Since we started working with Dalit communities in Bihar State, India one of the main requests from the children was for IT classes. For several years, our partners have been running a Computer Centre, open to all children who attend our 31 Learning Centres in Bihar State and offering courses in basic computer skills.
The Computer Centre has proved to be a vital resource for Dalit children throughout lockdown, and we're pleased to say it has just reopened, offering classes to children again. In India, as schools reopen, we’re delighted to share progress from our programme to support older Dalit children to continue their education and build up vital skills to help them break the cycle of discrimination they face.
![]() Our school in Zahle, Lebanon was able to reopen on the 31st May 2021 and all 300 students returned to classes. It was a welcome relief after months of lockdown and home lessons where the children were constantly asking when they could go back to school.
Could you support our Back to School campaign and give a Monthly Donation to help us get more children back into the classroom in the wake of the pandemic? The second wave of Covid-19 infections in India that began to take off in April 2021 had a devastating effect on the people of Bihar State, where we work. A strict lockdown was enforced in May 2021 and extended throughout June. Children on the Edge provided emergency supplies to nearly 3,000 families to support them through lockdown.
Children on the Edge work with slum communities in the suburbs of Jinja, Uganda, where children are at risk of abuse, trafficking, neglect and in extreme cases, child sacrifice. Since 2012 we have been working to make communities safer and eradicate the practice of child sacrifice, along with campaigning for a change in the law in Uganda to protect children from this awful crime.
Our work has been so transformative that we are now working to expand into new communities in Uganda to tackle child rights abuses and ensure vulnerable children are better protected and able to thrive. We have already started work with one new community, Mafubira, and want to replicate this successful model in three further communities (Busia, Karamoja and Namataala). Find out more and how you can help below. On Friday 9th July, the Edward Cooke Family Law team set off from their office in Chilgrove, near Chichester, walking 42 miles across the South Downs Way, finishing at their office in Hove. The team of nine walked for 22 hours over the weekend reaching their Hove office on Sunday evening.
After five years of civil society campaigning (seven-years for Annie), Children on the Edge is delighted to announce that The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Act 2021 was officially signed into law on the 14th July 2021. The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2020 was passed by Ugandan Parliament on the 4th May 2021. Before it could officially become Law, it needed to be prepared for 'assent' by the President of Uganda.
We are pleased to say that The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Act was assented on the 14th July 2021 and communities now have the backing of the law to protect their children. Read more about how a Bill becomes law in Uganda. The new law aims to curb rampant cases of human sacrifice in Uganda by addressing gaps in the existing legislation that do not adequately handle the appalling practice of child sacrifice and ritual murder as a specific crime. Children on the Edge, together with Annie Ikpa (media professional and the instigator of the concept of this Bill), Children on the Edge Africa and World Vision Uganda have been at the forefront of campaigning for a change in the law, leading up to this crucial decision. Ending Child Sacrifice: Watch the Inside Story of the Five Year Fight to Change the Law in Uganda11/7/2021
On Monday 7th June we held a special virtual event, telling the inside story of our five-year fight (seven years for Annie) to change the law in Uganda and put an end to the horrific practice of child sacrifice. All members of our panel have dedicated themselves to the fight for change and we heard from them about the many highs and lows, what inspired the campaign, and how it all started with a group of local community volunteers working to protect their own children.
Our Panel included:
We’ve put together a video of our highlights from the evening for you to watch... We are often stunned when we hear about the incredible achievements of some of our youngest supporters. Children who take on epic challenges to support children in challenging situations, so that they can learn, play, grow and be given the same opportunities in life, like access to education, that our young supporters have.
![]() Children on the Edge works in coalition with local communities in some of the toughest places in the world, transforming the lives of marginalised children by creating protective environments where they can safely live, play, learn and grow.
It will come as no surprise that our focus in 2020-2021 has been responding to the coronavirus pandemic and it’s devastating effects in every area where we work. |
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