Rejadh
In 2016, together with the Norwegian Church Aid and Changemaker-Oslo, we initiated the African Children and Youth Network for Human Rights/ Réseau des Enfants et Jeunes Africains pour les Droits Humains (REJADH) network, which is made up of youth from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali, South Sudan and Somalia.
REJADH was established as a platform for advocacy by and for young people from the 5 countries often affected by conflict, poverty, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Through this program, we sought to empower young leaders (youth, youth influencers, and young adults) with the necessary skills to help them reduce, prevent, and end gender-based violence and its negative effects on young people and the community at large.
How we work
Arigatou International—End Child Poverty support and facilitates REJADH to brings together children, youth, and young adults (mostly between 13 – 29 years) for the purpose advocacy, capacity building leadership training and networking.
The primarily advocacy campaign pf REJADH was dubbed, “Myth of Maputo”. This Campaign calls for the ratification and full implementation of the Maputo Protocol among other strategies to address gender-based violence (GBV) and its negative impacts on children and youth.
“We have worked with religious leaders in supporting and implementing the Maputo Protocol; Women in the area of implementation are aware and able to claim their rights which is guaranteed by the Maputo protocol, encouraging and supporting the Ministry of gender, child social welfare to take effective measures to implement the Maputo Protocol” – Faisal Altahir, REJADH leader, South Sudan.
Our impact
Since inception in 2016, REJADH has directly reached to more than 5,000 children and youth in the target countries through the Myth of Maputo campaign. Similarly, its online reach has been overwhelming through the REJADH social media spaces.
Our work through REJADH has enabled us advance equality and social inclusion by promoting universal child-sensitive social protection, gender equality and children’s participation. We place special emphasis on working with communities blighted by poverty, conflict and systemic marginalization.