Acknowledgements<strong>SAfAIDS</strong> acknowledges the contribution of Bernard van Leer in funding the development of this manual,as well as the generous assistance of our other donors; DfID, Hivos, Irish AID and UNAIDS.We wish to extend special thanks and appreciation to the Uzumba Orphan Care Trust, whose partnershipmade it possible for us to meet and hear the voices of the community.The manual was developed by Aulora Stally with Delfina Azevedo-Barschdorf with review by VivienneKernohan and overall guidance from Lois Chingandu, Rouzeh Eghtessadi and Sara Page. It was edited byMegan Allardice and design and layout was done by Fikile Gotami.<strong>SAfAIDS</strong> MARCH 2009Handbook on Child Rights and Culture
Important information about this handbookIn order to make this handbook practical and engaging for trainers, community-based volunteers and serviceproviders, the compilers sought the voices and perspectives of children from the Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe(UMP) district of Zimbabwe, where a series of dialogues was held.These views and voices are interwoventhroughout the handbook, creating a backdrop as the training unfolds.“Children To The Fore!” is a four-day journey that examines the harsh impact of HIV and some cultural practiceson children's rights, and then allows for the collective development of community solutions for environmentalchange. It is based on fact and accumulated knowledge and experience, and strengthened by a group offictional characters who have confronted the reality of HIV at community level.The central character is a wise grandmother and former school teacher, Gogo, who is a child rights advocate inher community. She works with her two grandchildren and their friends to empower individuals and communitymembers by promoting rights-based responses to HIV and children's needs, in harmony with cultural practices.Gogo's goal is to encourage positive attitudes and enhance those community beliefs that can promote changein the social environment through community participation. Other stakeholders, such as governments, nongovernmentalorganisations (NGOs), churches, the private sector and children themselves, are important actorsin this process, which should be supported by meaningful policies to safeguard children's rights.Gogo and the other characters in this handbook are available to assist the trainer with each of the sessions.Theyhave been introduced to make this child rights, culture and HIV journey an empowering and memorableexperience. We hope that the handbook will leave a lasting impression on you, as the trainer, and we encourageyou to share these practical new approaches with your participants.So… keep turning the pages and meet your friendly child rights advocates (an advocate is someone whopublicly supports a particular way of doing things – in this case, supporting child rights). Have fun along the wayand familiarise yourself with each character and their purpose as the training unfolds.Together, let's identify andexplore the many challenges children face in the era of HIV, and map solutions to keep children at the centre ofall efforts to respond to HIV in the community.Who can use this handbook?This handbook is designed broadly for Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs) and those working to promotechildren's issues within communities.The following groups will find it useful:Child advocates: The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Articles 16, 17 and 42 state that children have aright to access information concerning them; you have a right to know your rights. It is natural that you shouldbenefit from this handbook.We need to ensure that children's rights are respected by standing up for them and bytaking into account the culture of the child and the reality of HIV in their lives.You, as children, can better assume aleadership role for yourselves and others if you are consulted,informed and recognised.Facilitators, trainers and teachers: This handbook provides the necessary information, skills and tools – funactivities to make the workshops enjoyable, participatory and fruitful. You can also train community leaders andcommunity custodians,in line with the cascading process of teaching others what you have learned and replicatingit in the community.In this way,the community takes ownership of its own issues.Workshop participants: It is important to give participants the best chance of participating and the highestpossible chance of integrating and practising what is experienced and learnt from the training in their localcommunity or environment. Participants may include community-based volunteers working with children in thecommunity,those working in children's organisation,parents,caregivers,social workers,healthcare workers and anyother group interested in working with children and communities.Lawyers and those working in the legal aid fieldmay also find the workshop helpful in understanding the cultural context of child rights and HIV.Service providers: This handbook will equip you with the skills to work with communities and ensure that therights of children are upheld. This is especially important because traditional family networks are breaking downunder the burdens of HIV. As service providers, you can assist community leaders and other authorities andimportant people in the community to create a protective environment for children.Community-based organisations (CBOs): Whether you are a local children's organisation working with childrenand human rights issues,a faith-based organisation (FBO),an AIDS service organisation (ASO),or other organisationworking to support family health,such as home-based care (HBC),or an international organisation,you can use thishandbook to complement your efforts with children or for practical or reference purposes.This handbook, and thecomic book,may also be shared with organisations directly focussing on children's rights and HIV.Handbook on Child Rights and Culture
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