August 31, 2018
The Foundation For Tomorrow believes in the power of education. Therefore, we aim to create child friendly school environments that automatically enhance educational performance. International laws against torture, abuse, and neglect are all applicable to children, including the principles that govern detention conditions, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Having this in mind, TFFT decided to create a specific program for children after recognizing that schools did not have sufficient information on abuse and other violent acts committed against children which contributes to their health, behavioral and academic performance in school. While various NGOs and government systems used an interpretation of Article 1 of the Convention against Torture, this does not take into account the specific situation of each child.
Even though the Committee on the Rights of the Child enjoyed broad jurisdiction on the situation of children, it could not address individual cases. Further, although the special mechanisms (e.g., Child right committees, social workers and working groups) could be alerted of all types of cases, very few were communicated by children’s themselves. Because of this, TFFT decided to conduct trainings in 3 private schools. Two among the school has primary and secondary section while one is only primary. Total of 43 teachers attended the training from the three schools.
During the trainings, we help the schools to come up with child protection policy for those that do not have one. In these three private schools we are also putting “happy and sad boxes” in for the students in order to give them a safe and easy way to communicate what they are going through in life. Before placement of the boxes in schools, students also went through the training of child rights and protection and orientation on the use of the happy and sad boxes. Total number of students attended the training is 208 from two schools. We are yet to conduct training from one school.
The main objectives of the Happy and Sad Boxes program are:
- Understand the meaning of child abuse, types and its effects
- Explore sources of abuse and positive practices happening in their areas
- Understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children
- Understand the processes and procedures for intervention of child abuse
- Provide awareness on child protection to the students in their respective schools and areas of jurisdiction.
- Establish happy and sad boxes approach in schools
- Schools to have child protection policy
- To promote and defend children’s rights by reinforcing the protection of children who are victims of torture or threatened by torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
When students are aware of their rights and responsibilities, they will be able to recognize whether these rights are protected or violated. Our hope is that they will report incidences of rights violations that occur against them or their peers at school, home, and in their communities through the SAD box placed strategically in their school with their involvement. They will also share good child protection and parenting practices that they experience through the HAPPY box in school.
The most crucial years of child development are spent at school. Child rights violations and abuse, and indeed good parenting and child protection practices are experienced by children at school, at home and in the communities. Children are best placed to share and report such practices when they are aware of their rights and responsibilities. The surfacing of these practices to gate-keepers facilitates action, influences practices, creates accountability for child protection, and guarantees child protection and safety. The best place to embed this system is at the school, led by children themselves.