Improving Lives of Children in Cotton Growing Districts of Pakistan – Case Studies Compendium

Save the Children Pakistan Program initiated a project to ‘improve the lives of children in cotton growing districts of Pakistan’ from 2009- Nov 2014, with support from the IKEA Foundation.

Save the Children started a child rights program title CHAON – Children’s Action against Oppression and Neglect in Muzaffargarh and Sanghar districts from 2009-2013. The project focused on the protection of rights of children working in the cotton fields and t hose at the risk of being engaged in child labour by empowering communities with their active involvement in the project interventions.

CHAON established a district level child protection mechanism to provide protection to children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. The civil society Child Rights Advocacy Network (CRAN) is closely linked with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and government line departments. At government level, CHAON also established a Child Protection Unit at the Social Welfare Departments that serves as a referral mechanism with relevant government departments and service providers.

CHAON has worked hard at and been successful with increasing access to and availability of Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health services. They have also been active in creating opportunities for self-reliance by developing local skills and entrepreneurial capacities by providing education and support.