SIERRA LEONE

CEDEN which was first known as CHILDREN NETWORK OF AFRICA which grew out of an earlier initiative that began with productive work from schools during the 2006-2007 academic year in Freetown - Sierra Leone. It  founder taught it fit that  children in Africa have the right to survive, be able to go to school, have the chance to express their opinions and views in matters pertaining to them, So he decided to set up this Children Advocacy Group into an NGO to  advocate for the eradication of Street kids. This young man is the present Executive Director of this NGO chapter in the Gambia, by the name of    Mr. Darlington Lindon Taylor-Camara.

This initiative was titled THE VOICE OF CHILDREN ADVOCACY PRODUCTION (VOCAP). We learned that the next generation of African children and youths in every African countries in the world are enlisting in drama, radio programs, movies, music etc, to speak out on issues from post war trauma, HIV/AIDS pandemic poverty and many more as a means of sensitization for children and youth of Africa on both sides of the Atlantic and to provide a forum for young children and women to speak in their own voices.

Hence using movies, music, radio/TV programs as a medium to express their views and minds. We sought to   position the children and youths themselves in analyzing issues affecting their live. The initiative is to show a consensus among young people through movies and music.

 Nevertheless, (CEDEN – VOCAP) goes beyond that, as it tries to protect traditions and culture in movies and music through inspiring stories of past and present activities in the lives of Africa children and youths.

CEDEN – VOCAP import narratives about children in Africa, centering on the talents of individual that survive and escape miserable and   hopeless states of senseless violence and miseries. It is committed to sensitize African children and youths in the area of cultures and contributions to the development of collaborative children’s and youths   initiatives. Our aim is to protect the minds of oppressed and marginalized children and youths to be able to participate in the collective effort of nation building across Africa.

Hence the name CEDEN – VOCAP, Also want to bring children affairs into realty by sensitization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Programs

VOCAP / CEDEN focuses on 8 key areas of intervention

1.      Juvenile Justice.

2.      Violence against children and youths (including gender based violence and sexual violence).

3.      Access to education for all children and youths.

4.      Child trafficking and Child labour.

5.      Community-Based Approaches to Health for all children and women.

6.      Building self-Governance / Civil Society.

7.      Unique Child protection programs for children in conflict & Emergency situations.

8.      Early Childhood care & Development.

Overall Goal of Programs
Ensuring that humans enjoy their rights in full and are protected in both law and practice.

Approach
VOCAP/CEDEN uses a human rights based approach with an emphasis on child and youths participation.

1. Juvenile Justice

1. Popularizing the new Child Rights Act 2007 and other acts that are applied to children and in the criminal justice system
2. Monitoring and documenting children’s rights at detention centre’s and advocating for their release and/or human treatment in line with international juvenile justice standards
3. Establishing and training quasi-judicial structures (child panels and child welfare committees) to mediate on minor cases involving children at community level as provided in the Child Rights Act 2007
4. Training law enforcement officials and public social workers on how to effectively adhere to the legal instruments (local and international), principles and guidelines governing juvenile justice
5. Coordinating civil society members and NGOs interested in child protection at national and regional levels for joint advocacy and information sharing
6. Organizing psychosocial and educational programmes for children in detention centre’s, particularly in the Remand Home and Approved School in Freetown and Bo
7. Organizing delinquency prevention programmes in communities
8. Facilitating family re-unification and reintegration of child offenders, particularly those removed from prisons or child detention centre’s
9. Providing legal assistance for children in conflict with the law

2. Access to education for all children and youths

1. Organising public education campaigns on ‘Education for All Children and youths’ in the media and in community meetings
2. Enrolling out of school children and youths particularly those removed from prisons into schools with start up support
3. Training teachers and school management committees on issues relating to child rights, child protection and human rights
4. Providing technical and logistic support to schools to develop school rules and regulations and codes of conduct for teachers and pupils
5. Supporting (technical and logistical) and guiding school children or youths to carry out child to child/ youths to youths campaign on respect for teachers and school rules and regulations in order to maintain peaceful coexistence between teachers and pupils in schools
6. Organising learning and discussion sessions between children and teachers at school level

1. Campaigning for legal reform for the protection of children against violence
2. Providing legal services to victims/survivors of GBV and sexual violence
3. Monitoring and documenting violations and abuses against children
4. Campaigning against corporal punishment and other forms of violence against children in schools and homes
5. Assisting child survivors/victims of violence in accessing rehabilitation services by providing the needed service or through referrals to other service providers
6. Training of law enforcement agencies, primary health care service providers and community leaders on GBV and related policies
7. Designing and distributing child friendly brochures and posters on GBV and reproductive health care, including the prevention of teenage pregnancy
8. Advocating for a policy shift that ensures access to free services for children who are victims/survivors of violence

1. Provide follow up training for law enforcement officials and community leaders on the trafficking in Persons Act (TIP) 2005
2. Advocating for review of the TIP Act to make provision for the:

• Protection of victims
• Regularization of status of victims, access to temporary and permanent resident permit

3. Raising the awareness of the public on the provisions of the Child Rights Act 2007 that regulate child labour and advocating for the implementation of the act
4. Advocating/lobbying for the ratification of necessary ILO conventions by the government of Sierra Leone.
5. Conducting and facilitating community meetings about issues relating to child labour and trafficking