Learning from Children in Difficult Circumstances

Published in Spanish , French and English

Introduction

Why a special fund for children in difficult circumstances

In 1990, Canada co-chaired the World Summit for Children.
Seventy-one Heads of State gathered at the United Nations in
New York to discuss the plight of children worldwide. The
Declaration for the Survival, Protection and Development of
Children, signed by those present, outlined specific goals and
priorities for children. One of the priorities was the ratification of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,
adopted by the General Assembly on November 20, 1989. For the
first time in an international treaty, children were recognized as
persons with inherent rights, capable of participating in decisions
that affect them.

The Convention was ratified by a record number of States in
record time. The world seemed poised to address the facts that:
nearly 30,000 children die each day from preventable diseases,
that there are almost 20 million refugee children, that children all
over the world continue to be sexually exploited and sent to work
in harsh conditions at a very young age.
Following the World Summit for Children, and pressured by the
non-governmental community to provide concrete follow up to the
Summit, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
created the $2 million NGO (non-governmental organization) Fund
for Children in Difficult Circumstances (FCIDC).

THE CANADIAN COALITION FOR THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

From its beginnings in late 1989, the Canadian Coalition for the
Rights of Children (CCRC), was involved with the developments
cited above. The Coalition comprises almost 50 national and
international NGOs committed to the promotion of the U.N.
Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 1990, the Chairperson
and founder of the Coalition, Mrs. Landon Pearson, was part of
the official Canadian delegation to the Summit. She was
accompanied by 17 year-old Sahira Piracha from Ottawa, the only
young person at the conference actually selected by her peers to
represent them.

The Coalition was consulted by CIDA during the development of
the Fund for Children In Difficult Circumstances. Given the
innovative programme criteria which emphasized international
and national partner-ships, the Coalition, (whose members
include national and international NGOs), was in a unique
position to act as an advisory committee for project selection to
CIDA.

WHO ARE "CHILDREN IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES?"

According to UNICEF, 15% of the world's children live in especially
difficult circumstances 50 million children live on the streets at risk
of sexual exploitation and drug abuse; 100 million are abused or
neglected in their homes or institutions; 100 million work in
hazardous or exploitative conditions; there are 20 million refugee
or displaced children, including those physically or psychologically
traumatized by armed conflict or natural disaster.'

For the purposes of this fund, children in difficult circumstances
included street children, child labourers, neglected or abused
children, sexually exploited children, children exploited by drug
dealers, refugee children and victims of war.

REINAIDO'S STORY

I have been an the streets since I was 10. We were seven
children and my father died when I was four. My mother wasn't
Interested in me. I lived with my grandmother in Golania. I liked
her but I was too much of a responsib;lity for her. She would
send me to my mother who would send me to my aunts. They
would beat me and would run away to my grandmother's. And so
it went on."

WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR: PROGRAMME CRITERIA

The overall objective of the programme was "... to promote a
safe, healthy and stimulating living environment for children in
difficult circumstances." The intent of the Fund was 'to support
creative and experimental local approaches to alleviating the
conditions of children in difficult circumstances in developing
countries." Three components were cited as being of particular
importance: agency linkages, promotion of children's rights, and
information dissemination.

To be eligible for funding, projects had to have a triangular
partnership that included a Canadian international development
NGO (registered with CIDA) with experience in programming for
children in difficult circumstances, a local organizatton tn a CIDA-
eligible country, and a Canadian domestic NGOINGI working with
children in difficult circumstances in Canada in the same sector as
the project. The tripartite partnership had to be a central feature
of the project. The upper funding limit was $200,000.

Priority was given to partnerships that:

· activated community involvement and included children in the
different phases of the project;

· incorporated a strategy to expand the impact of the project;

· would lead to long-term strengthening of local organizations to
carry out their objectives; and,

· comprised new approaches or replicated innovative activities.

HOW THE PROJECTS WERE SELECTED: PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Initially, the Coalition acted as an advisory committee to the
FCIDC and recommended projects for funding to CIDA. Members
of the committee included: Canadian Association of Social
Workers, Christian Children's Fund of Canada, Defence for
Children International-Canada francophone, Boys and Girls Clubs
of Canada, Save the Children Canada, Street Kids International,
UNICEF Canada and the chairperson of the Coalition.
Committee members met approximately every three months and
carefully reviewed every proposal presented according to the
programme criteria. Each project was selected unanimously.
During committee deliberations, the committee attempted to
support projects that emphasized, as described by David C.
Korten: careful data collection and analysis, pilot activities, careful
monitoring and analysis of pilot experience, gradual programme
expansion, institutional capacity building and political support.

Ultimately, the Coalition became the secretariat of the Fund and
was responsible for its day-to-day management, excluding
financial management, which remained the sole responsibility of
CIDA.
Owner: Liza Goulet