Programs and Activities

Introduction

In readiness for the official registration of the organisation, CRIDOC as a project underwent a strategic planning process in 2004, after engaging itself in a consultative process with key stakeholders, partners and the grassroots, the output of which was the strategic plan document for the years 2005 through 2008.

Due to changes both in the environment and inside the organisation, a need was felt to develop a strategic plan, which was envisaged to provide direction in the implementation of its programmes and activities. It may be pertinent to point out that the strategic planning process was in response to demands from the environment in which CRIDOC is currently working which is characterised by lack of general awareness of children’s rights at the grassroots, leadership and professional levels. Earlier, it was observed that CRIDOC had concentrated its operation mainly through its website whose effectiveness was not satisfactory considering that the majority of the grassroots do not have access to the Internet at present.

Furthermore, child labour, property grabbing, prostitution and discrimination are widespread in Malawi especially in urban areas. The deteriorating standards of education, high dropout rates and poverty are, according to UNICEF, equally alarming in Malawi. Therefore it was resolved that there was need for more systematic documentation, advocacy, networking as well as information dissemination, rather than just the use of the website.

Given the magnitude of illiteracy rates, society cannot wholly function and thrive unless the children are accorded adequate education and information, and their basic rights are promoted and protected.

This report was produced by the Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE) after a research that was carried out in 2004 by a network of civil society organisations, to which CRIDOC was also involved when still operating as a project under AECL.

CRIDOC would therefore also need to work closely together with other NGOs or institutions working in other fields in their chosen impact areas because community mobilisation must be centrally concentrated with the material conditions of the poor and must be geared towards the achievement of realisable benefits in the form of healthcare, improved shelter and assured supplies of food, among others. Only in this way will the issue of human rights address the needs and concerns of the poor, especially the children who are the most vulnerable.

The heightened focus of community mobilisation and awareness stems from recognition that although CRIDOC has been advocating among the policy makers (largely through its website), the lack of voices from the grassroots is seen as a major setback. CRIDOC therefore plans to promote child participation though, among other things, the establishment of child-friendly information centres (called tele-centres), which will start in urban areas and gradually spread to the rural areas.

Considering, however, that the establishment of tele-centre in the remote areas remains a long-term ambitious vision that poses a huge challenge in terms of resource mobilization, CRIDOC is currently planning to embark on a project called “Mobile Library Service.” This is a library outreach programme for people who are unable to use the static libraries in marginal areas in the country. Tested successfully in some of the both developed and developing countries – such as the Staffordshire project in UK currently operating a fleet of 11 mobile libraries to rural and urban communities, and the Camel Library Service in Kenya – the CRIDOC Mobile Library Service will aim to, among other things, fight illiteracy, support formal education, stimulate public interest in books and promote reading for knowledge, information and enjoyment especially on issues directly or indirectly related to children’s and you rights/welfare.

More information about CRIDOC Mobile Library Service Project »

Documentation

This activity does not only include gathering of information on child rights related issues, but rather it also focuses on various means of documenting the resources in a systematic and accessible manner. We manage all available information resources gathered by a team of dedicated researchers (most of whom comprise volunteer college students/interns).

Thus documentation is done through:

1. Publications (Reports, papers).
2. Computer database systems (using programmes like HURIDOCS, etc)
3. On-line (website) databases (using MySQL language)
4. Library cataloguing of books, journals, etc
5. Through multi-media models available.
6. Various other means, as determined from time to time.

Research

Research basically forms the core activity of the whole project. It defines the organisation. Without research documentation would not make more sense. CRIDOC coordinates with various institutions and child focused NGOs in initiating research projects. We also put together all other research findings that have already been carried out in the past by other researchers, institutions, etc and make follow-up research projects wherever necessary.

CRIDOC was voluntarily involved in the research on primary educational standards with the Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), while operating under the Association for Elimination of Child Labour (AECL). The research led to the publication of a report entitled ”Are Public Funds Making a Difference for Pupils and Teachers in Primary Schools?”

Media

Today, very few child rights related headlines appear on the front page of many newspapers due to little appreciation of such issues by the media.

CRIDOC believes that information is power. We believe that a developed society is an informed society. There can never be a meaningful development without a meaningful information exchange system. We therefore believe that the media play a very vital role in as far as facilitating information exchange, among NGOs and other stakeholders, is concerned.

We believe by giving the media the necessary support, such as training them on child rights issues, will motivate them to write more and effectively on the subject. However, training alone is not enough. We need to empower the media by giving them full access to the information (and other resources) on the subject.

It is observed that one of the reasons the media have not been able to cover child rights issues as analytically as possible is because they have not been able to acquire the resources necessary for proficient coverage.

There are plans to reserve the Information Centre for registered journalists, researchers, college, secondary and primary students, and other individuals on Tuesdays, Fridays, and half-day on Saturdays. However, as a way of motivating the media, registration for journalists will be free whereas the rest will have to pay an annual or guest membership fee in order to have access to the Centre. The registration fee is for regulation purposes, as making the information centre free may otherwise prove to be infeasible or chaotic. On the other hand, it may also prove to be one of the many strategies of making the Information centre (project) self-sufficient in future.

NGO Networking

The belief that there can never be a meaningful development without a meaningful information exchange system is also what explains why CRIDOC believes in a well-coordinated network among child focused NGOs and other stakeholders. CRIDOC facilitates workshops/seminars that brings together these organisations and share experiences on issues affecting them.

CRIDOC also encourages these organisations affiliate themselves to CRIDOC through “Institutional Membership” and provides information on how they could get involved in the process of research and documentation on child rights related issues.

Besides feeding local NGOs with information relating to child rights issues at international level on various subjects, CRIDOC will also explore means of linking these “member” organisations (those affiliated to CRIDOC) to other like-minded organisations abroad. So far, CRIDOC has already created a database of hundreds of such organisations at international level, and most of these organisations are also featured in the “On-line Resource on Child Rights” manual.

Child Empowerment

CRIDOC shall endeavour to empower the children like these, being one of the most marginalised groups in Malawi.

CRIDOC is not only about Research and Documentation. These are just defining/core activities. But while implementing these tasks, CRIDOC attempts to create opportunities that focus on the promotion of child participation by inclusion of child voices in mainstream life.

For instance, besides the “Forum” page to be included in future, the CRIDOC official website will also feature the “Malawi Children’s E-parliament” special page. The latter is an attempt to support an on-going initiative by UNICEF, Plan International, Action Aid and Save the Children Fund UK, who have been running a project on the 67-member children’s parliament for the past three years.

CRIDOC will also provide “informal” Internet lessons to school going children who have been registered with CRIDOC through their schools’ “Institutional Membership.” At least three days within a week (preferably on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) will be dedicated for this particular exercise where the children will be given a brief introduction to using the Internet, accessing websites, etc.

Other Activities

Depending on need, funds and other factors, CRIDOC is – and/or may – also be involved in other activities for purposes of fundraising for the organization’s sustainability, for skills development of its staff and volunteers, and/or for the realization of its mission. The activities include, but not limited to:

1. Consultancy on Human Resource Development Programmes for persons directly involved in the dissemination of child rights information in other organizations and institutions.
2. Consultancy on material development for other organizations and institutions working on issues related to child rights.
3. To work on projects that bring in technologies that would be of assistance to the media, researchers and other stakeholders, including the children themselves.
4. Media trainings
5. Promotion of the Online Resource on Child Rights manual by encouraging the registered schools (plus individual pupils) to purchase a copy/copies of the manual for their school libraries, which will serve as a guide to getting the right information on child rights issues from the Internet.
6. Consultancy on website development for partner organizations. CRIDOC has teamed up with its Indian-based partner, The Firstweb Foundation, to provide high quality and resourceful websites to all partner organizations that want to stay abreast with new technologies in Malawi and abroad.
   
   Note that the services mentioned above are provided by highly motivated interns and volunteers who are eager to learn and have their skills enhanced to greater heights. For more information on consultancy services, go to the “Consultancy” menu on the homepage.