Remember Afghanistan?

Years of conflict, By Jerome Taylor

* October 2001 - US-led invasion of Afghanistan begins

* December 2001 - Hamid Karzai is sworn in as president of Afghanistan. Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader, and Osama bin Laden survive the war. Taliban and Arab fighters start anti-government insurgency

* July 2002 - After weeks of guerrilla resistance in the south -east, Haji Abdul Qadir, the vice-president, is killed in Kabul. US air raid kills 48 civilians

* September 2002 - Karzai escapes assassination attempt

* June 2003 - Renewed fighting between government forces and Taliban fighters in Kandahar province kills 49

* September 2004 - Karzai again escapes assassination

* November 2004 - Karzai re-elected with 55 per cent of votes

* May 2005 - Details emerge of prisoner abuse in detention centres run by US authorities

* June 2005 - Three elite Navy Seals and 16 soldiers are killed during combat operations

* August 2005 - US military says 100 militants are killed this month

* September 2005 - Bomb attacks fail to stop Afghans voting in the first parliamentary and local elections for 30 years

* October 2005 - Insurgents renew their attacks on government targets killing a top cleric

* December 2005 - A resurgent Taliban targetspeacekeeping forces. Al Qai'da says the Taliban still controls large parts of Afghanistan

* January 2006 - Increasing violence leaves scores of civilians dead including a senior Canadian diplomat

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http://www.tdhafghanistan.org/crconsortium.htm
After 23 years of war, Afghanistan is experiencing post-conflict difficulties: infrastructure is inadequate, poverty is widespread and state social protection is inexistent. Critical aspects of the social welfare sector include:
Endemic family poverty resulting in nutrition deficiencies, high rate of infant, child and maternal mortality.
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High rate of youth population: More than a half of the country’s population is less than 19 years old.
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Low level of education: of about 10 million school-age children, 4.2 million children attended school in 2004.
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High levels of family stress, erosion of family support and safety nets due to harsh economic situation: a study carried out by UNICEF in 2004 shows that placement of children in orphanages has dramatically increased due to the erosion of community/family networks and is used as a coping mechanism. Out of the 8,000 children living in children’s institutions throughout the country, 1/3 do not need long-term care by residential institutions and could be returned to their family or extended family with minimal support.
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Increasing number of street and working children particularly in the capital and large provincial cities. Studies suggest that there has been an increase in the numbers in Kabul, from approx 40,000, to 60,000 in 10 years, mainly due to the returning refugee population from neighbouring countries and the unaffordable cost of living in the capital.
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Widespread child abuse: More than half the number of girls under 16 are forced into early marriages, physically abusive acts are taking place every day and the sexual abuse of children is very frequent.
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Emergence of low-level street violence: with the alarming development of drug production and trade, children are more and more likely to be used as drug-dealers and exposed to drug-addiction.

Increasing child kidnapping and abduction: In February 2004, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported that human trafficking particularly child kidnapping and abduction within, outside and through the country were identified as one of the most serious violations in recent months in Afghanistan. In the International Organisation for Migrations’ report “Trafficking in Persons, An Analysis of Afghanistan” released in January 2004, it is observed that the forms of trafficking committed in Afghanistan and to Afghans in neighbouring countries include the exploitation of prostitution, forced labour, slavery and practises similar to slavery, servitude.

The work of the CRC
The CRC is the joint project of 5 national and international NGOs: Aschiana, Afghanistan Demain (AD), Children in Crisis (CIC), Enfants du Monde Droits de l'Homme (EMDH) and Terre des Hommes (Tdh), funded by the European Commission to improve living conditions of street and working children and their families with a view of reintegrating them in the mainstream society, and to advocate for the Rights of the Child.

Coordinated and administered by Tdh, the CRC has been operating since June 2003 and has been providing basic services to street and working children of Kabul city through day-care centres and outreach activities, in different districts of the city.

CRC services towards street and working children consist in providing:
Basic education and progressive integration of children in the formal schools.
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Vocational training for children who cannot be integrated in schools.
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Food, health care, psychological care and referral to medical institutions.
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Recreational / psychosocial activities (play, sports, music….), health education, mine-awareness education, child rights education, civic education…. with a view of reintegrating children in the mainstream society.

Family counseling and support.
Since June 2003, CRC activities have benefited to 9,356 children (47% boys, 53% girls). Thanks to the relations developed with the Ministry of Education and the awareness carried out towards children’s families, the CRC has managed to integrate more than 39% into the formal schools (51% of boys and 49% of girls) and enroll 13% in vocational training.

Beside these concrete services provided to the beneficiaries, the CRC has carried out several activities aimed at strengthening the capacities of the CRC and establishing it as a leading advocacy forum in Afghanistan:
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Training and capacity-building of the CRC staff are organised regularly and are carried out by each CRC member according to its field of expertise.
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The CRC has established strong relations with Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA): regular meetings, common events, participation of MoLSA’s staff to CRC training sessions.
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The CRC takes part in the elaboration and consultation process of national policies towards children (i.e. : National Plan against Child Trafficking, National Plan for Children at Risk).
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The CRC organises advocacy actions to raise awareness on children in street situation and other child protection related activities (i.e.: meetings with professionals such as the police, organisation of gatherings to promote child rights, participation to children meetings ….).
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The CRC participates to regular meetings, national forum on child protection, i.e.: the Child Protection Action Network (CPAN), the Global Movement for Children (GMC)….

The CRC is engaged in networking activities with other organisations helping street and working children in Afghanistan and in the region (i.e.: exchanges with Tdh’s street and working children project in Peshawar).

The CRC’s strategy for 2006-2007
After 2 years of implementation, the CRC has now the experience and expertise in the field of social work and child protection to increase its support to street and working children and develop appropriate schemes for other children at risk.
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The CRC’s objectives for 2006-2007 are.
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To continue to reintegrate disadvantaged and marginalized boys and girls into mainstream society.
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To continue to ensure the good health and well being of disadvantaged and marginalized boys and girls and families.
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To strengthen the Child Rights Consortium (CRC) and establish it as a leading child rights forum in Afghanistan.
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To influence the development of child protection policy in Afghanistan.

Contact:
Fatma Boggio-Cosadia, CRC Coordinator
Terre des Hommes
E-mail: fatma.cosadia@tdh.ch
Phone: + 93 70 277 225