ADVOCACY

 

There is more to Development than service provision...

One has to address the causes and structures as well as alleviate the pain of those affected.

Thus the C4L Youth Corps is encouraged and enabled to "engage the powers" through Advocacy projects.

 

Heritage Day (2011)

The September long week-end celebrates our heritage.  In 2011, on Heritage Day, C4L welcomed many youth to celebrate their African heritage.

Epiphany Death Squad (2011)

Through research for the Childermas Letters (see below), C4L became aware of what it calls the "Epiphany Death Squad".  This because since 1998, every January, one or more key leaders have been eliminated - in each case for standing up against corruption.

The media is now referring to these as the "January murders".

C4L thus organizaed a poster campaign.  Only 2 months later, the national Minister of Police appointed a 12-person investigation team.  Later the same year, he himself was suspended on charges of corruption.  His predecessor has been jailed (also in 2011) on corruption charges.

Child Trafficking (2010)

In collaboration with the Human Rights League, several community interventions were run in 2010 by members of C4L's Youth Corps.

C4L linked with various other organizations around the time of the FIFA World Cup, to raise awareness about Child Trafficking as a prevention strategy.

This project was implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The project’s aims were to reduce child trafficking during the world cup in four communities, namely, Backdoor/Edwaleni, Kabokweni/Hlau-Hlau, KaMhlushwa and Matsulu. The core facilitators of this process were 34 out of school youths who serve as Kids Club Leaders in the 17 schools ear-marked for this project.  These 34 facilitators were trained at C4L’s campus in child trafficking issues, social mobilization and advocacy at a 2day workshop at project inception. They were also given information on how to help victims of child trafficking. These Kids Club Leaders also came up with tentative work plans on how they would sensitize their kidsclubs, schools, and communities. C4L was responsible for overall project delivery and monitoring through monitoring visits and monthly de-briefing meetings at C4L with the facilitators. 

Body Parts Trafficking (2009)

This project was implemented in partnership with Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos (LDH) of Mozambique. The main aim of the project was to raise awareness at community level, about the problem of trafficking of human body parts.  An important aspect of the project was community involvement. The project focused on working with communities towards a solution for reducing the supply and demand of body parts and it is essential that the behavior change comes from within the community. It is envisaged that the communities would take ownership of both the problem and the solution.  Four C4L youth leaders were the main facilitators of the programme in and around Ehlanzeni District. They organized community meetings, participated in community radio talk shows on the problem, and mobilised others sectors of the community to take part. This is the first project that has given C4L youth leaders a feel of civic activism

Wannabees

C4L has designed several other interventions that have not yet been funded:

1.  Conciousness building "road shows" promoting the merits of converting to solar energy

2. Community level workshops about Xenophobia and Intolerance

3. A "bridge builders" course to promote racial reconciliation

4. A card game to raise awareness among youth (AIDS Prevention)

 

The Childermas Letters

 

December 28th is Childermas - the day when the slaughter of the innocents by King Herod is remembered. Every year, a series of bulletins is released, that connects Leadership issues with the security of children. From this, the slogan of C4L emerged - transforming leadership, so that children are safe.