Juba Hai Amarat, Opposite Logali House | info@gredoea.org | +211 916 757 754
Child Protection
Every Child Deserves Protection and Care
Preventing abuse, reuniting families, and empowering children with hope
Children in South Sudan are more exposed to violence and exploitation, family separation, child marriage, GBV manifestations, as well as to recruitment and use by armed groups. The compounding humanitarian crises have a heavy impact on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children and their caregivers, which significantly impair the capacities of families to care for children and protect them from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, in a country with limited availability of Child Protection services. This has further increased the number of children, youth and adolescents living in the streets and committing crimes, abusing drugs and joining gang groups.
Social norms perpetuate and reinforce multiple forms of violence against women and girls and prevent help-seeking. The communities are not fully aware of human and child rights and women and child friendly procedures. This has significantly compromised the protection of children in South Sudan.
GREDO advocates for ending recruitment of children, releasing of children from armed groups and providing released children with a comprehensive reintegration programs that support their wellbeing and stability after transition. Together with partners, GREDO works to reunite separated children with their families, offering structured case management, family tracing and reunification, mental health and psychosocial support services, explosive ordinance risk education to communities and referral for more services.
GREDO offers 5 levels ofchild protection interventions;
1. Child Level Intervention - Child Protection Case Management including FTR
The GREDO provides this service in emergency settings to address an individual child’s (and their family’s) protection needs in an appropriate, systematic and timely manner, through direct support by trained and supervised caseworkers and/or referrals to other services like health and livelihood. The CP Program offers CP case management services, including FTR to unaccompanied and separated children, and other at-risk children eligible for case management in line with the national and global relevant standards including the South Sudan National Case Management SOP. Through the years, GREDO has offered children at risk in comprehensive case management service including children unaccompanied and separated, CAAFAG, children who have experienced and/or at risk of sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and child labor since 2014.
2. Family Level Intervention
GREDO works to create protective environments in the home and community by adopting family and community-based approaches to identify and reduce risks to children’s safety and promote opportunities for children’s development. GREDO provides parenting interventions that aim toreduce violence against children within the home by providing parents and caregivers with support to understand child development, stress management and using positive, non-violent discipline forms.
3. School Level Intervention
GREDO supports school safety programs that aim to reduce violence in and around schools by reducing school-related safety factors, introducing and supporting positive behavior management practices in schools, ECD toolkits and programs and MHPSS programs and EORE sessions for learners and teachers. GREDO educates teachers and PTA/SMC members about child safety, psychosocial support in schools, and psychosocial first aid (PFA). Additionally, assist with Child protection help desk and support for school clubs, as well as connecting students with CP service providers when protection concerns are identified.
4. Community Level Intervention:Community Based Child Protection
Supports the building of local capacities and solutions with community actors who are motivated to support, activate and expand the capacities of community members to prevent and respond to violence against children in their community. GREDO CP Program support the Community Based Child Protection Committees (CBCPC) to facilitate community sensitization and implement early identification and referral for children at risk of or experiencing harm. Members of the committees are trusted individuals selected by the community to serve as focal persons on matters concerning children’s safety and linkages to available services.
5. Group Activities for Child Wellbeing
GREDO works to create protective environments for children, where they can interact with other children, engage in activities that are both physically and emotionally stimulating. Through our Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) program, GREDO seeks to strengthen families and communities to help prevent child protection violations and respond to them when they occur.