Community Ownership

"
Even after Children on the Edge Africa leaves, we parents shall continue educating our children through the cluster groups.
"

Parent - Kyaka II Refugee Settlement

For over 30 years, working collaboratively with local people has formed the basis of the programmes we support.

We wholeheartedly believe that those living in the communities where we work are best positioned to identify needs, create the most effective innovations and maintain lasting change.

The term ‘locally-led’ has become quite the buzzword in international development work, but this is something that has shaped our work from the start. We don’t arrive in a situation and assume we can ‘build capacity’. In our back pocket, we have decades of experience working with marginalised children around the world. We’re open to contributing learnings from any of this when invited, but first and foremost we listen.

Our international partners have high levels of skill, aptitude, and local knowledge. Working with grassroots leaders and their local communities, we collectively design rights-based programmes according to their specific needs and circumstances. We prioritise the use of local resources, invest in local staff and ensure cross sector collaboration wherever possible.

From design and implementation to adaptation, monitoring and evaluation, our programmes are community driven, with the ultimate goal of sustainability and independence.

"
Many donors want to rule the projects, and their agenda doesn't reflect the real need that is here. Children on the Edge work with us in discussion and friendship
"

Janine Matar - Director TM Lebanon

"
Say goodbye to dependency and hello to community ownership! Through fostering community ownership and responsibility, our programme breaks the cycle of dependency, offering an innovative solution to untangle from approaches where handouts are the order of the day.
"

Solomon Mutumba - Chief Operating Officer - Children on the Edge Africa

"
Before people would come and build a well or a latrine and then leave. They don’t talk to us. We don’t know who they are. They just hang up their sign and leave when it is finished. But these people talk to us. We know who they are.
"

Naeem, Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh

YOU MIGHT LIKE

Meet Child Protection Team Member, Maria

We began working with communities in the Karamoja region of Uganda in 2022, where children are at risk of neglect, abuse and trafficking. Find out how our Child Protection Team model is helping to protect the children living here.

Inspiring Rohingya Girls to Attend School

In the ‘mega camps’ of Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees are stuck living in one of the toughest environments on earth. There is little access to education and girls face pressure to stay home. But in spite of this, there is hope. Bristy, one of our Project Officers, tells us more about how she’s working to change attitudes and encourage girls to attend school.

Finding Humanity - A report from Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Gemma Driver talks about her trip to Uganda, where we support early years learning for Congolese refugee children.

Since the start, we have partnered with local organisations to support communities to bring the change they want to see.

" Even after Children on the Edge Africa leaves, we parents shall continue educating our children through the cluster groups. "

" Many donors want to rule the projects, and their agenda doesn't reflect the real need that is here. Children on the Edge work with us in discussion and friendship "

" Say goodbye to dependency and hello to community ownership! Through fostering community ownership and responsibility, our programme breaks the cycle of dependency, offering an innovative solution to untangle from approaches where handouts are the order of the day. "

" Before people would come and build a well or a latrine and then leave. They don’t talk to us. We don’t know who they are. They just hang up their sign and leave when it is finished. But these people talk to us. We know who they are. "