UNICEF Satellite Project

UNICEF is currently supporting a joint initiative involving the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) and three implementing Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); KIWOHEDE, Dogodogo and MAKINI.

The aim is to develop and test a model of emergency, short-term and long-term care and protection arrangements with a focus on family/ community support solutions, rather than street life or long-term institutionalization. If successful this model will be scaled-up nationwide as part of the DSW and UNICEF supported Child Protection System Strengthening (CPSS) initiative.

This model includes setting up a system of identification, case management, referrals, development and implementation of care plans which involves rehabilitation and care arrangements, and monitoring. The intervention contains several key elements: coordination and collaboration, advocacy, awareness raising, capacity building of service providers, service provision by different actors (including outreach/street-based support, drop in centers and shelter interventions), and monitoring and data collection. This includes emergency and short-term care for those children looking for long- term care solutions; family reunification, kinship care, foster care and supervised independent living arrangements.

This joint initiative started in April 2012, with initial focus on preparing the groundwork and securing the engagement of key government, CSO and community actors. The three NGOs are working very closely together, KIWOHEDE and Dogodogo having the overall responsibility of the interventions and MAKINI being responsible for awareness raising and art training and facilitation with the children.

• CSOs working with children who live and work on the streets, and other vulnerable children in Dar es Salaam, come together as a CSO Network and meet on a bi-monthly basis to ensure coordination and coherence to deliver effective services.
• 50 girls and boys living and working on the streets have already been trained as peer educators and on a daily basis refer children who have been identified as being in need linking them to services.
• 20 community awareness raising sessions have been carried out.
• Four satellites/meeting points have been set up, where children on set dates can meet the service provider partners and take part in non-formal education, recreational activities, life skills, arts training, counseling and emergency assistance
• The satellites are visited by 10 – 29 children on the open days.
• The KIWOHEDE drop in centers are receiving 25 – 30 children daily and Dogodogo 3 – 10 boys on a daily basis.
• The two KIWOHEDE satellites in Kariakoo and Ubungu are visited by 15-20 children and 22-25 respectively and the Dogodogo satellites in Kigamboni and Temeke 6-15 children.
• A total of 20 girls and 10 boys have been reunified with their families. All cases are being monitored and so far the children remain at home and are engaged with their communities.
• Use of methods such as family and community conferencing in the reunification process.

Links to the NGO partners for the Satellite project:

www.dogodogocentre.org

http://www.kiwohede.org