More than four million Syrians have now fled war and persecution and become refugees in neighbouring countries, making the Syrian conflict the worst crisis for almost a quarter of a century. These latest figures were released from The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) a few days ago, with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees stating “This is the biggest refugee population from a single conflict in a generation. It is a population that deserves the support of the world but is instead living in dire conditions and sinking deeper into abject poverty.” The biggest increase has been in Turkey but in Lebanon an additional 40,000 have crossed the border from Syria in six months, making the total 1,172,753 registered refugees. The number of unregistered refugees is thought to be much higher. As the influx of displaced Syrians in Lebanon grows, the refugee schools we support are working hard to accommodate the growing needs. To cater for increased numbers a third school was opened in May for an additional 120 students, and staff are expecting another 30 in the next few months, taking the amount of children we are supporting up to 300. The school itself was brilliantly designed by a German architect who volunteered his time, making a more spacious area than that of the other schools, and laying it out in a way that enables the children to have some outside space to play and run around in during breaks. The second tent school space has also been adapted by the renting of a nearby tent to use as an extension. The need in the refugee community here continues to grow, and if we can secure funding then the aim is to create a fourth school as soon as the funds come in. The UN describes how a funding crisis is compounding the problems of both refugees and humanitarian agencies. We appeal for any help you can give with your own donations, by finding out about the work we support here and through sharing news about the project to those who may be interested in supporting it. Thank you. Photo courtesy of UNHCR / I. Prickett Related stories Shifting ground - A snapshot of life on the edge for Syrian refugees in Lebanon Lebanon’s ‘Back to School’ initiative for refugees - can the children we work with be integrated? European Refugee Crisis - Our response Tackling emerging challenges to schooling in Lebanese refugee camps Another fantastic time was had by all last week at our third play scheme, held at the Child Friendly Space we run in Jinja, Uganda.
This year’s team consisted of volunteers from our wonderful corporate partners The Body Shop At Home™ and Montezuma’s Chocolates and we were really pleased to have Sheena Campbell from Observer Series along to write about the project for their readers. The week built on the progress of previous years by continuing to enhance the daily curriculum learning with a boost of creativity. Each morning volunteers would shadow the teaching staff in their lessons and the afternoons were a mixture of crafts and games that took the morning’s learning to another level through play. What really emerged at this year’s scheme was the extent to which community are really owning the Centre for themselves and how this is impacting not just the children who attend but the wider community. Ben Wilkes described how “Each afternoon I’d look around and the place was full of children, it was buzzing with all different ages in different uniforms, some because they’d graduated from our Centre into mainstream school, and some being welcomed in from other schools in the area. It really is a place run by the local people for their own community and the atmosphere was just one of exuberant fun”. Clarita who volunteered from The Body Shop At Home said “To be selected by Children on the Edge to represent The Body Shop and my region is most definitely my number one treasured experience in the whole of my 11 years with The Body Shop At Home™ and I'm so grateful to all. The atmosphere in the Playscheme was how it should be, a happy safe environment and at times it was crazy but we all loved the buzz it created. The staff were amazing, they too learned new ideas to continue with moving forward.” Volunteers were also able to see the transformation of Soweto on a wider scale. Since we started providing micro loans last year, small businesses have started springing up throughout the area, one of which is a women’s pottery co-operative. This was started by four women, who prepared clay from the riverbed, getting a local potter to make it into pots, and then selling them. This group has now grown to 30 women who are all earning a wage from their work. During the week, our team were able to present the group with two of their own potters wheels, so they can shape their own pots, and cut out this cost of production. The money was raised by Chichester Observer readers, and The Body Shop At Home™ Consultants, so it was great to have Sheena and Clarita present the wheels on behalf of these generous donors. They also funded the hiring of a bouncy castle complete with slide, and a collection of T-shirts for the Community Child Protection Committee in the new areas we have started working in. We’re really grateful to all our volunteers, and the companies who sent them. Also thanks to Sheena and the Observer readers and of course the incredible staff at ADSN for a fantastic week for the children. Find out more about the project Help by donating Throughout the year our lovely Ambassadors are busy planning a range of interesting events to raise money for Children on the Edge. Last month their fundraising took the form of a cricket match at Westbourne House. Euan, our Children on the Edge Ambassador, provided us with the inside scoop from the day and told us all about what everyone got up to: “On the 21st May the annual match between Westbourne House took place on a beautiful, sunny evening. The battle commenced under the wonderful and impartial eyes of the Headmaster of Westbourne House and the ex Headmaster of Dorset House. The standard of cricket never quite lived up to the quality of banter and camaraderie of the individuals at this encounter. An unexpurgated version of this brief report is available for additional COTE contribution!" We would like to say a special thank you to Anna, Charlotte, Alex, Simon and Johnny for all their hard work organising and hosting the match. Also not forgetting Euan who regularly helps with Ambassadors events and keeps all the guests updated about our international projects. We are always so impressed by the dedication our Ambassador’s put into their fundraising and their innovative ways to support us. The cricket match was a great event combining an evening of friendly sport with raising awareness about our vital work. All together the match raised the incredible amount of £1500! A huge thank you to everyone who attended and donated. If you have any fundraising ideas we would love to hear from you, please do get in touch! Just simply saying ‘Chichester Half Marathon’ recalls the success of the revived 2012 event which has had such great appeal for so many people in the area over the last few years. The 'Chi Half' is a challenging and beautiful ‘multi-terrain’ half marathon which one runner has described as “an iconic South Coast race, a must for any serious runner”. The 2015 event, which takes place on Sunday 11th October, was launched nearly three months ago and the organisers have been overwhelmed with the response to date. Last year the event hosted nearly 1,000 runners but this year the organisers have been able to increase the entry limit to 1500 runners on account of their experience from previous years and also some minor tweaks in the course cutting out some of the pinch points. At the end of June nearly 500 runners have already entered with more entries at this stage are coming in thick and fast. The event is organised by the Chichester based charity, Children on the Edge, in conjunction with Chichester District Council. Ben Wilkes, Head of Children on the Edge in the UK says “The Chichester Half has been going from strength to strength each year since we revived it in 2012. We’re really excited for this year, some new competitions and prizes, lots of local business support and a real buzz in the community about race day. Not only this, but the money raised makes a huge difference to the vulnerable children we work with. Everyone can get involved, whether it’s running, volunteering or cheering on from the streets, so please do join us on the big day”. Councillor Eileen Lintill, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Wellbeing and Community Services at Chichester District Council, says “The Chichester Half Marathon is a real community event and we are very pleased to be working in partnership with the wonderful charity, Children on the Edge. Runners will enjoy the scenic route, and for those that would love to tackle the challenge, but have never done anything like this before, organisers can provide support and training to help people achieve their goals. I hope as many people as possible from across the district will give it a go” All about the event The 2015 event will be another fantastic opportunity for runners not only to take part in what is becoming a very popular race but also one that takes in the major City Centre sights and landmarks as well as spectacular rural scenery. The terrain is a good mixture of road, paths, cycle tracks and cross country. The race will start at 9.a.m. on October 11th. It is based at Chichester College, where a Race Village will be set up and will take in the City Centre as well as the surrounding Lavant and Goodwood countryside. It starts in Westgate and travels easterly along West and East Street to Eastgate Square, where it follows the City walls round towards Priory Park, before the runners make their way across Oaklands Park, towards the Rugby Club and then out through Summersdale and Fordwater into East Lavant Village. Stunning downland scenery provides the backdrop for the runners to tackle Chalkpit Lane before climbing up to the Trundle from Five ways where runners have stunning views of the Solent. The next 2 miles is a steady downhill descent into West Dean from where it picks up the Lavant Valley, returning to Chichester along the Centurion way, finishing in the rear College car park - a distance of just over 13 miles. The event is suitable for people of all abilities (over the age of 17) from the beginner to the more experienced runner, and this year we hope even more people will take up the challenge. A full training programme is given on the web site but you are advised to start training now. If you want to get involved, but don’t feel able to take part, we are also looking for volunteers. Their role is vital in making the event happen.” The organisers are indeed most fortunate that the notable local sponsors of the first multi-terrain event - Montezuma’s and Store Property are again the main sponsors of the event. Both these organisations have directors who are keen athletes. The Evans Weir Works Trophy The works trophy proved very popular when it was introduced for the first time in 2014 and again will be promoted in 2015. It will be sponsored by Evans Weir, a Chichester firm of Accountants, who will also be providing a VIP tent and photo opportunities for the teams. It is expected that the team from Wiggle Cycles, winners in 2014, will be back to defend the Evans Weir Trophy but early indications are that many more businesses are considering entering this year’s event. Any organisation or business can enter as many people as they wish to compete for the Evans Weir Trophy. It is the first three finishers on race day who will make up the scoring team. Each workplace registering five or more runners is eligible to receive a complimentary training workshop from the organisers and any business signing up more than 10 runners will have the 10th place free. Once the Works Trophy team members are registered all the team manager needs to do is e-mail [email protected] with the team name and a list of competitors who have entered. Helen Pattinson (Co-Founder of Montezumas, one of our main sponsors) said of the Works Trophy - “There’s nothing like the prospect of your work colleagues watching you run a race to motivate you to get out training. We have ten people in the business who are a lot fitter than they were!” King and Queen of the Hill New for 2015 is a King and Queen of the Hill competition which is being sponsored by the local sports running shop, i-run. Runners, male and female will compete with each other to see who is the quickest climber of the Trundle between two points – Seven Ways Car Park and the end of the flint track at the point where the course starts to go round the summit. Chip Timing mats will be placed at the beginning and end of the Hill Section which will be marked with beach flags and bunting. To be eligible runners must enter the half marathon, start the race in Westgate, complete the Hill climb section and also be a recorded as a finisher in the Chichester College car park. Krowmark Club Trophy Another innovation for 2015 is the Krowmark Trophy named after the local firm sponsoring the award. There will be a cup and a cash prize for the fastest club in the race. The winners will comprise a mixed team, decided by adding together the times of the 1st 3 men finishers and 1st 3 women finishers of each club. This award is in addition to the usual prizes given to the winning men’s and women’s teams. Heading the individual entries is likely to be last year’s winner James Baker of the local Chichester club and on his day is rarely beaten in the area. With this increased interest in the ‘Chi half’ it is expected that James will challenge his course record 1.12.24 and the women’s course record of 1.30.44 held by Kari Mack of Tone Zone Runners could also be at risk. James will be joined by at least 300 other club runners including a good representation from Chichester Runners and Tone Zone Runners. The race is not only for club runners and indeed three quarters of the entrants, to date, are unattached with an equal balance of male and female entrants. As a guide to performance all competitors last year were back within about two and a half hours of the start. The entry list also has five representatives of our sponsors. In view of the overwhelming support for the event, prospective runners are advised to get their entries in early to ensure a place. On the grounds of health and safety and in fairness to runners who do enter on time the organisers regret that the race limit cannot be exceeded. You can sign up at www.chichesterhalfmarathon.co.uk . Training advice and guidance on preparation for the event is also available on the half marathon web site as is further information at www.chichester.gov.uk. Coverage prior to the event and the race itself will be contained in future editions of the Chichester Observer. Graham Jessop 1st July 2015. When girls marry as children, the impact on their health is severe. Complications in pregnancy and childbirth are among the leading causes of death in young girls and if they survive, they are at increased risk of injury and other complications.
Child marriage steals childhood from girls and launches them into a cycle of poverty by taking away their chance of an education, which in turn means the parenting of their own daughters can often result in the same choices regarding early marriage. Despite a minimum legal marriage age for women of 18, according to UNICEF, Bangladesh has the second-highest rate of child marriage in the world. The custom is so strongly ingrained that the legislation is widely ignored. Poverty and the perception of girls as a financial burden results in many parents giving away their daughters as young as possible. It is often considered that a bride as young as 12 or 13 will give more years of servitude, be more obedient to their husbands and will not incur a dowry price. For each year they grow older, the dowry price goes up. Eve Teasing The current rate of child marriage in Cox’s Bazar where we work is 67% and in a recent series of interviews we conducted with parents here, it emerged that there is a significant problem with ‘Eve teasing’ and the affordability of mainstream primary school once girls have graduated from our Community schools. ‘Eve teasing’ is a term that describes the treatment of young girls who are unmarried, including sexual advances, harassment, rape and kidnap. One of the mothers described how ‘They are only safe from this if they are married. In our country girls cannot earn, only boys can earn so girls have to marry. Girls just have to produce children”. This is not a situation these parents would choose. Another mother said “We know that girls are too young for pregnancy and childbirth and it hurts them, we would want a different life for them, but we have no choice. We do not want this for our daughters”. Our response Working with local partners MUKTI, Children on the Edge provides Community Schools for 900 working children in Cox’s Bazar. With regard to combatting child marriage in a general sense, the schools are giving girls the chance of an education they would otherwise be unable to access. The team are actively increasing the percentage of girls registered for school, which provides a safe environment and prepares children for transition to primary school. Staff encourage parents on the importance of education for their daughters and give training and support. With regard to specifically addressing the problem of child marriage, the project is doing the following:
Find out more about the Community Schools in Cox’s Bazar Donate to the work in Bangladesh Read the recent report by Human Rights Watch on Child Marriage in Bangladesh Ask your MP to sign the Global Parliamentary Declaration to End Child, Early and Forced Marriage Related stories: The Voice of the Child - Meaningful Participation in Bangladesh #MyLifeAt15 Campaign Girls Summit 2014 - Preventing backward steps in Bangladesh Preventing Child Marriage - A Mother's Perspective This April one of our loyal supporters, Marc Ng, took on the challenge of cycling from London to Paris to raise money for Children on the Edge. Marc not only completed the journey in just four days but exceeded his fundraising target raising over £2500. We caught up with Marc and found out all the details about his journey.
What inspired you to cycle from London to Paris? It was a friend of mine, Ash, who first suggested riding to Paris. His 50th was approaching and he wanted to mark this landmark birthday in a 'special way’. Ash and I had both taken up road cycling not that long ago and he decided that riding from London-to-Paris (L2P) would be a good idea. Not wanting to do it on his own, he asked me if I fancied coming along. I said yes… What training did you do in the run up to the event? I joined Westerham Cycling Club and went to the Sunday club rides which were roughly 30 miles. I tried where possible to augment these with rides during the week to get an idea of what riding 70-75 miles in a day felt like. This was the average daily distance we would cover cycling to Paris. I entered the Ordnance Survey Equalizer Sportive early in February. It was 'only' 60 miles but hard work and a good way to gauge how we were progressing. Also where I live in Kent it is hard to avoid the hills! So every ride felt like a workout even if it wasn’t very long. How did you first hear about COTE and what inspired you to fundraise for us? I have known Ben Wikes (Children on the Edge, Head of UK) for 25 years and heard about the charity’s work through him. I have always wanted to do something to raise money for Children on the Edge. I had thought of running the Chichester Half, but I really am not a runner. I heard about Ben’s ride across the Pyrenees to fundraise for Children on the Edge and that triggered the idea that I could fundraise through cycling, not across a major European mountain range, but the seed had been sown. That seed remained dormant until Ash suggested the L2P ride. How did you fundraise? Primarily through tapping into my network of friends via Facebook. I also produced a flyer and did some 'old school' door-to-door appealing for donations. The primary school attended by my daughter kindly mentioned our challenge in a couple of the weekly school bulletins. I also asked my colleagues if they would make a donation. Do you have a favourite moments from your ride? Reaching the end of the ride under the Eiffel Tower with my wife Louise waiting there together with our daughters Rebecca and Charlotte, as well as my parents was a highlight. Ash's family had seen us off so to have my family there at the end kind of bookmarked the ride nicely. Do you have any other future events planned? I think so, yes. I have already signed up to ride the Prudential London-Surrey 100 in August for another charity. However I hope to get on my bike again for Children on the Edge at some point. I can't say when yet, but there is another ride on the Continent which has pricked my interest, so watch this space.... We would like to say a huge thank you to Marc for his amazing dedication to Children on the Edge. We are so happy to have his support and wish him the best of luck on his next ride! If you would like to fundraise for us please contact serenachana@childrenontheedgeorg. On Sunday 12th April hundreds of runners lined up the starting point of the Brighton Marathon ready to run a gruelling 26 miles. Among those runners were John Miles (pictured above) and Chris Payne (below) who not only took on the challenge of running the marathon but used the event to fundraise for Children on the Edge.
For John this was his second time running the Brighton Marathon for Children on the Edge. John managed to knock off twenty minutes from his running time last year, finishing the race in 3 hours and 33 minutes. The atmosphere on the day and support from the crowd was fantastic and a great motivator for all the runners to reach the finish line. John explains “ there were around 100,000 people cheering everyone on - lots of children holding their hands out for a high-5’s and others with bells, whistles and rattles; several bands of drummers and other musicians added to the atmosphere.” Chris also entered the Brighton Marathon for Children on the Edge after hearing about us through his sister law. “ After researching Children on the Edge , it was frankly, a no brainer to support them. The collective effort to support and rescue neglected children living a desperate existence was extremely touching to learn about.” Chris completed the marathon in just 4 hours and 21 minutes and enjoyed his first Brighton marathon experience. Chris explains “Running along the sea front was probably the highlight for me, second to crossing the finish line because I had to manage the agony of constant cramping for the last 10 miles! It was an honour to represent COTE and I could’t have done it without so many people cheering me on. Collectively John and Chris have raised over £1100 for Children on the Edge. We can’t thank our runners enough for all their support which will enable us to continue helping forgotten children around the world. If you would like to run the Brighton Marathon 2016 for us please email [email protected]. Adventure. Challenge. Inspire. Motivate. Live. This words couldn’t describe one of our brilliant fundraisers any better. Last year Alan Lau set himself the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic solo within 90 days and used his challenge to fundraise for Children on the Edge.
Alan smashed his target and completed his row in only 55 days while also raising £2000 for Children on the Edge. We were able to interview Alan now back on dry land and fully rested. Here’s what he had to say. What inspired you to row across the atlantic? I first came across the idea whilst sitting at work one winter day, and on the news there was a small article about a woman who was about to reach the Caribbean. I said to myself at that moment what a great challenge that would be. From then on, the idea grew like a seed in my mind, and then I started living and breathing the project. That was back in 2008! Did you any have rowing experience before your trip? Before 2008 I had no rowing experience. In 2010, I briefly joined the Southampton Amateur Rowing Club, and gained a little experience. Do you have a favourite moment from your row? This is a very difficult one. But I think the one that really stands out for me are the moments spent star gazing. Seeing the stars out there was truly amazing. But at the same time, it is a little frustrating, it just makes me want to travel the stars. I saw a shooting star as well! How did you hear about Children on the Edge and what inspired you to fundraise for us? To be honest, at the beginning, I was looking to support an animal charity, but then through my own experiences and opportunities in life, I started seeing how many children often do not get a good start to life, let alone achieving personal dreams. That’s when I started looking to support a children’s charity. I came across COTE by chance on the JustGiving site, but when I looked into the site to understand a bit more about the charity, I noticed how small COTE is. I always prefer smaller charities, so naturally COTE appealed very much. I also popped down to the office in Chichester for a visit, and met up with the team, and also Monty. What did you do to fundraise? Since the project was self funded, I could not spend as much time as I wanted on fund raising activities. The fund raising channels were mainly just through word by mouth, people seeing the boat and the link, and articles in the local press. Do you have any other challenges you would like to do in the future? I am planning the Triple7Quest for 2018. It is quite a way away since I need to learn to love running first. Let alone 7 marathons in 7 days in 7 continents. But at the same time, I am also planning on another adventure. Not quite as grand as the Atlantic Row, but something that would be fun, and a LOT less costly financially! I have several ideas in mind, one is motorbiking around Asia, and the other is walking the Silk Road, which has been another of my childhood fantasies. Maybe I will end up doing both. We can’t thank Alan enough for his amazing support and wish him the best of luck for his next challenge! If you would like to sponsor Alan please visit https://www.justgiving.com/curryfishball-cote. If you have any ideas about your own fundraising, then don’t hesitate to get in touch. Building on the success of the current project in Soweto Slum, Uganda, we have been invited to work alongside our current local partner, implementing similar schemes in two larger neighbouring communities, where children are enduring extreme hardship. Like Soweto was three years ago, Wandago is caught in cycles of poverty compounded by destructive livelihoods and alcohol dependency.
Wandago is deemed to be one of the poorest villages in the region with the worst health and education records. The area has extremely poor hygiene levels, malnutrition, infant deaths and a high mortality rate. The village is positioned between two sugar cane plantations and eight out of every ten households are engaged in the expansive illegal alcohol distilling business. Workers at the plantations are exploited, paid a very low wage and forced to work long hours doing heavy work. Child labour here is rife as children are used to cut and carry the heavy sugar cane. Children in this area are at huge risk. A high rate of HIV (including many infected children) has resulted in a large number of orphans and grandmother headed households. 60% of children are out of school and, largely because of a busy main road running through the centre of Wandago, these children are vulnerable to child trafficking and child sacrifice. With no safe places to go in the community, another issue here is the number of young girls getting pregnant. As they wander around with nothing to do and no parental care, they are extremely vulnerable to the approaches of men and sexual abuse. Even for those attending school, a high proportion fall pregnant before they complete primary level seven and most community members simply view this as a normal practice. Unsurprisingly, due to the amount of abuse, young girls here have increasingly low self esteem, further heightening the danger of their exploitation. A group of men from Kampala regularly visit the community and take young girls to Kampala, trafficking them as sex slaves. What we’ve done so far
In the community of Wandago we will be working with our local partners to further establish the Community Child Protection Committee. We will then move on to the development of a Child Friendly Space providing education, nutrition and play in each area. Finally we will then focus on agriculture, sustainable livelihood schemes and vocational training for young people. All these activities will have an overarching focus on early childhood development, child protection and empowering women. These projects will enable communities to take responsibility for their own environment, creating a safer place for children where their needs are met and rights protected. All the components will work together to provide children in Wandago with the opportunities, skills and support that will enable them to develop into healthy adults that can enter into constructive livelihoods and achieve their potential. We look forward to updating you on our progress. Photo courtesy of AJ Heath Photography Training teachers from within refugee settlements in Lebanon is enabling children in the camps to to thrive in their education by learning in their own language, with their own curriculum and with teachers who empathise with the trauma they have been through. In Lebanon we are working with a local partner to develop education programmes that support the needs of an incredibly traumatised refugee community. We run camp schools that use an interactive curriculum, taught in Arabic and based on Montessori techniques that use aspects from both the Syrian and Lebanese curriculum. This ensures that children can re-engage with learning and also develop the capacity to integrate into both societies. Using Syrian teachers is vital We work within refugee communities to identify members who have some form of education and train them to teach. The fact that teachers speak the same Arabic dialect as their students results in vastly more effective communication, compared with a situation where children are forced to struggle with an unfamiliar language. Syrian teachers also know and understand the culture of the children they work with. Many have been through similar experiences and traumas to their students and are able to empathise with the situation they find themselves in. The teachers are avid learners with genuine dedication to being a changing force within the camps. Teacher training is not only providing them with livelihood opportunities, but a strong sense of project ownership in educating their own community. Since the outset of our pilot we have seen children and communities in Bekaa Valley thrive. Children are fully engaged with learning and several students who started out timid and afraid of making mistakes have flourished. The games and interaction with teachers has created a comfortable, fun environment and the children are inspired to excel. Hala’s story Hala was about 8 years old when she started attending our school. It was her first time in a class, as until then she had stayed home helping her mother with housework. It took Hala a long time to adjust to the school environment. She was argumentative and would leave whenever she felt like it. She wouldn’t obey teacher's instructions if they didn't suit her and didn't understand why the other girls were so keen to excel both academically and behaviourally. Why try to impress the teacher? What's the point? Hala was behind academically and, though she is bright, she always took at least a half hour longer than her peers to complete assignments. Her teacher, Ahmed finally sat her down and chatted with her. Speaking the same language meant the flow of communication was easy and he was able to lay down some boundaries for what was and wasn't allowed in school. He was also able direct Hala's gaze to some of the female students in her class who were doing really well and could be a good role model for her. He could explain about what inspires them to learn. After this time, she really took off academically. Hala now has a real knack for seeing the big picture, asking good questions, and "translating" for others, whether that's helping a teacher explain themselves, or helping her peers understand the task at hand. We've seen her natural spark and confidence shift towards something productive and beneficial for herself and others. There are many, many stories like this, that demonstrate how crucial it is to have Syrian refugees teaching Syrian refugees. Consequently we are looking to scale up and create more schools which implement these methods in other refugee camps throughout the the Bekaa Valley area. Find out more about the project Donate to our work |
RECEIVE OUR EMAILSBlog Categories
All
Archives
July 2024
|