AFRICA: Calao Express 30 - Children and Youth in Action

* AMWCY: meeting of the communication group / Launching of the study on early exodus and child trafficking - technical support Group in Mauritania

* Angola: sensitization on AIDS in the markets

* Burkina Faso: the WCYs sensitize on AIDS

* Côte d'Ivoire: official hand-over of the offices of AWCY-Abidjan / WCYs face turbulent times in Bouaké

* The Gambia: environmental sensitization campaign against malaria

* Guinea Conakry: UNICEF gives material and financial support to the activities of 2 AWCYs

* Mali: national training workshop on IGA

* Nigeria: towards the creation of an AWCY

* Rwanda: WCYs get access to a savings-credit cooperative

* Chad: AWCY resumes its activities and visits towns in the South

Special African Child's Day:

- Côte d'Ivoire

- Guinea Bissau:

- Senegal

- Zimbabwe

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* AMWCY: meeting of the communication group / launching of the study on early exodus and child trafficking - technical support Group in Mauritania

- From 18 to 27 June, the AMWCY communication group met in Dakar (Senegal). Participants came from 7 countries to draft and design the "WCYs Face the Challenge N°7", the annual bulletin of the AMWCY, and reflect on strategies to be developed for a better communication system within the AMWCY.

The Group held a two-day discussion on the mechanisms of communication with Mmes Stefanie Conrad and Aminatou Sar of Plan WARO. They gave counsel and showed their willingness to support the AMWCY in this area. In addition, an action plan for communication was elaborated and will be implemented from 2008. The group took the following decisions: Marie Louise Sarr is responsible for the communication group in its relations with Plan's officials responsible for communication. Communication groups will also be developed within the national coordinations of the AWCY. On 27th, the Group participated in a radio program on AFIA FM.

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- From 11 to 15 June, AMWCY held a regional workshop to launch a study on the capitalization of good experiences of WCY in their fight against early exodus and child trafficking. This 5-month study is undertaken in partnership with UNICEF, Save the Children Sweden, Plan and Enda TM.

It concerns Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Niger. For this first phase, stories told by WCYs and other children in zones providing and welcoming migrant children were recorded.

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- From 13 to 27 May, the technical support group of the national coordinations of WCYs of Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, in partnership with Enda TM, held a meeting in Nouakchott. The 23 participants identified changes observed since 2005 among which is noted that the WCYs success in developing individual and collective IGAs. Several towns in Mauritania and Senegal were visited on this occasion. Partners of AWCY Mauritania were included in this meeting.

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* Angola: sensitization on AIDS in the markets

On 15 June 2007, AWCY began a sensitization campaign on the prevention of AIDS in Asa- Branca market on the theme "To ensure our life, we must say no to Aids". This activity will continue until the end of the year in the Roque-Santeiro and Asa-Blanca markets where the highest number of WCYs are concentrated.

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* Burkina Faso: the WCYs sensitize on AIDS

Like other AWCYs, AWCY Gaoua has got involved in the fight against AIDS through sensitization campaigns in its 5 grassroots groups. The WCYs therefore held 4 educative discussions and 5 films on prevention were shown. They are assisted in this by RAJS/BF who offered them 7 packets of women's preservatives, 20 packets of men's preservatives and a penis made of wood. A total of 1 569 persons were reached through these sensitization campaigns: 358 children, 412 youths, 269 men and 530 women.

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* Côte d'Ivoire: official hand-over of the offices of AWCY-Abidjan / WCYs face turbulent times in Bouaké.

- On 12 June, Child Labor Day, the ceremony for the official handover of the offices of the AWCY/Abidjan by Mr. Désiré Koukoui, Director of BICE, was held. The offices comprise of a hall with a capacity of 30 seats and an office for the President of the AWCY. The BICE expressed its joy in offering these offices to the WCYs because of the quality of their work. From now on, says the BICE, it will draw closer to them. For his part, the AWCY President, expressed appreciation for the honor done to the WCYs through this gesture. The keys were handed over in the presence of the national president of the AWCYs, the national delegate and a big WCY delegation from Korhogo, Grand Bassam, Aboisso and Bonoua.

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- "This morning, while we were busy receiving training in restitution in Bouaké on the capitalization project of the good experiences of the WCYs in the fight against child trafficking, there were rumors in the town. The plane of the Prime Minister, Soro, was attacked as it was landing at Bouaké Airport. This is difficult to understand. At present we are in the premises of the supporting structure, Association JEKAWULI. People are running helter skelter to go back home".

This is the message received from the WCYs of Bouaké on 29 June at 11H.00. They were immediately contacted by the animators of Enda, who offered them their moral support, as well as advising them on their security. Thanks to God, none of them was hit by the shots.

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* The Gambia: environmental sensitization campaign against malaria

In view of the impending rainy season, AWCY trained its members to carry out a campaign in the community to encourage people to use sprayed mosquito nets. The WCYs were trained by the health centre on the benefits of drugs and environmental cleanliness. During the sensitization campaign, members encouraged the people to carry out clean-up activities as a tool to reduce mosquitoes. They also based their sensitization on tuberculosis because it is a health problem, on stigmatization and the discrimination against the sick. People have started adopting a positive approach towards others living with this sickness.

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* Guinea Conakry: UNICEF gives material and financial support to the activities of 2 AWCYs

This year, Unicef/Guinea has supported to the WCYs in Conakry and N'Zérékoré towns. The support was based on dressmaking, hairdressing, dyeing in Conakry and literacy courses in both towns. Unicef gave them equipment in the areas mentioned above: 10 sewing machines, accessories, chairs, small working tools; hairdressing materials, fans, a power generator, water reservoirs and a loan for renting sewing and hairdressing shops; dyeing materials, paying for transport fares of literacy instructors and the hiring of classrooms. These results are the fruit of lobbying activities carried out by AWCYs with their partners. Literacy courses for WCYs are also a factor that brings the WCYs together, helping them to get organized in a better way and defend their 12 rights.

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* Mali: national training workshop on IGA

From 29 May to 9 June 2007, a national training workshop for WCYs in Income Generating Activities (IGA) was held in the premises of the Cité des enfants (Children's City) of Bamako.

The purpose of this workshop was to reinforce the profitability, creativity, organization of the IGAs that the WCYs of Mali carry or want to carry out, in particular girls who are members of the AWCYs. Participants discovered the different forms of management and savings. The workshop brought together 22 girls and 8 boys who had come from the AWCYs of Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti, Tombouctou, Gao and Bamako.

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* Nigeria: towards the creation of an AWCY

From 17 to 20 June, a delegation comprising of the AWCY of Benin and Enda, met and discussed with Voix des Jeunes Ruraux (supported by Unicef) and the Network of NGOs of Nigeria. This meeting aims at expanding the AMWCY in Nigeria with the help of the organizations mentioned above. The WCYs explained the activities of the AMWCY to them: its history, the 12 rights of the WCYs. All these contacts were facilitated by Plan.

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* Rwanda: WCYs get access to a savings-credit cooperative

On 10 June, the Director General of the Youth Cooprative for Self-Employment and Development (COOJAD) -an initiative of the Rwandan Government - paid a visit to AWCY/Kigali and discussed with them the functions and conditions to be met before they can have access to credits. 20 members and 3 animators were present. The AWCY, a member of COOJAD, decided to participate in all the activities to be organized by the Cooperative, and the latter has accepted to offer its help each time that is necessary. All the grassroots groups can open their accounts within this Cooperative and the only guarantee for their access to credit will be through their Association.

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* Chad: AWCY resumes its activities and visits towns in the South

After having suspended its collective activities for some years, AWCY/N'Djaména has begun to restructure itself. It sent a mission to the South of the country to inform and sensitize the WCYs of the strategic towns of the country: Kélo, Bongor, Moundou, Doba and Bébedja in the oil-rich zone. In each town visited by the mission, it succeeded in establishing a small executive body of ten members in order to intensify the sensitization. Comprising of an animator and 4 WCYs, the mission was financed through contributions by members.

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Special African Child's Day

 

- Côte d'Ivoire

The national coordination of the AWCYs of Côte d'Ivoire in collaboration with the National Bureau of Children's Parliament of Côte d'Ivoire celebrated the day at Korhogo from 15 to 17 June 2007. On the 16, both organizations were able to mobilize more than 700 children who held a march-past in the streets of Korhogo, from the City Hall to the Woniengon Cultural Centre where local authorities and their development partners were waiting. Speeches, messages, sketches, songs, games and a football tournament were organized throughout the day. On 17 June, the WCYs and the Members of Parliament offered some soap to the mothers at the Maternity Section of the Regional Teaching Hospital.

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- Guinea Bissau

The AWCY organized a drawing competition to choose those who are talented and can play the role of young journalists within the AWCY, and among whom the best will publish the activities of the association. The day was marked by cultural activities, dances, reading of poems, etc.

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- Senegal

- Ziguinchor

The AWCY, in collaboration with the supporting structure, organized a sensitization caravan on child trafficking in commemoration of the day. This was followed by a panel presided over by the Prefect in the premises of Enda.

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- Saint- Louis

The AWCY and its supporting structure, Claire-Enfance organized a cleaning campaign in the"Southern Sector" of the town and another on the disinfecting of the daaras (coranic schools) of Saint-Louis. They were supported by members of the Hygiene Service.

The AWCY also participated in the sensitization march-past organized by CANGOC through the streets of St-Louis to sensitize people on child trafficking.

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- Dakar

During that week, AWCY/Dakar organized a series of activities: on 13 June, it visited the Guindi Centre and discussed with children who have been victims of trafficking. On 15, it organized a departmental forum on the fight against the worst forms of child labor at CDEPS of Guédiawaye in partnership with the association, EDEN and Save the Children. Finally on 16 June, it led a general public sensitization campaign in Guédiawaye on the mechanism of prevention on child trafficking and the worst forms of child labor with a part devoted to the confirmation of the role of elders of WCYs.

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- Zimbabwe

AWCY Mvurwi in East Mashonaland, in collaboration with the Junior Councils of Muzarabani, Mvurwi, Chitungwiza and Morondera organized and provided premises for the 2007 commemorations under the theme "respect children's rights and stop child abuse". It was a forum where children expressed their wish to see the world rid of violence. About 420 children participated in it. A multi-sectorial forum for dialogue was opened for the participation of children and their involvement in different sectors with the Children's Parliament of Zimbabwe.

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