CHILD EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

CHILD EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

Child Empowerment. Child Empowerment means increasing the child’s personal, social, educational and economic strengths. The strategy consists of two elements: the development of children (Child Development) and the accessibility of their environment (Enabling Environment).

We also use Liliane Foundation’s Child Empowerment strategy in implementing Child Empowerment Programme

Child Development

With Child Development we address the child’s impairment, improve their functioning and make children resilient and self-aware. We make it easier for them to participate and to stand up for themselves. The parents or guardians play a key role.

Enabling Environment

Through Enabling Environment we reduce the barriers that hinder the participation of children with a disability in society. The (social) infrastructure, communications, attitude and behaviour of other people and the policies of the (local) government are all taken into consideration.

Community Based Rehabilitation

A core aspect of our strategy is Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR). CBR involves working closely with persons with disabilities, their families, service providers, local government and other relevant stakeholders to remove barriers that result in the exclusion of persons with disabilities from participation in community life.

The programme supported in a country by the Liliane Foundation focuses on a number of themes. These topics correspond to the focal areas within Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR): Health, Education, Livelihood, Social participation, and Empowerment.

The themes we focus on are:

• Health: improving the physical capabilities of children and their access to services and facilities
• Education: cognitive development of children and their equal access to schools, day care, learning and curriculum materials
• Social contacts: developing children with disabilities’ personality, self-esteem, quality of life and their standing in the community
• Work and Income: support to young people with disabilities to obtain work and income, and economic strengthening of families with children who need permanent care