State parties … shall take measures:

a) To reduce infant and child mortality care.

    b) To ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and

    health care to all children, with emphasis on the development of

    primary health care.

    c) To ensure the provision of adequate nutrition and safe drinking

    water.

    d) To ensure appropriated health care for expectant and nursing

    mothers.

    e) To develop preventive earth care and family life education. f) To integrate basic health service programs in national

    development plans.

    g) To ensure the meaningful participation of non-governmental

    organizations local communities and the beneficiary population

    in the planning and management of basic service programs for

    children.

    African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

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In this Volume......

    FOCUS, what it is, what it does

    Studies on Child Labor and Abuse

    Child-to-child Discussion

    Child Rights Advocacy

    Child Education Support

    Preventive Health and Sanitation

    Zerihun goes to New York/A Success Story

    FOCUS Brief/Visits

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    Acknowledgements

    FOCUS on Children at Risk wishes to extend its gratitude and appreciation to Save the Children Sweden for financing the publication of this Newsletter.

    Address:

    FOCUS on Children at Risk

    P.O. Box 12610

    Tel. No. 56 51 55

    Account Number (A/C No.) 0171818399800

    E-Mail focus@telecom.net.et

    Addis Ababa

    Ethiopia

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    FOCUS on Children at Risk

    (What it is - What it does)

    FOCUS .......................................... Non political/non religious local NGO Year established ............................. 1994

    Legal status .................................... Operates under agreements with the Ministry of Justice and

    the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission Decision making bodies ................ General Assembly ; Board of Directors ; Secretariat ;

    Executive Director

    Geographical areas of operation ... Addis Ababa

    Woreda 2 (Kebeles 15, 16 and 17)

     Woreda 14 (Kebeles 17, 21 and 22)

     Woreda 8 (Kebeles 01, 03, 05, 11 and 35)

    No. of beneficiaries ...................... 10,000 (direct and indirect)

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FOCUS: Specific Objectives

    ; To protect high-risk children from the danger of street life through the provision of

    educational and training opportunities.

    ; To provide Basic Education to non-school going needy children of both sexes in order to

    enable them to join the government formal school system.

    ; To create a conducive, child-friendly schools environment, by providing community

    schools with modern physical facilities such as school building, and school libraries

    where the target beneficiaries can have better access to child-focused and work-oriented

    education.

    ; To improve the child right awareness of community members: parents, teachers and

    children as well as other members of the community, in order to ensure change of attitude

    on authoritative style of upbringing children and to promote the rights of children in

    compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the child.

    ; To improve the health status of needy households through the construction of dry latrines

    and installation of safe drinking water points for beneficiaries in Woreda 8, Kebeles 01,

    05 and 11.

    ; To provide skills training for unemployed youth of both sexes in the areas of carpentry,

    electricity, masonry, plumbing, hair dressing and manicuring in order to enable the

    trainees to be employed in small-scale enterprises or to create their own jobs and support

    themselves and their families.

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     Studies on Child Labour and Abuse

     had previously conducted 3 well- FOCUS

    "... State Parties shall take all received studies on child labor and abuse in

    appropriate measures to eliminate 3 areas of Addis Ababa, Words 2, 8 and 14.

    The findings of these studies were made harmful social and cultural practices

    public at various workshops undertaken in affecting the welfare, dignity, normal

    growth and development of the child”. 2000 and 2001.

The studies are part of the Organization‟s Article XXI - African Charter on the

    on-going activities on child rights awareness Right and Welfare of the Child

     and constitute an important element in

     current efforts to combat child abuse in

    Ethiopia.

A. Study on Child Rights and Child Abuse

    The first study, entitled “A Study of Child Right Abuse and Neglect within the Family Environment in Addis Ababa” was undertaken in January 1998 in Woredas 2 and 14 deprived

    areas where FOCUS is at present engaged in providing social services to the population, particularly needy children. The study found that in 3 areas, i.e. violations of child rights; sexual abuse and child labor, there was a great deal of room for improvement and strenuous and concerted efforts needed to be undertaken to better the situation of children.

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    A Mother Regularly Manhandling Her Child (Child Abuse)

1. Violation of child Right

    4 major violations of child rights were The vision of FOCUS

    identified in the study. These were:

    characterization (affecting 6 %) prohibition FOCUS would like to see that of food, as a form of punishment (affecting disadvantaged children in Ethiopia 20 %), female circumcision (affecting 29 %) are cared for and protected.

    and verbal and physical assault (affecting

    42 %).

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2. Sexual Abuse

    The study indicated that, as opposed to girl children living within the safe confines of their own homes, girl children living with people other than their natural parents were increasingly at risk of sexual molestation.

3. Child Labour

    It was brought out clearly in the study that the majority of children interviewed believed it was there duty to assist their parents in household chores. 93 % of the children believed that the work they performed was not hazardous. Interestingly, the majority of children who work within the family environment did not consider the work as a breach of their rights, as long as it was distributed fairly and not imposed on them. On the other hand, many parents were unaware of the law forbidding the employment of children under the age of 14, either within the family environment (domestically) or in family owned concerns.

     Major Recommendations

     ; FOCUS to undertake long-term FOCUS: Overall Objective

     activities with community groups, to try To address the needs of target

    communities, particularly children and to alleviate the perceived neglect and

    youth, through sustainable urban social abuse of children in the target areas.

     development programs based on genuine ; Appointment by the community of a

     participation of the target community. „child rights‟ group to undertake

     responsibility for running the programs.

    ; FOCUS to assist (financially and technically) the child rights‟ group in development of

    relevant programs to assist the children within the community.

    ; The child rights‟ group to liaise with child rights committees of some schools in the 2

    Woredas.

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Proposed Action Programs

    ; Education in (information) advocacy activities on child rights, for community groups.

    ; Establishment of a „child abuse center‟, to deal with reported cases of child abuse and offer

    counseling.

    ; Strengthening of credit/micro financing facilities for parents. ; Expansion of school feeding programs

    ; Integration of family planning activities with on-going or proposed activities.

    B. Study on Child Labour in the Informal Sectors

The second study, entitled “A Study of

     Child Labour in the Informal sector” was

    FOCUS Guiding Principles undertaken in 2000 in Woreda 2, the oldest

    a) Legality - FOCUS shall never be engaged in part of Addis Ababa incorporating a poor, activities that contravene the law of the land.

    b) Accountability - FOCUS is accountable for residential area. A significant number of

    all its activities to its target groups, households in this area make their living community, the government and donors. It

    also assumes full responsibility for from prostitution and petty trading. Others undertaking all its activities as per its plan.

    c) Transparency - FOCUS shall at all times work in garages or metal shops. open its door to scrutiny for all its activities.

    d) Participation - FOCUS values the participation of its beneficiaries especially

    children and their parents in its programs. The study found that four-fifths of the

    e) Gender Sensitivity - FOCUS values the full children interviewed indicated that they and equitable involvement of girls and boys;

    women and men in all its programs. were living with their families in extremely f) Non-discrimination - FOCUS believes in the

    equality of its beneficiaries especially poverty-ridden conditions. About two- children and their families-regardless of

    religion, ethnic background, sex, nationality, thirds of the children were between the ages language and political affiliation, etc.

    g) Collaboration - FOCUS believes in of 12-18 years of the time of their first

    cooperation and collaboration with concerned employment, with some as young as 7. The individuals and organizations.

     majority (26 %) were engaged as “errand

    boys” ore “errand girls”, while 23 % were

    engaged in the domestic activities.

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