WHAT
WE DO
CEDAG
is committed to contributing to the child education, health, social
life and implementation of the convention of the Rights of the child
(CRC), the African Charter on people and human Rights and that of
African Child as well as the children maintenance and Juvenile act
of the laws of the Gambia. CEDAG’S areas of intervention are
Environment, youth development exchange programmes, Child and Community
Development and protection.
We
have been active in the field of information, education, publication,
research, training and denunciation through radio stations and newspapers
We provide social service with activities ranging from dissemination
of information and voluntary efforts in the areas of family planning,
child and mother welfare with a special focus on the prevention of
child soldier and prostitution. CEDAG builds appropriate accommodation
for victims especially children in need of emergency shelter and care
to improve the privacy and security of these accommodations and as
well improve the physical environment of children, which will have
an impact on their health as well as feelings of belongings and safety.
The provision of psychological social and educational support is being
given to war or dispute areas.
We
further aim to link and build partnership with organizations and institutions
that have similar aims and objectives in pursuit of our mission.
ORGANISATIONAL
VALUES.
•
Participation
• Pro-poor
• Gender equality
• Respect for indigenous knowledge and technology
• Sustainability
• Impact
• Partnership
• Transparency, accountability and efficiency
AREAS OF CONCERN
Some
of the areas we have been working in-depth in during the last few
year are:
•
Child abuse
• Child labour
• Education
• Foster care
• Social exclusion
• Psycho-social development of children
• Newly emerging needs of children and child-right based programming
• Community initiated programmes
OUR
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
i.
Our guiding principles are firmly rooted in the convention on the
right of the child and the Africa Charter on the Welfare of a child.
ii.
We believe that children’s issues should be understood in the
local as well as in the global context.
iii.
We promote the holistic development of children, the empowerment of
families and communities and building on available knowledge and local
strength.
iv.
We address the underlying dynamics of child neglect, abuse, child
labour and discrimination rather than the symptoms.
We see Poverty and lack of community knowledge on the issue that affects
them as the cause as well the outcome of under investing in children.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
A.
Improve access and quality of education and healthcare, protection
for children
B.
Improve the quality of livelihoods of poor and marginalized women
and children, by increasing their food security and promotion and
creating more link and opportunities for national and inter-country
adoption programmes.
C.
Facilitate the empowerment of women and their institutes to take control
of their own development
D.
Increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency through staff
capacity building and motivation
E.
Enhance organizational performance through a cultural or learning/sharing,
networking and alliance building.
F.
Engage in evidence-based policy and advocacy work on breastfeeding,
TB/HIV control and prevention.
Emergency
The
issue of emergency and disaster relief contingency our strategic plan.
In emergencies we support medium and long-term efforts to mitigate
the impact on the population will serve.
Natural disasters such as floods, crop failures and other calamities
may affect CEDAG’s mainstream activities and when they occur
this may necessitate a temporary deviation from long term development
activities to support relief and rehabilitation programs.
CEDAG is working hard to ensure that a time will come when half a
million children in The Gambia will go to school everyday, not work.
Every school will have a roof, a room for every class and a teacher
too. Children need not stay home to look after their younger siblings
or migrate with their families in search of a better life. Every boy
and girl will finish school.
By mobilising these communities CEDAG along with its NGO partners
have ensured over 100 children within its operational areas with opportunities
they could not dream of. None of these micro-miracles would have been
possible without the active involvement and support CEDAG experienced
from more than 10,000 individuals like you and organisations in The
Gambia and overseas.
