Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) may be infected or affected by HIV/AIDS or live in social or economic conditions which expose them to other risks. They may experience sexual or physical abuse, engage in various forms of exploitative labour and/or be highly mobile. The conditions endured by these children are usually exacerbated by deeply entrenched poverty and poor access to healthcare. Working with OVC requires extreme sensitivity and over the years I have developed a number of participatory techniques to enable them to articulate their stories and to pro-actively empower themselves.
Children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS
- July 2010 - John Snow Inc: National Program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Côte d'Ivoire. Provided technical assistance to this PEPFAR-supported program which provides legal services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Legal service provision enabled OVC to access birth certificates and identity cards, solve inheritance disputes and to initiate legal prosecution for cases of sexual and physical abuse.
- June 2005 - Plan International, UNICEF (WCRAO): Led regional training in Dakar, Senegal on research methods appropriate for investigating issues relating to Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Participants comprised Francophone African researchers and programme managers.
Young migrants
- October 2009 - West African regional offices of Plan, UNICEF, Save the Children, Sweden and others: Policy paper for West Africa Mobility Platform. This included an exploration off the dissonance between international conventions/national laws pertaining to the rights of the child and social norms regarding migrant children's experiences. The review also comprised the analysis of qualitative data collected in Benin, Guinea and Niger and the development of a research proposal focusing on HIV and migration.
- September 2008 - Save the Children (USA) in collaboration with UNICEF and the Malian Government: A qualitative study of the international migration of young Malians. The study explored the definitions, causes and context of child trafficking and their implications for interventions and policies. The research found that interventions to mitigate trafficking had actually often made it more unsafe for young migrants. The findings led to a complete revision of regional policy on trafficking.
School-based violence
- September 2008 - Plan (WARO), Action Aid and Save the Children,Sweden (Regional office, West Africa): Document review and development of conceptual model in relation to violence (including sexual violence, corporal punishment and psychological violence) in schools in West and Central Africa. The document explored the reinforcement of 'norms' relating to violence in formal and informal media and suggested communication strategies to counter violence both within and outside of school. The work served as the basis for an advocacy tool subsequently developed by UNICEF.
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