Dear DCF Friends, thank you for being with us again...
It is DCF ́s motto that although we cannot change the world; changing the world for at least one child is worth everything. This remains to be special and reason for gratitude. Also in the last months, in many ways, we have been able to contribute to the protection of children. We are pleased to tell you about all of these activities.
With warm regards, Alex, Barbara, Helma and Nicoline – Board of Daniëlle Children’s Fund Netherlands
ECUADOR
Child ’N Familycenter Quito
2019 started with the expansion of our team, due to a new project in Tulcán, at the border next to Colombia. We got four new colleagues that started with lots of enthusiasm. Together with UNICEF and the Ecuadorian government, we will support young unaccompanied adolescents and children from Venezuela. Many of them have been walking for days, under difficult and risky circumstances. We offer them a temporary roof, so they can rest and regain energy. In the meantime we draw together a plan in order to guarantee their rights during their stay in Ecuador. This plan and the analysis of their current situation is sent to the child protection authorities in order to take the appropriate protection measurements.
The project started being operational at the end of February.
Also, towards the end of January, the Minister of Social and Economic Inclusion (MIES), Berenice Cordero, published the legal framework (Normas Técnicas) for the implementation of alternative care, like Family Support, Kinship and Foster Care programs. At the end of December we had two meetings with her in which we focused on the importance of preventive care in Ecuador. This year we will accompany MIES in the implementation and application of these programs.
We also have been meeting with Red Convivencia, the network of Ecuadorian Child Protection Organizations, several times. Our proposal is to guide several institutional care organizations during a transformation process of institutional care to family & community based programs, in order to guarantee the right of every child to live with their own family. Organizations are interested and in the coming months we will be working on the co-construction of this process.
Finally, in Pifo, Quito, we also gained a new colleague, Marta Ramos. Marta comes from Spain and is a social worker. Together with Dorothee she will work with the local community. On a regular basis they organize meetings in order to promote conversation about themes like the protection of children and violence within the community with the aim to find together answers and other alternatives. Our role is to facilitate these discussions; empowering the community in order to find sustainable solutions within its own circumstances and realities.
NEPAL
Child ’N Family center CARE Kathmandu
Our team in Nepal started the year smashingly. In February, the annual School Day was organized with one of the partner schools, FUNDCCIN, which we work closely together with. The community was invited: the mayor, 15 other schools, parents and children were all present. Words of praise were said for Chooda, Rajan and Chabi for their commitment to the children living in the slums of Jorpati.
Our teams in Ecuador and Nepal have made frequent contact via skype. During the last few years, DCF Ecuador has developed a succesful strategy to become less dependent of foreign funding. In 2018, only 40% of the budget was funded through DCF Netherlands. The other 60% was generated locally. Currently we are sharing ideas & experiences between both countries in order to develop a strategy that will also allow DCF Nepal to become more and more independent. This will make it possible to change the focus of the relation between Nepal and Holland to the exchange of knowledge.
SPONSORS & THANK YOUS
· We would like to thank Nataly from Colorful Ecuador immensly for developing a beautiful, inspiring, meaningful video about our work in Ecuador. https://www.facebook.com/pg/daniellechildrensfund/videos/?ref=page_internal
· We are also very grateful to Cape Capital for the great Christmas card action: 100 Swiss Francs were donated for each Christmas card sent to clients and colleagues.
· We would like to invite you to have a look at our new website: www.daniellechildrensfund.org.
Thanks to Frits Bleichrodt it has been given a new look! Frits, thank you very much!
Finally, our sincerest thanks to you for your faithful involvement in whatever form, because together we can make the world a better place, really every little matters!!
If you prefer our newsletter on paper, please download here