The right of all Children to be heard and taken seriously

Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center (CWIN-Nepal)

Introduction
Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN-Nepal) in its 20th year of operation is a pioneer child rights organisation in Nepal. It was established in 1987 by a group of university students as a movement which brought a fresh approach to social work, defying the convention of charity and heralding a new concept of rights, empowerment and activism. It focuses its activities on the issues of child rights, girls' rights, child labour, trafficking, bonded labour, street children, child abuse and children in armed conflict.

CWIN works for the advocacy, protection and promotion of the rights of the child through lobbying, campaigning and social concientisation. It also directly works with children at risk for their rescue, support, socialization, education, empowerment and social reintegration.

CWIN is a voice for children. It believes that working for children is just not a charitable action but one which can bring about social change. In order to translate the CWIN conception of working "for children, with children" into action, priority is given to promoting and ensuring children's right to participation.

CWIN is registered under HMG/District Administration Office/Kathmandu, No: 517-047-048 and is affiliated with the Social Welfare Council (SWC) No. 409/2048.

Vision
CWIN envisions a New Nepal which is democratic, inclusive, just and prosperous to all and sensitive to the rights of children in a real sense.

Mission
To work as a resourceful national organisation which aims to fulfil its historical responsibility by offering its services to ensure the rights of the child, especially for children at risk.

Objectives

• To mainstream child rights concept into the national development planning and programmes.
• To develop indicators and mechanisms to monitor the implementation of the national law and policy in action.
• To develop national child policy in collaboration with the government and other like-minded organisations.
• To develop policy and mechanism for emergency humanitarian services, reconstruction and reintegration of children at risk including children affected by the armed conflict.
• To strengthen capacity and mechanism of state, CSOs/NGOs and community organisations to ensure the fundamental rights of children, particularly the prevention, protection and social reintegration of children at risk.
  

Strategies

• To strengthen advocacy skill and capacity to review and appraise national and international law and policy on child rights.
• To explore ways and means in order to develop better and improved partnership with the government and state mechanisms to help promote and protect the rights of children.
• To explore possibility and develop new mechanism for alliance building and networking among like-minded organisations from community level to district, regional and national levels in order to address the issues and problems and develop mechanism to monitor the implementation of the CRC and other child rights instruments.
• To strengthen the sustainable CWIN Helplines system to address the issues of children at risk and emergency humanitarian services in out of reach areas.
• To review and restructure organisation and develop new mechanism in order to meet the challenges and strengthen its monitoring and implementation capacity.
• To review and strengthen policy and concept for partnership, alliance building and networking with government, state mechanism, corporate sector and NGOs.
• To explore and develop new avenue of partnership and networking with the community based organisations such as mothers' club, users' groups, community schools, teachers and parents, groups, kishori samuha and child clubs.
  

Approaches

• For Children With Children
• Rights based Approach
• Thinking Globally Acting Locally
• Network and Alliance Building
• Partnership and Collaboration
• Human Resources Development
• Institution Building and Sustainability
• Social Inclusion with children
  

Principal Policy Guidance of CWIN
CWIN works with the principle of "Action Through Advocacy". CWIN undertakes research studies, works as a national resource centre and a children's rights advocacy organization, and maintains a direct support system for children in crisis. Likewise, CWIN promotes community action and child empowerment through their active participation.

Way Forward of CWIN
CWIN is committed to taking forward the child rights movement to a new height with empowering children and their participation along with massive social mobilization. Through its advocacy work it will continue to influence mainstream development programmes in favour of children to foster democracy with children. CWIN has launched a new campaign called 'Build New Nepal With Children' so as to seek top priority to children's issues in the national development scenario and influence political parties, government, policy makers and other concerned stakeholders to show their commitment and act upon their promises to ensure rights of every child in the country. In addition, it will continue its efforts through advocacy, action and campaigns to meet national targets and goals with regards to children. CWIN will also continue to monitor the implementation of UN CRC and Other International Instruments and present recommendations for future action.

CWIN will upgrade its information and research work and make efforts to bring conceptual clarity on different children's issues. Similarly, CWIN will continue to play the role of a facilitating organization in order to strengthen institution building of different concerned bodies and local initiatives on child rights and enhance trained human resources in this field. It will initiate alliance building and strengthen partnerships with social organizations, government institutions, human rights and child rights organizations. Likewise, CWIN will also collaborate with he private sector to make children's issues more grounded.

Moreover, CWIN will continue to fight against child abuse and exploitation and ensure rights of children at risk. CWIN will also continue its efforts in peace building through advocacy on children in armed conflict and the nationwide 'Children as Zones of Peace' campaign. IT will work towards social reintegration and self-reliance of children in conflict. CWIN will make every effort to ensure children's participation at the national policy level and programmes level. It will also develop child friendly approaches to its work gained from working directly with children.

Working Districts

Programmes of Action

Research and Information
CWIN conducts participatory and action research to raise awareness, influence policy and to guide CWIN's programmes. Likewise, it runs a National Resource and Information Centre for information dissemination. In addition, it runs Websites: www.cwin.org.np and a Mailing List on Child Labour for worldwide information dissemination CWIN also runs a knowledge based programme, CWIN Local Action against Alcohol and Drugs to raise concerns on alcohol and drugs as a development issue.

• Research Work
• National Resource Centre (Library, Data Base and Digitize Info.)
• Documentation (Print, Audio, Visual, Photographs etc.)
• Publication (IEC, Reports, Books etc.)
• Computer System Management and Internet Service

Advocacy Through Action
Advocacy through action is CWIN's major approach to its work. CWIN organizes national campaigns on different issues of child rights to bring positive change in policy and to the lives of children at risk through public awareness, social mobilization and community conscientisation. It releases advocacy materials, organizes trainings and community actions for sensitization on child rights.
Process:

• Issues Identification
• Process Development
• Tools Development
• Training Manual Development
• Training Organising
• Networking and Alliance Building
• Law and Policy Review/Assessment
  

Issues:

• Education for All and Quality Education
• Child Friendly School, Village and Municipality
• Mainstreaming Child Rights
• Building a New Nepal with Children
• Promoting Child Participation
• Children as Zones of Peace / Schools as Zones of Peace
• Campaign against Trafficking and CSA/E
• Lets Build New Nepal with Children
  

Child Protection and Helplines
CWIN runs Child Helpline 1098 (in Kathmandu, Hetauda, Nepalgunj, Pokhara and Biratnagar) with a toll-free hotline telephone (1098), ambulance service, counselling, emergency shelter, medical and legal services.
Similarly, it runs a Contact Centre in the Central Bus Terminal, in Kathmandu which provides immediate support for migrant children at risk. In the same manner, it also runs Hamro Sajha Thalo: a Socialisation and Empowerment of street and other children at risk programme, which is successfully facilitated by former street and working children.
Furthermore, CW IN's Balika Programme for Girls at Risk works for the empowerment and social reintegration of girls at risk and advocates the establishment of girls' issues in all related programmes and policies. Likewise, CWIN Bal Kendra: Centre for Migrant Children at Risk works for family reunion and social reintegration of child workers and children in crisis. Similarly, CWIN runs Centre for Self-Reliance to help children above 14 to be self-reliant for their future. CWIN Social Marketing helps to promote products made by young people and to develop the entrepreneurship of young people at risk.

Process for rescue and social reintegration:

• Information Collection
• Rescue
• Medical Check-ups
• Psycho-social Counselling
• Legal Aid
• Emergency Humanitarian Services
• Transit Centres
• Referral
• Family Reunion
• Social Reintegration
• Networking and Alliance Building for follow-ups
  

Child Participation and Youth Empowerment
For Children, With Children is CWIN's main motto. CWIN makes efforts to promote and ensure children's participation in the child rights movement. It facilitates Child Rights Forums by children for the rights of children. It also facilitates CWIN Street Theatre and CWIN Sports Club.

CWIN is working in 22 districts of Nepal through Child Rights Forums formed by the school children. CRFs are active in promoting overall rights of children including children's right to participation in the issues concerning children. The CRFs are also advocating for the issues of education in general and child labour. In eight of the 22 districts, CWIN's conscientisers work with the community initiatives to promote and protect child rights.

• Child Rights Forum
• Kishori Samuha
• Life Skill Training
• Livelihood Skill Training
• Vocational Training
• Adolescent (Kishori) Training
• Micro-Credit and Saving Scheme
• Self-reliance and Social Reintegration

Community Works and Networking
CWIN has wide networking with local, regional and national organisations working in the issues of children, women and human rights. CWIN has been an integral part of some important alliances and networks like Children at Risk Network Group (CAR-NWG), Alliance Against Trafficking in Women and Children in Nepal (AATWIN) and ALLIANCE (Alliance for human Rights and Social Justice).

• Community Awareness and Conscientization
• Training for Community Workers
• Collaboration with Community Schools
• Collaboration and Partnership with VDCS, DDCS and DCWBS and Local Level Organisations and Initiatives
• Other Community Works related to Child Rights

Friends of CWIN :
CWIN has been running a Public Participatory Programme to gather support, solidarity and promote participation among individuals, groups and organisations from within the country and abroad towards CWIN's movement for the rights of the child.

CWIN in International Forums:
• South Asian Regional Forum on the Rights of the Child
• South Asian Coalition Against Child Servitude (SACCS)
• Global March Against Child Labour, South Asia, Regional Secretariat
• Child Workers in Asia (CWA)
• End Child Sexual Exploitation in Tourism (ECPAT)

Foundation of Partnership
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Child rights based approach
• Learning from each other's experiences and exchange of expertise
• Honour to the principles self-respect and self-reliance
• Non-interference, but inter-dependence
• Common agenda
• Solidarity in action
• National Interest and Sovereignty

Gender and Social Inclusion
CWIN runs specific programme called CWIN Programme for Girls at Risk (CWIN Balika) to address the issues of girls at risk since girls are majorly discriminated everywhere and are also more vulnerable to abuse and explotiation. CWIN balika works both for policy advocacy, awareness and direct support for empowerment and social reintegration of girls at risk.

CWIN has a gender and social inclusion policy and a focal person to mainstream these issues into all programmes of action of CWIN.