WHAT WE DO - Children Change Colombia

WHAT WE DO

We work to ensure that every child can claim their right to a safe and happy childhood and a fulfilling future

Children Change Colombia aims to work with the excluded children in Colombia, the children whose voices don’t get heard.

These might be children who have been forced from their homes by the armed conflict, who are unable to gain access to an education, who have been discriminated against because they have lived in care, or because they are a girl or because of their ethnicity.

These children might be victims of sexual violence; they might have left abusive homes only to end up alone on the streets; or they might have experienced the trauma of being recruited into an illegal armed group.

We work on key neglected issues facing children and young people

These are issues that pose a serious threat to children’s rights and wellbeing, but on which not enough work is being done to counter the harm they caused.

Recruitment into armed groups

Sexual and Gender-Based violence<br>

Exclusion from education

Where We Work

Through partnerships with local organizations, we help children and adults develop the skills and knowledge to build protective communities that are resilient to the risks that confront them.

We select partners around Colombia who truly understand the needs of the children they work with, who have the experience to find effective solutions to the risks children face, and who are open to learning from the rest of our partners.

Cross-Cutting Issues

There are 3 cross-cutting topics that are involved in our current projects and that could evolve to become a higher priority.

1. Awareness raising among young people about the environment

The current climate change situation urges all of our projects to be aware of the natural environment and making choices that benefit the earth, rather than hurt it. Some of the ways to practice environmental awareness include: conserving energy and water, recycling and activism. CCC is already working on environmental issues in its projects with Acadesan in Chocó and Mision Gaia in Magdalena.

2. Supporting children and communities affected by the armed conflict

Colombia has been affected by armed conflict and the children we work with live in sprawling urban slums or in remote rural communities, where violence and insecurity pervade their neighbourhoods. to make communities safer places for children to grow up. We work with local partners to develop programs that keep children off the streets and away from violence and the threat of recruitment.

3. Promoting the development of new skills in rural areas to improve job opportunities and access to higher education

Children in rural Colombia are far more likely to drop out of school early than students in urban settings. CCC works with local partners to help at-risk children know and demand their rights, including their right to accessible, high-quality education. The projects involve the use of innovative educational technologies, vocational training and work on environmental issues.

How we choose where to work

As the political and humanitarian situation in Colombia evolves, so do the threats facing children. We continuously carry out research to identify neglected issues threatening children’s rights. We use our findings to guide the direction of our work in Colombia – the issues we work on, the regions we work in, and the partner organisations we work with. The highest priorities identified in 2020 for our 5 year Strategy will be reviewed at the beginning of 2023 to be sure we are tackling the most neglected issues in Colombia.