Safeguarding and Participation of Children

CHADET’s engagement in undertaking research is aimed at using the outcomes of research for improving its own work and services to children, young people and marginalised communities as well as to contribute towards providing evidence for improving policy and practice.


Research

In this regard, it had previous experience working closely with local and international higher learning institutions. CHADET also happens to be a founding member of Child Research Policy and Practice Forum (CRPF), which is currently hosted by the Federal Ministry of Women, Children and Youth.


Networking

CHADET believes that networking and collaboration with other CSOs and institutions that work to reduce the challenges faced by children and young people would bring about better outcomes and lasting impact. Consequently, CHADET has acquired a wealth of experience in leading and participating in networks that are intended to carry out activities and services in a coordinated manner. Accordingly, it has led a network that was set-up for the implementation of a multi-sectoral project for the Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation of Sexually Abused and exploited Children in Addis Ketema Sub-City of Addis Ababa. Members of the network include national, Regional and International CSOs and relevant government institutions including Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE), African Net Work for the Prevention of and Protection Against Maltreatment and Neglect (ANPPCAN), Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation, Integration of Female Street Children (OPRIFS), Integrated Family Service Organization (IFSO), Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE), Goal Ethiopia and The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF).

Along with three international NGOs It also participated in becoming a member of a network that was formed for the provision of integrated services for children on the move in the Northern Ethiopian corridor (along the highway from Debre-Birhan to Kobo). CHADET has recently participated in another network for the implementation of a project that is designed to stem irregular migration and rehabilitate returnees in Northern and Central Ethiopia. This project was funded by the EU through the Embassy of Italy in Addis Ababa. The organisations that participated in the project include People In Need (PIN), Concern Worldwide and Volontariato Internazionale Per Lo Sviluppo (VIS)

 


Public education

Using its own mobile unit and music/drama teams, CHADET conducts different programs that convey useful messages regarding child safeguarding, education, migration and other challenges that children might face. The shows also attempt to challenge harmful social norms and practices around children’s rights, gender, disability and safeguarding of children and adults at risk.


Emergency response

It is to be recalled that the war that broke out in the Northern Ethiopia in November 2021 was escalated and expanded to the Amhara region and affected the Slaight project targeted communities in the Oromo Zone of the Amhara regional state. Schools and other public institutions in the three districts of the project area (Kemissie, Dewa Chefa, and Artuma Fursi Woredas) were severely affected. To mitigate its impact on the teaching and learning process, various scholastic materials were purchased and distributed to all 30 Slaight project target schools. These schools received different types of materials based on the level of damage that happened to the schools and their immediate needs.

CHADET’s work on education focuses on promoting Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and the provision of support for children at primary and secondary level of education with a focus on girls’ education.

 ECCE

Even though significant success has been achieved by the government of Ethiopia in all areas of education, especially in the enrolment of children at primary level of education, highly vulnerable children still have difficulties to access Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). In the urban centers where there are privately owned ECCEs, most families from the lower income bracket are not able to afford the high amount of fees required for enrollment. Hence many children are staying at home or attend informal literacy and numeracy sessions operated by individuals in their neighborhoods who are willing to assist such children.

Under its ECCE program, CHADET has been able to set-up and furnishing of ECCE centers where thousands of vulnerable children who have limited or no access to ECCE, especially for children from low-income households, are enrolled. It trains facilitators and provided scholastic materials for vulnerable children. Over 2,000 children have accessed the services and were able to transit to primary, secondary and college level of education over the past few years.


Girls’ Education

The support that is being provided by CHADET to primary and secondary level students has an objective of retaining children in school and to help them thrive to successfully transit to the next level of education. This program particularly focuses on girl’s education and attempted to achieving three outcomes: improved learning outcome, transition, and sustainability. It also has five pillars of intervention namely the creation of safe and conducive environment for learning, meeting transition costs, improving teacher quality, challenging harmful social norms. Key issues that were identified to be challenges to girls’ education include the low value attached to girls’ education by families and communities, inability of parents to meet additional education-related costs (books, food and uniforms) and unfriendly, unsafe, un-stimulating and poorly-resourced school environments where boys dominate.

The girls’ education project, that was funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), formerly known as Department for International Development (DFID), provided support for girls’ enrolment and regular attendance in school through providing scholastic material, academic support; the development of inclusive and gender-responsive learning environments, encouraging changes among parents and communities (men and boys in particular) to develop supportive knowledge and behaviours towards girls’ education; the development of stable livelihoods for families experiencing extreme poverty and engaging local governments and stakeholders in promotion of education for marginalised girls. This was complemented by regular monitoring, evaluation and learning drawn from the project through undertaking research. The key achievements and impact of the project could be viewed in the project-end evaluation and impact report. https://www.childfund.org/

About CHADET

CHADET is a charitable organisation registered in Ethiopia (Reg. no. 0234) that works for the protection and welfare of children found under difficult circumstances.

 

CHADET’s Motto

 

Striving to build Children’s future!

 

25 years of service for vulnerable children and young people!