I've put this post under my Fantastic Allies category because of my long association with the small and effective organisation that is The Child-to-Child Trust.
The Child-to-Child Trust is the central core of an international network promoting children's participation in health and development. The Trust is based at the University of London's Institute of Education. Founded in 1979 Child-to-Child has spread its influence to many parts of the world, it is now active in over 70 countries and is estimated to impact over 1 million children annually.
Child-to-Child methodologies encourage and enable children and young people to promote the holistic health, well-being and development of themselves, their families and their communities worldwide. The Trust has access to a team of consultants and advisors who can deliver tailored-made training and consultancies. They work in partnership with local and international NGOs to ensure programmes are child-led and participatory.
Current key activities include:
1. The Getting Ready for School Programme. This is a pilot initiative developed in partnership with Unicef. The programme aims to increase on-time enrollment to Class 1 in primary schools and to decrease drop-out, particularly among disadvantaged communities where children have no opportunities to attend pre-schools. Six countries representing different geographical regions have been identified to participate in the pilot. They are Bangladesh, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tajikistan and Yemen.
2. A week long training workshop on Child-Centred approaches to HIV and AIDS is planned for February 2009. The course is to be held in Nairobi, Kenya and will be structured to equip participants with knowledge and skills in HIV programming. It will be of particular interest to programme managers working in health and development, especially with children. You can download the course brochure from their website; www.child-to-child.org
