The event took place on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, during the 61st Session of the Commission for Social Development CSocD61.

The event was dedicated to the memory of Prof. Michael Cichon. Michael was a committed member and tireless advisor of the GCSPF, he has been an inspiring example to so many people around the world.

Moderator: Eppu Mikkonen, Finnish Development NGOs Fingo

Session 1: Welcome and overview of the topic

• Ms. Hanna Sarkkinen, Minister of Social Affairs and Health of Finland - The road to the Social Summit 2025, the urgency of a “renewed” social contract to ensure full implementation of the right to social protection. Download the speech.

• Dr. Veronika Wodsak, ILO/USP2030 - Priority Theme - decent work, SPF; evidence of SP impact. Download the presentation.

• Priscilla Gavi, Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) – Charting progress on the right of all Citizens of Africa to Social Protection. Download the presentation.

Session 2: Action for Change: collaboration between civil society and the United Nations

• Laura Alfers, Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) - Ensuring the informal sector have the right to social protection. Download the presentation.

• Dr. Abiola Tilley-Gyado, Board Chair, Society for Family and Social Protection in Nigeria, board member of Nigeria Network of NGOs/GCAP Nigeria; Experience and call for action of those who are Left Behind. Download the presentation.

• Paul Divakar, GCAP Global Co-Chair

• Nicola Wiebe, Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors; Financing gaps and role of the Global Fund. Download the presentation.

The side event was organized by the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), and co-organized by Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), Gray Panthers, African Platform for Social Protection (APSP), Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd.

The Concept Note is here and the invitation is here.

Read the position paper of the GCSPF at the CSocD61.

The Priority Theme of the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD61) is ‘Creating full and productive employment and decent work for all as a way of overcoming inequalities to accelerate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.’ The CSocD was held from 6 to 15 February 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Africa Platform for Social Protection in collaboration with Save the Children, conducted a study on social protection interventions targeting children in East Africa during Covid-19, with the goal of generating evidence for child-sensitive social protection programmes in East Africa during Covid-19. The research provided an understanding of the nature of the Covid-19 emergency interventions and the challenges in implementing them.

NAIROBI, Kenya: In 2015, Save the Children International (SCI) and the Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) came together to build a common understanding of what Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) is and why it is needed.

The two organizations have now developed this guide to support the development, implementation and monitoring of Child Sensitive Social Protection policies, strategies and programmes.

The guide gives an understanding of child-sensitive social protection as  “Public policies, programmes and systems that address the specific patterns of children’s poverty and vulnerability, are rights based in approach and recognise the long term developmental benefits of investing in children” (Save the Children, International, 2020).

It reflects on the key steps to be considered in addressing specific needs of children and ensure that children are at the centre of social protection interventions in Africa.

Article 26 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) provides that every child has a right to benefit from social security, including social insurance, and that States shall take necessary measures to achieve the full realization of this right in accordance with national laws.

Further, Article 27 recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living that is adequate for a child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.

The UNCRC also, in Article 32, protects children from economic exploitation and hazardous work. It calls for State parties to put measures in place, including: (a) Provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admission to employment; (b) Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and conditions of employment; (c) Provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the effective enforcement of this article.

At the regional level, Article 5 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child provides that every child has an inherent right to life, and that this right shall be protected by law. It further calls on state parties to the Charter to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, the survival, protection and development of the child.

Recognized in the Sustainable Development Goals as a precursor to ending extreme poverty (Goal 1), the International Labour Organisation in its World Social Protection report infers that social protection plays a critical role in improving household incomes, decent work promotion and in achieving the sustainable development goals.

Increasingly, there is an emerging recognition that beyond income poverty, a much larger proportion of children are faced by multidimensional poverty, i.e. affected by more than one type of deprivation relating to education, health, shelter, water and sanitation, hence the need to enhance positive outcomes for children in social protection.

A majority of the 663 million multi-dimensionally poor children live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and this is notably split equally between the two regions.

The recent Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) index, alluded to 63.5 percent of children in Sub-Saharan Africa being multi-dimensionally poor—the highest incidence among all developing regions.

The OPHI report specifically profiles countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Niger and South Sudan 90 percent or more of children under age 10 are multi-dimensionally poor.

This guide targets policy makers and implementers of social protection programmes, both in government as well as non-state actors who are initiating or strengthening their engagement with Child Sensitive Social Protection Initiatives.

The sole aim is to promote investment in improving the wellbeing of children. Everyone has a right to social security which remains the governments’ responsibility to fulfil.

This responsibility is especially critical to the most vulnerable members of the society including children.

Civil societies and NGOs have a role to complement government efforts through initiating policy development, and supporting policy implementation.

While jointly contributing to the Guide’s Preface, Ian Vale, Regional Director, Save the Children International and Dr. Tavengwa Nhongo Executive Director, Africa Platform for Social protection, said: “This document provides guidance on considerations in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of social protection interventions and programmes.

The guide aims at promoting social protection programmes to reach the most marginalised and vulnerable children.

This document does not purport to prescribe a one size fits all model for Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP), but offers tested rights based approaches and successful interventions for developing and implementing social protection programmes which are intended to yield positive outcomes for children.

Social protection and child poverty interventions in Africa region differ from one country to another. This document sets the tone for both introspective reflection and evaluation of social protection policies and programmes.

This guide abstains from providing a prescriptive model to child sensitive social protection, but rather provides a menu of options that are relevant to governments, development partners and civil society to begin to engage with CSSP and to advocate for CSSP in a rights based and child sensitive manner.

The processes outlined in this guide are designed to generate knowledge, awareness and recommendations on child sensitive social protection programs and are based on the common understanding of what child sensitive social protection is as described in this document.”

ABOUT THE AFRICA PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION (APSP)

The Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) (https://africapsp.org/) is a pan African network of organizations operating at grassroots, national and regional levels, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening the social contract between states and citizens.

To achieve this, the APSP promotes active engagement of National Platforms in the shaping of Social Protection policies, programs, and practices in Africa. APSP has established 27 platforms to engage at the national level.

We are a Pan Africa NGO that works with governments, private sector, development agencies, research institutions and grassroots communities in Africa by designing, testing and delivering appropriate poverty alleviation models to the poor and underserved communities through social protection programs.

We create partnerships with civil society & other organizations to engage with Government & International Development Agencies (IDAs) to develop & Implement innovative social protection strategies & programmes that make a difference in poor and vulnerable households in Africa.

We exist to strengthen civil society engagements with state and non-state actors for effective service delivery in Social Protection.

For more information, please visit: https://africapsp.org/

—

MEDIA OUTLET SYNOPSIS

Smart Africa Media (https://smartcompany.africa/) is a pan-African online media convergence platform, incorporating a Daily Newspaper, Digital TV, and soon to introduce Podcast to amplify pro-development and success stories across Africa and the Diaspora, to inspire investment and growth.

The multimedia outlet is cultivating smart partnerships, correspondences and audiences across Africa and the Diaspora, with a strong emphasis to deliver business and economic stories that are positive, constructive, and empowering.

In the process, we have secured Media Partnerships for the African Energy Chamber’s premier event African Energy Week 2021 (https://aew2021.com/) in Cape Town, South Africa and with the Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) (https://africapsp.org/), to amplify Child Sensitive Social Protection Programmes (CSSP) in East and Southern Africa regions.

We also Collaborate with the APO Group (https://apo-opa.com/), to distribute Africa’s related positive news content.

Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan designed emergency interventions to cover children at the height of Covid-19 infections, a study has revealed. The Africa Platform for Social Protection, in collaboration with Save the Children, conducted a study on social protection interventions targeting children in East Africa during Covid-19, with the goal of generating evidence for child-sensitive social protection programmes in the region, during the pandemic. The research provided an understanding of the nature of the Covid-19 emergency interventions and the challenges in implementing them. It found that governments in the region, with the support of their development partners, offered alternatives to in-person learning during the school closures. According to Unicef, South Sudan offered 32,000 solar-powered radios to vulnerable households. The radios helped to reach at least 160,000 children with lessons broadcast by the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation and Radio Miraya. In addition to radio, Kenya and Uganda responded by providing instruction to out-of-school children in remote areas through printed learning packages distributed through newspapers, postal service, teachers, and school leaders. According to the World Bank, Uganda distributed about four million learning packages to students within the first two months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers were also trained in identifying and protecting vulnerable children, supporting their re-enrolment and monitoring their re-integration in schools. According to the study, Covid-19 lockdowns led to loss of parents’ incomes. The global impact of the pandemic also reduced remittances from abroad. In response, states in the EAC set up measures like expansion of the existing social protection schemes to accommodate newly vulnerable groups in addition to other range of measures. The interventions included conditional and unconditional cash transfers and in-kind social assistance.  South Sudan, for instance, launched a three-year $40 million safety nets project funded by the World Bank in April 2020. The project, initially designed to cover 6,500 households in the capital, was increased to benefit 10,000 households. Before Covid-19, Kenya had an existing cash transfer programme dubbed Inua Jamii, which was giving Ksh2,000 ($19) to one million people monthly. At the onset of the pandemic in April 2020, the Kenyan government expanded the programme with an additional $100 million to benefit older persons, orphans and other vulnerable members of society during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding three million new beneficiaries. The study further noted that food provision was crucial as it addressed the disruption of supply chains resulting from the lockdowns. Food distribution targeted urban households, which were disproportionately affected by the lockdowns and curfew measures. For example, Uganda distributed food to 1.5 million vulnerable persons in urban areas. Rwanda combined food and other essential basic necessities for young girls with items like sanitary pads, targeting casual labourers whose livelihoods depended on daily wage and self-employment. In South Sudan, the World Food Programme provided one-month in-kind food assistance to 40,000 persons in May 2020. Other forms of in-kind support included utility support like deferral of deadlines for payment of utilities such as water, electricity and internet during the containment period. Waivers on specific payments were also used as a form of in-kind transfer. In Kenya, the government waived levies for sending cash through mobile money electronic transfers below Ksh1,000 ($10) for a period of one year. Uganda halted for 30 days, bank-to-mobile money wallet charges and cash-out fees for smaller transactions. Regarding prevention measures, in Uganda, the government offered masks to everyone aged six years and above. In addition to these, other in-kind social protection items offered during the pandemic included soap and mosquito nets. Similarly, in South Sudan, Unicef and partners distributed 240,000 masks to vulnerable people. In some EAC states like Kenya and Rwanda, cash and in-kind interventions were accompanied with information on the prevention of Covid-19, infant feeding, child marriages, and violence in schools and communities. The study noted that lockdowns disrupted school meals. This could contribute to higher malnutrition levels in the future. Moreover, several countries, among them Rwanda and Kenya, provided pre-Covid-19 interventions such as deworming and vaccinations in schools. As such, the continued closure of schools would increase the likelihood of recurrence of these health conditions or outbreaks of preventable diseases. To address this danger, some countries offered supplementary nutritional assistance like food vouchers. In Kenya, the government set up a Covid-19 multi-stakeholder task force to coordinate identification and delivery of social protection interventions like cash transfer, for the most vulnerable households in the urban informal settlements. Despite these efforts, recent reports by Unicef and World Health Organisatin (WHO) indicate that Covid-19 is going to exacerbate malnutrition and food insecurity among low-income households with children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and adolescents. The emerging harsh environmental conditions in East Africa due to climate change and Covid-19 containment measures like lockdowns and work from home, disproportionately affect the informal sector, which supports a large segment of the population at the base of the pyramid, compounding further challenges, especially in Kenya and South Sudan. According to the study, WASH interventions had been a significant feature of SP interventions, even prior to the standard operating procedures (SOP) demands of Covid-19 (e.g., frequent hand washing). Regarding hygiene, both information and actual supplies were provided. For example, hygiene kits were distributed in South Sudan. In addition, hand-washing interventions, including in some instances the actual provision of soap, were implemented widely in some East Africa countries. In preparation for the re-opening of schools in South Sudan, school management committees undertook intensive back-to-school campaigns. These committees also provided menstrual hygiene support by providing re-usable sanitary pads to adolescent girls. The study established that at least 23.7 percent of children in East and Southern Africa reported experiencing violence at home during the pandemic. Schools acted as safe spaces for children and their closure meant limited access to trusted adult figures who could detect early signs of abuse and get help for the affected children. The study recognises efforts by the states and child agencies in East Africa that strengthened the existing child help distress call mechanisms like the additional roll-out of 24/7 helpline for child protection and gender-based violence referral system. The loss of livelihoods and incomes during the pandemic forced children into child labour. To address this problem in Uganda, the government and UN agencies developed plans to prevent and end child labour. The study found that even with the expansion of the population requiring social protection interventions, spending on social protection was much lower than what countries spent on fiscal stimulus packages. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the case study countries allocated additional spending on the health sector and non-health sector, and accelerated spending in the form of equity injections, loans, asset purchase, or debt assumptions. Kenya, increased its spending on stimulus packages to at least 1.5 percent of gross domestic product. The country’s funds were from austerity measures implemented at both national and county government levels. Uganda offered substantial support in the form of equity injections, loans, asset purchases, or debt assumptions. Tax relief measures were also used extensively to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Kenya, for example, offered 100 percent tax relief for low-income earners. Countries organised additional resources in response to the economic and health crisis. However, the study indicated that earlier crises showed that stimulus packages are often followed by austerity measures or budget cuts. If countries in the region implement austerity measures, they will claw back gains made in relation to educational, nutritional, health, and protection needs of children. The study indicated that countries in the region faced fiscal challenges regarding their ability to initiate or expand existing social protection interventions. As such, a significant proportion of interventions was financed by donors, with countries providing off-budget support for their expanded social protection programmes. The considerable reliance on development partners does not guarantee the sustainability of social protection programmes. The study noted that the emergency interventions targeted households and not individuals directly. Previous research shows that schemes targeting households are more likely to benefit men, especially in the rural settings because of gender power imbalance at the household level. On the other hand, the emergency relief targeting urban areas was appropriate because these locations bore the brunt of the lockdown and curfew measures. The absence of conditionalities in the emergency interventions was an improvement from previous social protection schemes. However, this was limited in geographical coverage due to resources. The study indicated that alternative methods of teaching have created inequalities in access to education. Most school-going children in the region have no access to the internet at home to enable distance learning. Estimates by Unicef show that only 12 percent of school-age children aged between three and 17 have access to the internet. Worse still, children in urban areas are three times more likely to have internet than rural children. Beyond disparities due to location, the study noted substantial gaps in access to the internet owing to social class. At least 40 percent of children from the top quintile in the region have internet access, compared with only two percent for the bottom quintile. The study recommends adequate financing for social protection and emphasises the need for expansion or establishment of social registries and databases for future responses. In addition, the study notes that several countries could not start delivering interventions due to inadequate capacity and logistical challenges. There were commendable efforts to use technology to reach population groups that were left out by previous social protection schemes. As such, the study recommends that mobile money and digital enrolment platforms be used beyond the Covid-19-emergency response period. According to the study, there is a need to significantly expand the population covered by social protection interventions because of the exceptionally low coverage rates. Further, there should be increased targeting of informal sector workers and the working poor in urban areas. The study calls for continuous support for the most vulnerable children and adolescents to access education. This support should include children who fell pregnant during Covid-19 school closures. Read the full study report   *Sponsored by the Africa Platform for Social Protection in collaboration with Save the Children.   Published by Nation.Africa:  https://nation.africa/kenya/brand-book/apsp-study-on-social-protection-in-east-africa-during-covid-19-3624616?view=htmlamp    

In a candid interview with Smart Africa Media Managing Editor Elvis Mboya, Mrs Cyrilla Heyi-Kinanga, Programme Manager Child Rights Governance at Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) takes us inside the organization’s plan to amplify Child Sensitive Social Protection Programmes (CSSP) in Africa.

Briefly, introduce APSP organization to our audience, its Vision and Mission.

Cyrilla: The Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) is a Pan African network of organizations operating at grass roots, national and regional levels, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening the social contract between state and citizens.

APSP exists to strengthen civil society engagement with the articulation, formulation and implementation of social protection policies and programmes.

To achieve this, the APSP promotes active engagement of National Platforms in the shaping of Social Protection policies, programs, and practices in Africa. APSP has established, and engages with platforms across 27 countries.

Our Vision is to havean African continent free from poverty and vulnerability.

Our Mission Statement is to create partnerships with non-state actors to engage with governments in developing and implementing social protection policies, strategies and programmes that reduce poverty and vulnerability in Africa

APSP’s current campaign to amplify Child Sensitive Social Protection in East and Southern Africa is timely. What are key issues to be addressed and your realistic expectations?

Cyrilla:  Yes indeed it’s timely. Key issues being addressed include creating awareness of Child Sensitive Social Protection for programme implementers and policy makers to understand what child sensitive social protection is.

We expect policy makers and programme implementers to adopt and use the guide to developing child sensitive social protection programmes in Africa.

Further, we expect programme implementers and policy makers to identify gaps in existing social protection policies and mainstream child sensitive social protection in policies and programs in East and Southern Africa.

The awareness campaign, jointly with Smart Africa Media will use a prescribed guide. Briefly, walk us through this document.

Cyrilla: APSP in collaboration with Save the Children Regional Programme Unit, East and Southern Africa developed a guide to developing child sensitive social protection programmes in Africa.

The guide provides guidance on considerations in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of social protection interventions and programmes. The guide aims at promoting social protection programmes to reach the most marginalized.

The guide defines key terms such as Child sensitive social protection, social protection and cash plus. It also highlights the international and regional instruments that advocate for the right of every child to social protection.

The instruments include: the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child (ACRWC) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

It describes the key steps of developing child sensitive social protection programmes in Africa which include conduct a child poverty and vulnerability analysis, identification of gaps in existing social protection policies and programmes, how to assess policies and programmes to ensure that they are child sensitive and identifying the intervention opportunities and entry points for CSSP including cash plus interventions.

The guide also delves into enhancing the participation of children as rights holders. It addresses child targeted programming, budgeting for children, child participation in programming, establishment of child sensitive social accountability mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation framework which looks at indicators relating to child wellbeing and finally opportunities for Advocacy for child sensitive social protection.

What’s APSP’s relationship with Save the Children International and what’s its role in implementing the CSSP project?

Cyrilla:  Save the Children and APSP are partners and our purpose is to mainstream child sensitive social protection in East and Southern Africa with a broader goal to promote the wellbeing of children in Africa.

What are the challenges in advocating for Child Sensitive Social Protection during COVID-19 pandemic?

Cyrilla: The year 2020 and 2021 presented novel challenges and experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the entire world.

Government policies that limit movement hindered program activities to some extent. Social distancing, because of COVID-19 restrictions, was declared and enforced in many African countries where APSP works.

This affected delivery of our planned programme activities, which included capacity building workshops on CSSP, national consultative and consensus meetings and review of documents on CSSP.

Curfews/lock downs restricted movement from one place to another to undertake program activities.

This limited our interactions with relevant partners on planned activities. Meetings/ gatherings were suspended therefore planned meetings were not held physically but virtually.

In mitigation, APSP adopted the use of ICT technologies to ensure business continuity. Staff were supported to work from home, access required support of resources to facilitate their work and ensure that deliverables were achieved the shift to online platforms enabled APSP reach platform members and partners to participate in program activities.

Briefly highlight some of the key success stories that APSP has scored over the years in its dire need to address Child Sensitive Social Protection issues.

Cyrilla:  APSP has generated evidence for the need of CSSP in East and Southern Africa. The generation of evidence or data plays a key role in advocacy.

Some of the evidences generated include a study on Child poverty and deprivation in East and Southern Africa: An Analysis of Selected Countries which was disseminated in several countries.

Child sensitive social protection: addressing child poverty in sub- Saharan Africa.

A guide to developing child sensitive social protection programmes in Africa.

A study on social protection interventions targeting children in East and Southern Africa: Cases from selected countries.

Technical briefs on education, health and nutrition, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, livelihoods and government budgets and expenditure from the report on Social Protection Interventions Targeting Children in East and Southern Africa.

A newspaper feature titled East Africa Countries extend Social Protection coverage to children against the impact of COVID-19 was published by the Nation Media Group’s The East African newspaper on 15^th November 2021.

This feature will popularize evidence and good practices generated from the report on Social protection interventions targeting children in East and Southern Africa: Cases from selected countries.

At the Africa Union (AU) level, APSP was at the forefront advocating for Inclusion of child sensitive social protection provisions in the draft Africa Union’s protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Right of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Security.

At the East Africa Community (EAC) level, APSP supported the EAC to develop and review a new strategy on Gender, Youth, Children, and Persons with Disabilities, Social Protection and Community Development.

In 2020, APSP contributed on CSSP in the EAC COVID-19 Response and Adaptation Plan for Children and Young People. These are some of the achievements among many others.

What have been your key learnings in your work advocating for Child Sensitive Social Protection?

Cyrilla: The key learnings include data plays a key role in advocacy work, advocacy influences governments and decision makers, for Child Sensitive Social protection to be mainstreamed, effective articulation of legal, policy and program gaps at national, regional levels is critical.

For the state to maintain Children issues and interests, tracking of delivery of policies and programmes is important.

Capacity building of members of parliament, the grassroots groups and the children themselves build a critical body of voices for change.

 

ABOUT THE AFRICA PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION (APSP)

The Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) (https://africapsp.org/) is a pan African network of organizations operating at grassroots, national and regional levels, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening the social contract between states and citizens.

To achieve this, the APSP promotes active engagement of National Platforms in the shaping of Social Protection policies, programs, and practices in Africa. APSP has established 27 platforms to engage at the national level.

We are a Pan Africa NGO that works with governments, private sector, development agencies, research institutions and grassroots communities in Africa by designing, testing and delivering appropriate poverty alleviation models to the poor and underserved communities through social protection programs.

We create partnerships with civil society & other organizations to engage with Government & International Development Agencies (IDAs) to develop & Implement innovative social protection strategies & programmes that make a difference in poor and vulnerable households in Africa.

We exist to strengthen civil society engagements with state and non-state actors for effective service delivery in Social Protection.

For more information, please visit: https://africapsp.org/

—

MEDIA OUTLET SYNOPSIS

Smart Africa Media (https://smartcompany.africa/) is a pan-African online media convergence platform, incorporating a Daily Newspaper, Digital TV, and soon to introduce Podcast to amplify pro-development and success stories across Africa and the Diaspora, to inspire investment and growth.

The multimedia outlet is cultivating smart partnerships, correspondences and audiences across Africa and the Diaspora, with a strong emphasis to deliver business and economic stories that are positive, constructive, and empowering.

In the process, we have secured Media Partnerships for the African Energy Chamber’s premier event African Energy Week 2021 (https://aew2021.com/) in Cape Town, South Africa and with the Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) (https://africapsp.org/), to amplify Child Sensitive Social Protection Programmes (CSSP) in East and Southern Africa regions.

We also Collaborate with the APO Group (https://apo-opa.com/), to distribute Africa’s related positive news content.

Africa Platform Social Protection (APSP) and Save the Children International (SCI) are jointly implementing a project to mainstream Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) in East and Southern Africa with the broader goal to promote the wellbeing of children in Africa

APSP will make use of the Smart Africa Media platforms to engage stakeholders, publish and amplify the contents from a guide to developing child sensitive social protection programmes in Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya: The Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) (https://africapsp.org/) has partnered with the Smart Africa Media (https://smartcompany.africa/) to amplify children’s social protection rights in East and Southern Africa regions.

APSP, a Non-Governmental Organization operating at grassroots, national and regional levels, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening the social contract between states and citizens, has employed the services of  the pan-African online media platform to reach out and sensitize their target stakeholders and audience to promote children’s social protection rights.

According to the Programme Manager Child Rights Governance, the APSP and Save the Children International (SCI) have developed a child sensitive social protection guide which provides guidance on considerations in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of social protection interventions and programmes.

APSP and Save the Children International (SCI) are jointly implementing the project with the broader goal to promote the wellbeing of children in Africa and will make use of the Smart Africa Media platforms to engage stakeholders, publish and amplify the outcome and contents from the Guide.[C.H1]

“APSP is pleased to collaborate with Smart Africa Media to promote the adoption and use of a guide to developing child sensitive social protection programmes in Africa, APSP Programme Manager Cyrilla Heyi said.

“The guide targets to inform policy makers including national assemblies and regional parliamentary forums and Programme implementers including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in East and Southern Africa.”

APSP is cognizant to the fact that there is an emerging recognition that beyond income poverty, a much larger proportion of children are faced by multidimensional poverty affected by more than one type of deprivation relating to education, health, shelter, water and sanitation, hence the need to enhance positive outcomes for children in social protection, through CSSP, the very issues that APSP will address through Smart Africa Media platforms.

“This partnership is very unique in the sense that it’s an opportunity that puts us squarely at a pole position to amplify and sensitize child sensitive issues to both policy and decision makers at the continental level, Smart Africa Media Founder and Managing Editor Elvis Mboya said.

“We don’t take it for granted that we have been duly identified and recognized as a valued partner in this very important campaign to provide the much needed platform poised to play a crucial role of engaging stakeholders and disseminating relevant information to help shape the future of Africa’s children.”

LEAD IMAGE: [L-R] Smart Africa Media Founder and Managing Editor Elvis Mboya joined APSP Staff led by Cyrilla Heyi – Programme Manager Child Rights Governance, Martin Mbuvi – Deputy Director and Elizabeth Odera – Administration Officer for a signing ceremony at APSP Secretariat in Upper Hill, Nairobi. Image: Contributed.

 

ABOUT AFRICAPSP

The Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP) (https://africapsp.org/) is a pan African network of organizations operating at grassroots, national and regional levels, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening the social contract between states and citizens.

To achieve this, the APSP promotes active engagement of National Platforms in the shaping of Social Protection policies, programs, and practices in Africa. APSP has established 27 platforms to engage at the national level.

We are a Pan Africa NGO that works with governments, private sector, development agencies, research institutions and grassroots communities in Africa by designing, testing and delivering appropriate poverty alleviation models to the poor and underserved communities through social protection programs.

We create partnerships with civil society & other organizations to engage with Government & International Development Agencies (IDAs) to develop & Implement innovative social protection strategies & programmes that make a difference in poor and vulnerable households in Africa.

We exist to strengthen civil society engagements with state and non-state actors for effective service delivery in Social Protection.

For more information, please visit: https://africapsp.org/

—

MEDIA OUTLET SYNOPSIS

Smart Africa Media (https://smartcompany.africa/) is a pan-African online media convergence platform, incorporating a Daily Newspaper, Digital TV, and soon to introduce Podcast to amplify pro-development and success stories across Africa and the Diaspora, to inspire investment and growth.

The multimedia outlet is cultivating smart partnerships, correspondences and audiences across Africa and the Diaspora, with a strong emphasis to deliver business and economic stories that are positive, constructive, and empowering.

In the process, we have secured Media Partnerships for the African Energy Chamber’s premier event African Energy Week 2021 (https://aew2021.com/) in Cape Town, South Africa and with the Africa Platform for Social Protection (https://africapsp.org/), to amplify children’s social protection rights in East and Southern Africa regions.

We also Collaborate with the APO Group (https://apo-opa.com/), to distribute Africa’s related positive news content.

APSP is currently working on mainstreaming Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) within the East African Community and the Africa Union. The project seeks to promote the rights and well-being of marginalized children in Africa through evidence-based research and advocacy for Child Sensitive Social Protection. The project is implemented under the backdrop of Africa being home to a disproportionate share of children who face poverty and multiple deprivations. Since social protection is highly regarded as a development measure to address poverty, there are heavy financial investments by African governments to address poverty. However, heavy investments do not necessarily address childhood deprivation.  The project’s main strategy is to generate evidence to inform the need to develop, invest and engage in initiatives which will ensure that CSOs and governments participate in CSSP operationalization, to embed CSSP ideas in policy and practice.

1. The most significant change is the entrenchment of child protection and child rights governance-related articles in the Draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Right of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Security. The draft protocol is an effort by the Africa Union Commission to strengthen the provision of social security and social protection to all the peoples of Africa. The draft protocol provides an accountability mechanism for member states once it is signed and adopted. It sets out the fundamental principles and obligations for the Member States as they create an environment, systems and structures for the successful development and implementation of social protection programs. APSP advocated for various articles in relation to Child Sensitive social protection to be included in the protocol. These articles include  Article 7 on Women and girls ( promote continued education and protection against FGM and early marriage), Article 8 on Family protection ( care of orphans and vulnerable children),  and Article 10 on Children and Young People which has a raft of provisions for children and youth including the promotion of social protection programs that are sensitive to the needs of children.
2. At the EAC level the most significant change was child participation in the development of the child-friendly version of the East Africa Community Child Policy 2016. The participation of children in material development was phenomenal. It provided an opportunity for an enhanced understanding of children’s rights by the children themselves, as well as promoting the public understanding of children’s rights from the perspective of children.
3. The project has built the capacity of Civil Society organizations in Africa to demand advocacy for child-sensitive social protection. There has been a huge gap in knowledge on child poverty and vulnerability, and therefore the evidence generated through this project has supported CSO advocacy for child-sensitive social protection.

Child participation is one of the core principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Article 12 of the convention recognizes that children have a right to be heard. According to UNICEF, Child and youth participation in the informed and voluntary involvement of children including those from marginalized groups, children of different ages, and different abilities; in issues that affect them directly and indirectly.

Children’s participation, therefore, is about children having the opportunity to express a view, influence decision-making, and achieve change. It is the informed and willing involvement of children, including the most marginalized and those of different ages and abilities, in any matter concerning them (Save the Children, 2005). There are a number of reasons why child participation is important. These include:

• Child participation enriches the development of children and youth by contributing to their knowledge and skill development, confidence, and motivation and hence increasing their self-esteem.
• Furthermore, it has a positive impact on community engagement and active citizenship. Children can co-decide on matters that affect them directly.
• Children have a right to be heard and they have the right to access information.
• Involving children helps deliver better decisions and necessary services for children. Children contribute more relevant and better-informed responses, solutions, and outcomes that address the best interests of the child.
• It also raises their awareness of their rights by developing and improving protection and advocacy skills.

Nevertheless, it is not practical to engage each and every child in decision-making. Efforts should be made to ensure each child has equal opportunities to participate or be represented in making decisions that affect them. Selecting children to be involved in child participation needs to consider representations on gender, child’s age including both older and younger children, ethnicity, children with special needs, religious background, social and economic background, school attendance, rural or urban area residence, According to FHI (2009),
Children’s participation must aim to be:

1. Voluntary: children should never be forced to participate; they don’t have to answer any questions or join in any activities if they don’t want to. This should be made clear to them at the beginning of the program. Written consent by the child and his /her guardian ensure this principle is observed.
2. Informed: children and their guardians should know the background, purpose, risk, and possible outcomes of their participation before they can decide whether or not to participate. This can be provided through explanation, texts, tape recordings, visual media, posters, and presentations.
3. Meaningful: participation should have a realistic and constructive purpose that benefits all children including the vulnerable children.
4. Respectful: participating children should feel that their contributions are valid and their concerns are listened to. This also means that information provided by children should only be shared with other people with clear consent from the, on how and with whom it is shared.
5. Safe: the activities, venue, or methodologies used should not put children or adults in danger of physical, psychological, or emotional harm.