UNICEF supports community-based child protection mechanisms by strengthening their capacities.
Enhancing the skills of Child Protection Committees to better address the needs of children, their families and their communities.
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To promote a protective environment for children, UNICEF continues to support the Government of Burundi in the ongoing fight against all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation of children committed at home, in the community, and in and around schools.
The finalization of the nationwide mapping of Child Protection Committees (CPCs) by the end of 2023 and the development of a plan to strengthen the CPCs are significant opportunities to ensure community engagement in the protection of children and the delivery of a package of services at community level to child victims and children at risk of abuse, violence, and exploitation.
To assess collectively whether the skills and tools available to these committees enable them to carry out quality interventions, a mapping of the CPCs and their functioning was conducted under the leadership of the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights, and Gender (MSNASDPHG), with the technical and financial support of UNICEF, across the whole territory of Burundi from July to December 2023.
This mapping allowed child protection actors to better understand the operationality, effectiveness, and organizational aspects of CPCs. The data and information collected from 2,837 of Burundi's 2,910 hills have been analyzed and made available to all stakeholders.
In follow-up to this mapping, on 22 and 23 February 2024, the MSNASDPHG, in collaboration with UNICEF, organized a workshop to develop a plan to strengthen the CPCs. The aim of this workshop was to provide the Government of Burundi and child protection stakeholders with tools to strengthen the community child protection system through the CPCs and to improve the response package for children at risk and victims of abuse, violence, and exploitation. The workshop allowed stakeholders to analyze the results of the mapping, as well as the challenges and recommendations, in order to identify possible solutions for improving the functioning of the CPCs.
"The report of the mapping highlights a number of strengths but also weaknesses that compromise the functioning of the CPCs," declared Pontien Hatungimana, Permanent Secretary of the MSNASDPHG.
"Despite the high level of commitment shown by the Burundian authorities and the involvement of civil society organizations, there are still huge gaps in the establishment and operational capacity of many Child Protection Committees," declared Nathalie Meyer, UNICEF Deputy Representative for Programmes in Burundi, emphasizing the need and the importance of strengthening the CPCs.
Analysis of the data and the participants' recommendations were used to draw up a plan for strengthening the CPCs. According to UNICEF, the work already accomplished and the plan that was developed at this workshop will contribute to the implementation of the National Child Protection Policy (2019-2024), the national strategy for the reintegration of children in street situations, and the national strategy for alternative care for children in Burundi.
