, family support and business loans

giving them more power than ever before to influence key decisionmakers to better serve children

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Together we offered safety, stability and hope to more than

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FROM THE NETWORKS & BEYOND WE HEARD FROM MORE THAN

00 4,0 11 ADULTS AND CHILDREN

who prayed over the WWP

MORE THAN

children attended Viva Christmas Parties held by a network in their community

810,000 CHILDREN AT RISK

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

14&15.Kenya.pdf

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“If I suddenly had to leave my church for some reason, I would not worry, for now I know that the children would take care of it.”

Pastor Samson, church leader in Kisumu, Kenya

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NETWORK: ARISE FOR CHILDREN (ARC)

LOCATION: KISUMU, KENYA ORGANIZATIONS & CHURCHES INVOLVED: 42 VIVA PROGRAMS RUNNING: CHILD-FRIENDLY CHURCH, VIVA EQUIP, WORLD WEEKEND OF PRAYER, CHILD AMBASSADORS, VIVA CHRISTMAS PARTIES

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Kenya When Pastor Samson’s church took part in Viva’s annual World Weekend of Prayer, along with others from the Kisumu network, he had no idea that it would trigger year-round prayer and participation from the children in his community.

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The children so enjoyed their WWP event that they begged the pastor to let them share what they had learned with the rest of the congregation, and he agreed they could at the next Sunday service.

They not only fed back on what they had done at the event but they encouraged more prayer, getting the adults into groups and telling them to pray for the drought in northern Kenya and for issues of prostitution and sexual abuse in their own city. “I was so inspired by their confidence” Pastor Samson said, “and they taught us so much in just that little time, that I thought to myself ‘why should I not let them preach?’”

The children responded eagerly to his invitation and began planning a whole service: “I gave them no help at all, it was just their ideas” laughed the pastor. A few Sundays later the congregation found themselves led in joyful music and worship by the children before13-year-old Jameson came up to preach. After delivering a simple, powerful message he told the church to “just relax while we praise God and give him gifts” and the children sang and prayed while collecting the offering. Pastor Samson commented, “One thing that really struck me was how true the children are to themselves and to God.”

“One thing that really struck me was how true the children are to themselves and to God”

Pastor Samson (left) by the entrance to his church

Pastor Samson was among the first to sign up to the course. As a result of the training the church is now committed to welcoming and encouraging children from the community; boys and girls of all ages are regularly given opportunities to pray, sing, teach and lead; and the whole congregation is currently raising money to build a new children’s area.

The church is now committed to welcoming and encouraging children from the community These changes have not only benefited the children but have also grown the congregation: as they have felt included and empowered, the young people have begun to bring friends and family along to church. When Pastor Samson hosted an AIDS awareness day recently, which he had been trained by Viva to deliver, the children went out into the community to gather people to attend and they filled the whole church! “I have learned so many things from these children, what a blessing they are in God’s family. In fact I just said the other day that if I suddenly had to leave the church for some reason, I would not worry, for now I know that the children would take care of it.”

Seeing the creativity and passion of the children helped the whole church to realize the value of young people in a new way, and when the network began to run Viva’s Child-Friendly Church program

THRIVING WORKERS SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS ENGAGED CHURCHES EMPOWERED CHILDREN

EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

16&17.India.pdf

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“The bottom line is that God has been faithful with his provision… Through the work of Viva Equip, and through the network, we’ve been able to make a difference in the lives of over 30,000 children in India this year.”

Gary Kamaal, Viva staff member in Delhi, India

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WH O car s?

NETWORK: CHILD, YOU AND ME (CYM)

Thank you to those of you who have helped answer that question this year. Your regular gifts are transforming the lives of girls and boys like Ashram, as local projects and caregivers are equipped to offer them safety, stability and hope. viva.org/whocares

LOCATION: DELHI, INDIA ORGANIZATIONS & CHURCHES INVOLVED: 145 VIVA PROGRAMS RUNNING: VIVA EQUIP, WORLD WEEKEND OF PRAYER, VIVA CHRISTMAS PARTIES, VIVA ENGAGE

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India Orphaned at a young age, Ashram Kaduuk had been living at a small care home in Delhi. As he grew up he began to feel very uncertain about his future, wondering what he would do when it came time to leave. Little did he know that the organizational training his home was going through would provide him with the answer.

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Last year several staff from the care home started the Viva Equip training run through the Delhi network. They were enthusiastic about the whole program, designed to train childcare organizations to reach globally recognized standards in areas like Child Protection, staff care and governance, but they were particularly interested in learning how to better manage their finances, which had long been a problem area for them. On completion of the Financial Accountability module, staff were sharing the learning with their colleagues when they found they had an unexpected listener: Ashram. He was fascinated by their feedback on the course, asked insightful questions about the material and soon even began making suggestions for how to put some of the ideas to work.

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In an earlier session of Viva’s training the staff had also learned the importance of listening to the children they were serving and including them in their plans for developing the organization. Inspired by that, and greatly encouraged by Ashram’s interest and understanding, the staff decided to begin training him in basic accounting. All this year Ashram has been working side-by-side with the two staff members coordinating the organization’s finances, gradually taking on more responsibility. The hope is that when Ashram is old enough he will actually be able to work full-time for the care home, providing him with a job and giving them a trustworthy and well-trained employee.

One of the staff members described it as a “double blessing” of the Viva Equip training, saying that although they had expected the course to help them improve their organization, they hadn’t

A staff member (left) from Ashram's care home receives their certificate of completion for Viva Equip

expected it to end up giving a child a vocation as well. They went on to say: “We just can’t get enough of the Viva Equip training. We feel more positive about the future of our organization because of it – it is very motivating. Things are changing for the good.”

Their feeling is shared by many others: 46 organizations in India have benefited from Viva Equip this year through the networks in Delhi, Hyderabad and Dehradun, and positive reports are streaming in from all directions. Viva staff member Gary Kamaal thinks he knows why: “Viva Equip is about improving the quality of Christian projects, yes, but it is not just dry training – it is extending Kingdom values. Helping projects be good stewards of their money, and show proper respect and care for children and protect them, knowing they are important as Jesus did. God is blessing these organizations as they work out his Kingdom.”

“We feel more positive about the future of our organization because of [Viva Equip]. Things are changing for the good” Ashram is just one example of a child whose life has been positively affected by this new commitment to high quality and godly values, but there are many others: “The bottom line is that God has been faithful with his provision - of funds, of people, of great partnerships” says Gary.

“Through the work of Viva Equip, and through the network, we’ve been able to make a difference in the lives of over 30,000 children in India this year.”

THRIVING WORKERS SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS ENGAGED CHURCHES EMPOWERED CHILDREN

EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

18&19.Uganda.pdf

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“Sometimes we adults speak for children, but we never portray the message as well as the children themselves.”

A parent in Kampala, Uganda

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NETWORK: CHILDREN AT RISK ACTION NETWORK (CRANE)

LOCATION: KAMPALA, UGANDA ORGANIZATIONS & CHURCHES INVOLVED: 183 VIVA PROGRAMS RUNNING: CHILD-FRIENDLY CHURCH, VIVA EQUIP, CHILD AMBASSADORS, VIVA CHRISTMAS PARTIES, WORLD WEEKEND OF PRAYER

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Uganda Children from the network in Kampala, Uganda, have now used their mobile studio to record more than 50 short videos, songs and skits about the problems they face and what they think adults can do to help. This year, through TV, radio and their very own film festival, they got to share those ideas with the nation.

It began with a song: ‘This is our cry’. Written, performed and recorded by the children, its chorus says “This is our cry to you our people: love your children and revive Uganda. They need our help to grow and be strong for a better today and a brighter tomorrow.” The track has been played many times on national radio and has also been released and sold online to raise funds and awareness.

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Next up was a TV ad, also written and performed by the children themselves, with the message that when parents made time for their children they were less likely to find themselves in harmful situations.

The ‘Children are worth our time’ ad was shown ten times on national television and seen by an estimated three million people.

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The ad was shown ten times on national television and seen by an estimated three million people across Uganda Alongside these bigger efforts came a constant stream of newspaper articles, radio interviews and community events, all asking Ugandans the same thing: to keep children safe. Then, on the evening of 31 August 2012, 147 adults and children gathered for a film festival where short videos covering issues such as teen pregnancy, child abuse and lack of sanitation were shown. Among the audience of parents, pastors and other community leaders, were two Members of Parliament and the Assistant Superintendent of the local police.

One of the Child Ambassadors introduces the first video

The children themselves were the festival presenters, and were praised for doing “a very excellent job” - all the more significant given how bold they were in their challenges to the adults present.

One video ended with two children pointing at the camera, and thus the watching adults, saying “Now that you know what abuse is, stop it!”

The videos were given to all of the festival attendees to use in their communities and the network has already had positive feedback from local leaders and churches. Since the festival six members of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children have seen some of the short films, along with other notable MPs and senior police officers. A few of the videos are even being used at training days for Local Councillors and, most recently, the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development has asked for the films to be disseminated through their Child Protection Task Force.

“Now that you know what abuse is, stop it!”

A parent who attended the film festival said: “Sometimes we adults speak for children, but we never portray the message as well as the children themselves.” Thanks to the ongoing efforts of the network, and of the Child Ambassadors themselves, children are being given the chance to share their message across the country. As a result, we’re beginning to see action for children coming from all corners of the nation.

THRIVING WORKERS SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS ENGAGED CHURCHES EMPOWERED CHILDREN

EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

20&21.Bolivia.pdf

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“I cannot believe I can go back to school after I’ve been away from it for so long! I’m not very good right now, but I want to study hard and have a great career.”

Alejandro Mantez, 14-year-old boy in Oruro, Bolivia

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NETWORK: RED VIVA ORURO

LOCATION: ORURO, BOLIVIA ORGANISZATIONS & CHURCHES INVOLVED: 65 VIVA PROGRAMS RUNNING: VIVA EQUIP, CHILD AMBASSADORS, EARLY ENCOUNTER

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Bolivia With the first 14 years of his life characterized by abuse, hunger and forced labor, Alejandro seemed doomed to the fate of many a runaway child in Latin America: a life on the streets. Thankfully an Early Encounter with Viva’s team in Oruro, Bolivia, has set him on a much better path.

As young teenagers Alejandro and his brother Marc were forced to leave home to escape the abuse of their father. Jumping on a bus to nearby Oruro they managed to locate their uncle, who took them in to his house. Unfortunately, he could not afford to keep the boys unless they earned a living, so Alejandro began to work 12-hour days as a market delivery boy. Yet the three of them still struggled to put food on the table.

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Many thousands of children sleep on Bolivia’s streets every night and countless more, like Alejandro, are dangerously close to living that life. The Early Encounter program works through the Oruro network to connect with children before they end up on the streets.

Volunteers from organizations and churches in the network work together to befriend children they find playing or working on the city’s streets, offering breakfast and lunch programs, sport sessions and basic reading classes. Then, as they get to know the needs of the children and their parents, they link them up to more specialized help, with organizations in the network providing families with housing, employment, counseling, food; whatever it takes to keep their children off the streets.

The Early Encounter team found Alejandro working in the market and soon learned of his long working hours and unstable living conditions. They also discovered how long he had been out of school: “My dad forced me to work on the farm,” Alejandro told them.

“I did not want to do it because I got so tired, but if I said no then he would hit me. And now I have this job in the city. So I’ve only been able to attend school up to the third grade.”

The Early Encounter team in Oruro is working with these local boys to get them back into school

Thanks to the network, the team found a school that would take Alejandro for free. They also had links with an organization that provided counseling and spiritual support, able to help Alejandro deal with the years of abuse from his father. Alejandro has now finished the fourth grade and is continuing his education with enthusiasm, saying: “I cannot believe I can go back to school after I’ve been away from it for so long! I have new notebooks and writing gives me joy. I’m not very good right now, but I want to study hard and have a great career.” The support from the network has also eased the financial pressures facing Alejandro’s uncle, meaning that neither Alejandro nor Marc are forced to work on the streets and they can all enjoy regular meals.

Alejandro and Marc are not the only children whose lives have been set on a more secure course: the Early Encounter program is being run through networks in six cities across Latin America. This year nearly 30,000 children were reached with prevention work, saving them from an almost inevitable drift into street living, and 1,198 children are now no longer living on the streets.

This year nearly 30,000 children [in Latin America] were reached with prevention work and 1,198 children are now no longer living on the streets

THRIVING WORKERS SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS ENGAGED CHURCHES EMPOWERED CHILDREN

EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

22&23.Finances.pdf

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We would like to say a huge thank you for your gifts and prayers this year – together we have brought positive change to the lives of 810,000 children.

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22&23.Finances.pdf

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Viva family income & expenditure*

Income Individuals (30%) Churches & groups (18%) Major donors (15%) Trusts & foundations (15%) NGOs (13%)

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2011/2012:

Statutory (5%)

$3,926,495

Corporates (4%)

2010/2011: $4,012,724

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Latin America (38%)

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Expenditure

Africa (18%) Asia (13%) Awareness-raising, prayer & advocacy (8%) Fundraising (8%) Other international programs (5%)

$3,750,618

Administration (10%)

2010/2011: $3,952,918

*The Viva family comprises Viva International (representing the UK, US and Hong Kong offices), Viva Latin America, Viva Africa, Viva India and Viva Denmark

2011/2012:

VIVA ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

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THRIVING WORKERS

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SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS

EMPOWERED CHILDREN

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EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

ENGAGED CHURCHES

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INFLUENCED DECISION-MAKERS

CHANGED CHILDREN’S LIVES Children are suffering. We all know that.Thousands of people are working to help them. We all know that too.

Yet the problems persist. Children are still suffering. In cities all over the world there are projects doing great work, but a lack of money, people and time means there is a limit to what they can achieve alone.

We need to work together.

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Imagine what would happen if the people caring for children joined forces. If childcare workers, local churches, governments and international charities came together to tackle the issues faced by children.

Whole cities would be transformed.

Together we would have the power to bring about real change for children, not just chipping away at the surface of the problems but fighting them right at the root.

At Viva we are doing just that.

Through 35 community networks we are increasing the unity, quality and impact of work for children at risk, our joint action training 6,500 caregivers and changing the lives of over 810,000 children around the world.

206 382 0790

northamerica@viva.org

facebook.com/vivatogetherforchildren.na

www.viva.org @vivatogether

Viva is an operating name of Viva Network North America, a not-for-profit charity exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.