13th January 2017.
After a hugely successful trial of new Child Protection in 2016, Bali Children’s Project will be improving and expanding the program for 2017 and onwards.
Child Protection Workshops exist to help children and communities understand and stop cases of abuse in Bali.
Child Protection in Bali
Bali Children’s Project’s Child Protection program was launched in 2016, with the aim helping children understand and react to abuse.
Like many other countries in the world, children in Bali aren’t always protected from abuse – which can manifest in many forms.
While there is support out there to help children suffering abuse, cases often go unreported, with children not knowing how to react.
The workshops
The workshops aim to equip children and communities with knowledge and signs of abuse. In providing this key information, children can be better equipped to avoid and react.
Working through videos, engaging role play activities and information sessions, the workshops are a hit with children as well as their schools.
Special guests from local police and child protection authorities are also by our side, helping to deliver the program.
Take home materials, including posters with key messages developed alongside child psychologist Mandy Braeur will serve as a reference material for children in future.
Through delivering these simple messages (for example identifying ‘stranger danger’), we can achieve our goal in raising awareness amongst young children.
Ultimately, this will decrease the numbers of children suffering from abuse.
In 2017 the workshops will be complimented by community workshops, aimed at helping parents and communities understand and react to issues of abuse.
Development
The sessions are designed by our very own Opy Sulaeman, who pioneered our Sex Education workshops for teenagers.
After running successful Sex Education workshops for multiple years, we had the perfect structure for developing new child protection workshops.
The 2016 trial aimed at gauging interest and refining the messages and impact of potential workshops. The trial in 2016 was kindly sponsored by Three Monkeys’ through their ‘Food for Thought’ fundraising program.
Having been a rousing success, the full program has now been implement into our wider Sex and Health Awareness Program.
Impact
The newest addition to our Sex and Health Program, Child Protection workshops have already proved to be a much needed program. Out of all the schools approached, every school signed up to the workshop.
The growing workshops impact over 1,000 children from ages 5 – 12 each year.
With Thanks to the Mel Wolf Foundation and Three Monkeys
The sessions are fully funded by kind supporters Mel Wolf Foundation and Three Monkeys as well as our wider Sex Education program.
Mel Wolf’s 2017 grant and Three Monkey’s fundraising program is enabling us to deliver the sessions.
Future of Child Protection
Our aims are to grow this program to access and equip as many children as possible.
Bali Children’s Project are seeking long term support to further develop this program in 2018 and onwards. If you know of a business of potential sustainable funding source, we would love to hear from you.