Our Impact
"We may not change the entire world, but we can change the whole world for one child; one family; one community at a time."
As End Child Poverty, we measure our impact, not by the number of projects implemented, but by the depth and quality of positive change which, in partnership with others, we are able to bring to each child we serve. We are working to motivate and mobilise a powerful worldwide movement of care and concern for every child.
Through Our three-pillared Approach, we continue to achieve positive and lasting change in the lives of children, their families, their care-givers and their wider community. We are creating a world free of child poverty. Check out some of our key impact areas:
Mitigating Spiritual and Human Root Causes of Poverty through Theological Reflection, Prayer and Action
We are developing a Multi-faith Guide on child poverty. This guide provides a general overview of the nature and scope of child poverty that you can use for informational and educational purposes. Moreover, it highlights the positive roles that religious communities can, (and in reality), do serve in advocating for the eradication of child poverty by emphasizing the benefits of inter-faith coordination and collaboration in promoting children’s rights. Through this guide, we will provide you with the resources to equip you, your faith community and organisation with the relevant knowledge and skills needed to effectively address Child Poverty. The easy-to-use guide includes inspirational reflections from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and other faith traditions. It also offers practical suggestions on projects which can be undertaken by individuals and communities to reduce poverty in general and child poverty in particular. The guide has brief case studies which also provide useful learning points. The Multi-faith Guide will be made available for download and use.
Combating Structural Causes of Poverty through Interfaith Advocacy and Lobbying
Inter-faith Intervention in South Sudan
In response to the prolonged and recent violent conflict in South Sudan, End Child Poverty accompanied several inter-faith interventions in the country. Through the Ecumenical Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, we accompanied the religious leaders of South Sudan, in their response to the ongoing civil war in the country. This participation of faith leaders in the South Sudan peace processes strengthened the reconciliation and reconstruction efforts of the nation.
Short-film on conflict in South Sudan
We produced an informative documentary, ‘Seeing the South Sudan Conflict from the Eyes of Children and Religious Leaders’, in collaboration with Christian Aid-South Sudan, Finn Church Aid-South Sudan, South Sudan Council of Churches and UNICEF-South Sudan. The documentary is available here.
Horn of Africa Project
End Child Poverty is part of the Religious Leaders Peace Initiative in the Horn of Africa (RL-PIHA) Working Group. Through this platform, we continually work to transform the violent conflicts in the region. The RL-PIHA is facilitating inter-faith dialogue and cooperation for sustainable peace.
Post-2015 Development Campaign
We are advocating for the design and implementation of sustainable development goals that will place the best interests of children at the core of all progress and development frameworks; and in particular, the post 2015 development agenda. This is through our key participation in the African Interfaith Initiative on the post 2015 Development Agenda; and the Faith Communities’ Promise Renewed: Ending Preventable Child Deaths, Supporting Mothers Campaign. Find out more about the success of our Post-2015 Campaign and how you can get involved.
Global End Child Poverty Round-table
We organised and convened the first global, inter-faith roundtable focused on ending child poverty, with the theme ‘Maximizing on the Comparative Advantages of Faith-Inspired Resources to Build Partnerships to End Child Poverty Beyond 2015’. As a result, we led 18 national, regional and global organisations to take a pledge geared toward ending child poverty. The roundtable was convened at the Sarvodaya Headquarters in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 16th -17th October 2014. Read more about the End Child Poverty 2014 round-table.
Undertaking Grassroots Projects
Current flagship projects supported by End Child Poverty include:
India Poverty Solutions
End Child Poverty partnered with Shanti Ashram to support the budding initiative, India Poverty Solutions. The goal of India Poverty Solutions is to mobilise 1,000,000 children and volunteers belonging to the major faith traditions of India, towards taking practical actions to reduce poverty. Through this program, we are empowering boys, girls, families and religious communities in the fight against poverty and child marriage. We encourage children to save money and share resources, among promoting other positive life skills.In 2016 it expanded to over 5 states in India, reaching more than 40,000 children and youth, through 98 institutions
Our scholarship programme ensures that children are afforded the opportunity to receive quality education. We provide scholarships to children from low-income households; including, orphaned and vulnerable children and children affected by war and violent conflicts. We envision this growing project will provide a launching pad for children to escape poverty. Educated girls and boys can eventually give their own families a good start in life and break free from the family cycle of hard labor – and this positive transformation will ripple to their entire families and community. In 2015-2016, sixty (60) girls and boys in Kenya, South Sudan, Pakistan and South Africa received scholarships. Help sponsor the education of a child.
Regional Peace Programme
Through the Regional Peace Program, End Child Poverty is working to promote peace in 12 countries in the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa Region.Focusing on preventing and countering violent extremism (CVE), a driver of child poverty, through:
- Facilitating Relevant Research and studies
- Enhancing youth capacity and youth-led peace engagements
- Facilitating opportunities for youth-at-risk to gain life skills and livelihoods empowerment
- Facilitating the development and socialization of counter and alternative narratives and frameworks to prevent and counter violent extremism
- Strengthening and/or develop platforms to prevent and counter radicalization towards violent extremism
Reducing Gender Based Violence (GBV)
End Child Poverty is addressing Gender Based Violence and its negative impacts on children, as a root driver of child poverty.This includes sexual violence towards children; and violence against girls and boys,with a focus on 5 countries: Burundi, Rwanda, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and South Sudan.In 2016/ 2017 we:
- Facilitated the establishment of a Children and Youth Advocacy Network in the 5 countries
- Supported the Network’s advocacy campaign, “The Myth of Maputo”, towards the ratification and implementation of the Maputo Protocol on women’s and girls’ rights
- Organized and co-facilitated a Youth Advocacy Training on Gender based violence , in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Mobilized youth-led action during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence,across the 5 countries.
- Participated in the development of a Regional Advocacy Strategy, together with the Norwegian Church Aid and other partners
