Building a Safe & Loving Environment for Children
Time flies. We are already in the middle of 2020, the most extraordinary year in our life times! I hope you are all keeping well and healthy during this time.
There has been considerable amount of discussion on Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s comments that there are still some 600 million people in China, or around 40% of the population, living on an average monthly income of RMB1,000 (USD141). Some commentators estimate around 75% of the 600 million live in rural areas, and approximately 71% is concentrated in central/western China. Low-income families support more elderly relatives and children as compared to higher-income families. Research shows that nearly 40% of the 600 million are either older than 60 years or younger than 16. While other commentators have different takes on the interpretation of the statistics , there is a broad consensus that China remains a developing country despite the progress it has made in recent years. There remains substantial development differences in between eastern coastal provinces and central/western hinterland, as well as significant disparity between urban and rural areas.
Economic poverty/disparity is often visible, but vulnerability factors are usually hidden. After recent progress made in the areas of education and health, the public is increasingly aware of the need to provide a safe community for our children. Issues like domestic violence, cyberbullying are appearing in news headlines more frequently. A system which promotes the identification of violence, defines the reporting and handling mechanism, and supports the development of professional services to protect the survivors is important.
World Vision uses a systematic approach to address the root causes of violence against girls and boys. We empower key actors to work together to create a protective environment that cares for and supports all children, especially the most vulnerable. In China, World Vision’s child protection programming aims to connect the most vulnerable children in communities with social service assistance provided by the local government. World Vision China engages key stakeholders to improve protection practices and systems at various levels. Our bottom-up approach empowers the community to protect its own children, equips families to provide a protective environment and advocates for better policy implementation.
In order to support the development of comprehensive child protection system in China, World Vision collaborates with local government, local civil society organisations and academia to:
- Sensitise community members, caregivers and children to identify the signs of violence against children
- Support the development of training resources and capacity building of CSOs, teachers, social workers in child protection services
- Facilitate the discussion between government departments and community stakeholders for locally contextualised reporting, referral and responding mechanisms on incidents related to violence against children
- Build resiliency of children and youth to protect themselves
- Promote caring and positive education skills among community members, especially for parents and caregivers
World Vision believes that a world without violence against children is possible.
In World Vision China’a Major Gift Catalogue, you will find details of our Child Protection projects, which would help you understand our child protection work in greater granularity. The Catalogue also contains information about other projects such as education, water, sanitation & health, as well as our work with children with disability. Make an inquiry if you would like a copy of the catalogue!
I would like to invite you to join us in our work to build a safe and loving environment for children. During these unprecedented times, the need to look out for the well-being of children is greater than ever, but with your support, I believe we can continue to bring hope and create lasting changes for the children in China.
Sharing hope for children!
