Consultation with Children: Integrating Their Voices into the "ENOUGH" Campaign in Central African Republic

As we finalise the action plan for the ENOUGH Campaign in Central African Republic, we had the opportunity to gain invaluable insights from the Children's Parliament office at our premises this morning. Their feedback, suggestions and needs ensured that their voices were not only heard, but also taken into account. Prior to the start of the meeting, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of World Vision CAR introduced themselves, shared World Vision's commitments and priorities, and reaffirmed our willingness to support the implementation of the resolutions coming out of this workshop. 

During this remarkable meeting, the children expressed innovative ideas and tangible solutions to address the food crisis and malnutrition in their communities. The commitment and role of children in the "ENOUGH" campaign has proven to be a source of inspiration. Their ideas and recommendations underscore the importance of working together to build a better future for all the children in Central African Republic. Here is an overview of some of the ideas shared by the children during our meeting:

- Arielle*, the parliament's communications officer, and her fellow parliamentarians have been researching hunger and have some good ideas to contribute. She explains that they want to conduct surveys to determine the number of malnourished children in their communities. They also propose setting up more school canteens to monitor children's diets and provide them with healthy meals.

- Abdel*, the vice president of the parliament, adds to Arielle's ideas by suggesting a mass awareness campaign for the community. He explains the importance of educating parents and leaders about good nutritional practices and recommends expanding the school feeding programme. His vision includes children participating in radio and television programmes to share their thoughts and ideas with their peers. 

- Clowe* emphasised the need to raise awareness among parents, community leaders and partners about child malnutrition and balanced diets.

- Merveille* suggested working with mothers at the Mother and Child Centre and emphasised organising activities in remote villages.

These proposals, among others, demonstrate the children's commitment and vision to fight malnutrition and end hunger. Their creative and relevant ideas are essential elements in shaping our approach and strengthening our impact in the country.
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The conclusions of this meeting are in line with the objectives of the "ENOUGH" campaign in the Central African Republic:

- Organise awareness-raising campaigns in districts and communities.
- Carrying out surveys to obtain quantitative and qualitative data.
- To organise meetings with children to gather their opinions and suggestions, and to include their voices in the decisions taken. 

These deliberations have highlighted concrete and achievable ideas to address child hunger and malnutrition in the region. Their active participation will amplify the impact and success of the "ENOUGH" campaign in Central African Republic, reflecting our commitment to a safer and more balanced food future for every child.

We are saying ENOUGH to malnutrition and hunger, and we are committed to implementing the solutions proposed by these hopeful young minds. By building a safer food future together, we seek to address the needs of the children of Central African Republic while paying particular attention to their well-being, protection, and development.

By Alexandre A. M. Gassama, Communication and Advocacy Lead, World Vision CAR