One year ago we made a commitment to children
Today we celebrate
Afghanistan
Albania
Armenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia
Iraq
Jerusalem-West Bank-Gaza
Kosovo
Lebanon
Romania
Syria Response (Jordan, Syria, Turkey)
“As leaders, we are continually challenged to ensure we are listening to children and acting on what we hear, to ensure we relentlessly pursue our vision for every child of life in all its fullness.
In the summer of 2020, World Vision offices in the Middle East and Eastern Europe Region spoke to 762 children from 12 countries, to hear and really understand their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn about their concerns, fears and well as hopes related to life in unprecedented circumstances, where children were gravely affected, yet strive to be resourceful and actors of change.
The results of our listening were transformed into Act Now for Children Report, which we launched with your support on November 20th, 2020. On that day, we promised to take forward the powerful evidence, recommendations and calls for action and change. And yes,
actions do speak louder
than words.
Today, walk with us as we share asks being transformed into actions across the countries where we work. We hear from children who have actively participated in actioning their very own asks as rights holders and social actors. We hear from our partners on what impact they have seen over a year of Acting Now and we share with you our vision on where to next,
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... as we challenge and champion the voices of children through the continuing scourge that is COVID-19 and its impact on children, their families and communities."
Eleanor Monbiot, Regional Leader,
World Vision Middle East and Eastern Europe
How ASKs were transformed in ACTIONs?
ACTIONS
Acting on children’s ask to have their voices heard and direct dialogue with decision makers enabled,
World Vision Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has partnered with the State Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees and a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) partner in winning European Community funding. This has initiated the establishment of the
1st innovative national level e-platform.
For the first time ever in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a formal and structured space for dialogue and joint action between decision makers and children has been provided. All children, including the most vulnerable ones, are recognised as agents of change in BiH.
The Convention on the rights of the child obliges us to ensure that children are active partners in decision making processes affecting their lives, freedom of expression and presentation of their viewpoints. At the time of global digitalization, our innovative action in ensuring children and youth participation in the decision making platforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is considered of the utmost importance and relevance. It brings adaptability and structural changes in ensuring effective access to child’s rights, based on lessons learned in COVID-19. It is our shared obligation to get children’s voices and opinion heard. Through this digital platform, we will ensure that, in practice, different key stakeholders and professionals invited to participate, to have children’s voices heard and requests, and, directly invest their knowledge and expertise in helping children and youth realize their vision of a childhood, as the time of full and quality access to all the rights that belong them, placing special focus on most vulnerable children.
Ms. Saliha Djuderija, Assistant Minister, BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees
ACTIONS
In Northwest Syria World Vision's partner Action for Humanity (AFH) is conducting life skills sessions to support adolescents while women and caregivers are provided with parenting skills to empower them in increasing children's wellbeing. These sessions aim to help displaced Syrian women and children achieve self-reliance and empower them as decision-makers.
4,673 Syrian women have been supported with protection services to increase children's wellbeing in Northwest Syria from 1 January 2019 to 31 October 2021.
ACTIONS
Knowing that COVID-19 has worsened violence against children in the home, school and online environments,
In Lebanon, more systemic changes were targeted for action. Through concerted advocacy efforts to the Ministry of Social Affairs, children’s helplines were prioritised and, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, successful endorsement of child protection policies in schools was secured, meaningfully linking children’s asks for better protection from violence and safer school environments.
ACTIONS
Understanding that children’s right and access to education has been severely affected by COVID-19,
World Vision Romania spearheaded the efforts and contributed to development of the National Strategy for Digital Education, as well as adjustment of the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience. This ensured an allocation of EUR 500 million for improved education infrastructure and electronic devices to allow children to participate at online education for 1 million vulnerable children.
ACTIONS
Alarmed that 60% of children and adolescents experienced increased stress and anxiety,
World Vision Albania responded using sports, art, group activities, and cooperation with the school psycho-social service, through 49 youth initiatives. Based on the proposals from children to address mental health problems among adolescents within school premises, World Vision Albania advocated with education authorities and donors and wins support to set-up 12 Calming Spaces in schools.
In Jerusalem-West Bank-Gaza parents were supported to better understand, engage and spend quality time with their children. Psycho-social support and positive discipline sessions to mothers were provided as well as joint interactive activities between mothers and their children. Mothers and their children spent meaningful and quality time together, additionally they were engaged in different virtual interactive sessions, interactive toys and games were also distributed.
1,500 children received psycho-social support at schools, 6,767 children benefited from the virtual recreational activities and 3,452 children were provided with interactive toys and stories.
ACTIONS
To address the deteriorating economic situation, caused by increasing job cuts,
In Iraq cash for food distributions were provided to over 168,000 people. Cash for food distributions were not interrupted despite bank closures and interruption to mobile money systems nationwide.
In 2020 and 2021, World Vision Iraq reached more than 235,000 IDPs and refugees with cash assistance through our partnership with World Food Programme (WFP). 49% of programme beneficiaries were children.
ACT NOW Evidence
Driving deeper evidence and income
Taking the findings of the Act Now report as the starting point, World Vision Armenia conducted an impact assessment of COVID-19 outbreak on wellbeing of children and families in Armenia, reaching out to 1175 families, out of which 786 are amongst the most vulnerable. Learnings have informed adaptations of World Vision Armenia’s COVID-19 related programming, advocacy and fundraising efforts.
For World Vision Lebanon the continuation of the BHA (US government) COVID response program has been secured on the back of further community research that drove further donor dialogue. As a result, the COVID-19 response project has been expanded to other areas in Lebanon (South, North, Akkar and BML). The agreement has been reached for Phase II of the project at the value of 1 mil USD.
The COVID-19 vaccine allocation for Northwest Syria was rapidly secured in light of the surge of positive cases as a result of fast and evidenced advocacy interventions of World Vision Syria Response. USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance allocated COVID-19 funding in the amount of 6,5 million USD to Syria after continuous bilateral advocacy for emergency health and WASH programmes.
Where to next for Acting Now?
We must continue to:
Take the time to LISTEN to children and ACT on what they say.
Recognise that COVID-19 has deepened the child protection and gender based violence (GBV) challenges that too many families face
PREVENT, REDUCE and RESPOND to all forms of violence against children
Faith leaders and faith-based organisations should ACT and WORK TOGETHER to help improve the lives of children
FUND education programmes to help children build their own futures
INVEST in Cash Based Programming, food assistance and livelihood support to enable families to weather the continued aftershocks of COVID-19 and other external shocks
Look at ways to implement our programmes that STRENGTHEN the bond between children and parents. This strengthens families which are key to children’s feelings of saftey and security.
Acting Now to combat ongoing COVID-19 challenges
The MEER Region’s wider work to help children cope with the ongoing realities and effects of COVID-19 can be seen in our most recent COVID Situation Report.
Our teams have been able to support the lives of over 3 million people with life saving prevention, treatment measures in the areas of water and sanitation, health and child protection sectors primarily.
How has our partner been Acting Now?
Maria Lucia Uribe - Executive Director, Arigatou International
Partnering to Raise Children's Voices on the Global Stage
Strength of voice and agency for children rights is even more powerful when done in partnership and in a coordinated way.
For several years World Vision has and continues to invest significant resources and energy to critical partnerships like that of Joining Forces. World Vision, as a key alliance member of Joining Forces, will support and pilot and scale innovative and effective approaches worldwide and be driven by the voices and needs of children. The alliance is committed to supporting children to raise their voices, to take action as agents of change and to hold Joining Forces to account, ensuring children’s experiences and views shape the solutions for the problems they face.
World Vision continues to champion and take seriously our mission as part of the End Violence Partnership movement to end all forms of violence against children and ensure children's voices are heard at national and global level.
Joining Forces
