Background

Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CRIDOC) is a non-profit making research and professional organisation, primarily concerned with creating access to information on child rights or related issues through Research, Documentation, ICT and other communication channels.

George Kayange, founder of CRIDOC in India where he worked as an intern.

The Centre was founded as a documentation and ICT project on child rights issues in 2003 by a Malawian media intern, who was at the time working as a voluntary editor for the Child Labour News Service (CLNS), an on-line project run by Global March Against Child Labour in New Delhi, India. Author of children’s book on HIV/AIDS entitled “Gone for A Walk,” and a journalist by profession, the intern was particularly inspired by the heart-rending true stories of child exploitation, abuse and neglect, featured on daily basis on the CLNS website, and sourced from various news agencies around the world, including Malawi.

Shortly before completing his internship programme, the intern began to strategise how he was going to contribute towards the improvement of the worsening child rights situation in Malawi using the information and communication skills, expertise and experience acquired at Global March. The first step towards achieving that vision therefore was to identify the existing gaps as regards information dissemination on child rights issues for advocacy. He recognised that one of such existing gaps – and probably the most critical one – was the unavailability of a reliable hub of information resources on matters related to child rights; and to fill that gap, he developed an innovative project to establish the largest and the most contemporary (with ICT elements) Information and Documentation Centre in Malawi. His long-term vision was to see the Centre expanding into the remotest areas of the country through the establishment of Community Tele-centres Network (CTN).

The intern had also demonstrated further his determination and ambition in ensuring the realisation of the dream by voluntarily attempting to “construct” a virtual (on-line version) Information Centre through the development of the very first website of the would-be CRIDOC project with support from the German Chapter of the Global March Against Child Labour who provided the first server space to host the site, and also the wonderful support of a very close workmate, Bhupendra Singh Kunwar, who also contributed enormously his time, expertise and energy in the development of the first website.

Back home, George has been assisted by a human rights advocate in Malawi, Benedicto Kondowe, who has worked hard to translate what was only a concept into a real organisational structure.

Benedicto has co-founded the organisation by putting in place institutional frameworks such as identification and setting up of a Board of Trustees, facilitating the registration process of the organisation, putting in place financial and administrative policies as well as facilitating the development of the organisation’s constitution, etcetera.

Today, the concept of volunteerism in all CRIDOC’s programmes and activities has been inspired by its founding intern. In the photo above, the intern is embracing one of the many rescued former child labourers at a rehabilitation centre in India.

Today, the Centre puts particular emphasis on the uniqueness of every child and the complexity of grappling with issues concerning children’s welfare in Malawi, especially in the face of the gruelling poverty, HIV/AIDS and orphanage, high illiteracy rates, child labour, juvenile justice, the plight of street children, and many other social ills affecting our children. As such, the Centre therefore takes a lead at providing guidance, motivation and information to children and all those involved in research and child rights issues, in terms of facilitating for the necessary interventions, available resources, education and professional support.

The Centre respects the rights and dignity of children and all those concerned with their education and social welfare, and seeks to promote awareness on child rights issues through media, public relations, seminars, conferences and other traditional and non-traditional modes of communication. It actively participates in advocacy movements at national level.

Legal Registration and Affiliations

CRIDOC, which is governed by the Board of Trustees, was duly registered as a legally operating Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Malawi on 31 July 2006 under the Trustees Incorporation Act of 1962.

The NGO, which is mostly run by young volunteers, is also registered under National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) Act.

Currently operating from the Msandula House (Behind Immigration Department) in Lilongwe, the centre is also a member of the Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi (CONGOMA).

It is affiliated to a number of key human rights networks and forums, both at national and international levels, where it has significantly contributed its expertise. One of such networks at local level is the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), a grouping of more than 60 key human rights organisations in Malawi. Other networks and forums include the Civil Sociaty Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE); the Malawi Network against Child Trafficking (M-NACT); and the Lilongwe District Education Network (LIDEN) - an affiliate of CSCQBE - where it sits on the Executive Committee.

Secretariat

The Centre has a secretariat to carry out its programmes and activities. The secretariat consists of the Executive Director, finance Asiistant, and Programme Manager/Assistant. The centre, however, mostly (and primarily) relies on the volunteers and interns who spend their precious time to contribute towards the implementation of the activities in various ways. The volunteers are involved in carrying out research, documentation of resources at the Centre, fundraising activities, etc.

In return, they gain experience and expertise, which they use when they finally get employment with other already long established organisations.

Board of Trustees

The affairs of the CRIDOC are managed by the Board of the registered trustees – at least at policy level – who exercise all such powers of the CRIDOC regarding the financial, management and general administrative matters and all other matters of fundamental importance.

The Board of Trustees are drawn from various disciplines such as law, education, theology, medicine, communications, and business. These are people of high calibre and standard in society.