Viva Equip
one
many
Viva Equip Why?
Who?
“When we rescue children from life on the streets, or from abuse, or orphanhood, we are trying to offer them a better life. But the sad truth is that, despite best intentions, sometimes the care in the projects can fall short of this – the needs are just so immense. If people’s love for and commitment to the children is one side of the coin, then Viva Equip Projects is the other side. It takes both passion and practicality to give children a genuine hope for the future.” Dee Moskoff Network Co-ordinator in Cape Town, South Africa
What?
Every day there are children who go without food, education, a family or a home. Local people are responding, but often lack the skills and support they need to give these children a better future.Through 44 city-wide networks Viva connects and equips people to work better together, changing the lives of over 1 million children.
Viva Equip Projects makes good quality care achievable for any size project, by taking their staff through a two-year training course that helps them meet a range of international development standards.
Different project staff attend training sessions relevant to their areas of responsibility in six key modules: child protection, child wellbeing, staff care, financial accountability, governance and project planning and design. Through regular seminars and interactive workshops, projects are helped to reflect on their current situation, identify problem areas and introduce improvements. Together with their peers from other projects, participants are carefully guided by both international and local trainers to develop new ways of working that are professional, effective and truly relevant to their context. Each project becomes better equipped to provide quality care and is also committed to working with others to see entire cities changed for children.
Projects in Uganda... When their mother died, Sylvia (23) and Rebecca (21) suddenly found themselves in sole charge of the residential school she had been running. With little experience and support, they quickly found themselves overwhelmed. Half the children didn’t even have beds; there were no tables or chairs in the classrooms; and school supplies were running out. But through Viva Equip Projects they found not only professional support, but practical advice and encouragement from others working in similar situations. The financial accountability and planning skills they learnt improved their financial situation enough to allow them to purchase desks and benches for the classrooms. They were also able to get electricity in the main house for the first time, and every child now has a bed of their own.
Who? Projects in Costa Rica… Viva’s training really challenged Niños de la Esperanza (Children of Hope), which serves over 500 of San José’s poorest children, to improve their safety measures. The first thing they did was to install windows in all of their rooms, “so that we can always be watchful, and look out for the children and for one another”. Project leaders also worked together to form a child protection policy that was relevant to their community, and taught people how to report and address any mistreatment of children. Six months after the training we asked local pastor Alex Segura whether Viva Equip Projects had benefited the project and community: he simply beamed and said “It is the best thing that has happened to us!”
You can commit to a regular gift of £150 per month, enabling a project to take part in the Viva Equip Projects course
We will commit to keeping you informed, sending regular updates on how the
training is progressing and how projects are putting what they are learning into action
Together we can change the lives of thousands of children, as the projects who serve them are better equipped to invest in their futures
“
Professionally, much of my time is spent analysing the value and impact of economic decisions. I want to exercise that same degree of care in my personal giving, and see a long-lasting positive impact from my own financial investments. With the Viva Equip Projects training I really see Viva investing my money well; not just helping children today, but developing those people who can help children both now and into the future.
”
Viva Unit 8, The Gallery 54 Marston Street Oxford OX4 1LF Telephone: 01865 811660 Email: equip@viva.org Web: www.viva.org
Adrian Cooper Chief Executive, Oxford Economics
one
many
Viva is an operating name of Viva Network.Viva Network is a company limited by guarantee no. 3162776, registered charity no.1053389, and registered in England at Unit 8, The Gallery, 54 Marston Street, Oxford, OX4 1LF, UK
Get involved…