Originally published in Dawn newspaper on 4 November 2020.by Madeeha AnsariA NEPALESE colleague once shared the impact of a well-intentioned government rehabilitation programme for street-connected children. The plan was to take them off the streets and provide protection facilities where basic needs would be addressed — and local NGOs like his were approached for support.What …
The following research piece entitled Cities for Children: A Case Study of Refugees in Towns - Islamabad, Pakistan, was first published by the Refugees in Towns project of the Feinstein Centre, Tufts University, September 2019. It is a unique reflective case study drawing upon personal and professional experiences, exploring the lived reality and education-based challenges of …
This article was first Published in Dawn on July 3rd 2020, Pakistan's oldest English newspaper.by Madeeha Ansari, FounderCHILDHOOD is a precious, fleeting experience. As we navigate our way through the most extraordinary time in living memory, one of the most important things we can do is to remember how this time will define the earliest memories …
Published by the policy think tank Jinnah Institute on April 12 2019 - International Day for Street ChildrenApril 12 is a day for the invisible. As the International Day for Street Children, it is a time to extend recognition to young people who are too often uncounted, unseen and unheard – and therefore bereft of …
by Malaika Kirkwood, Communications VolunteerBuilding Cities for ChildrenThis year we celebrate 3 decades of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ratified in 1989, the UNCRC was a milestone in human history and development-- establishing the first internationally recognized, legally binding statement on child rights. Now, thirty years after its inception, the …
This article first appeared in Dawn, the oldest English newspaper in Pakistan.By Madeeha Ansari, FounderON Tuesday, Nov 12, the Sindh government imposed a ban on child beggary, directing the social welfare department to ‘round up’ child beggars and place them in welfare centres, including in an upcoming facility in Korangi.On one hand, this might be seen …
This article first appeared in print as "Street kids' hope" in Dawn, the oldest English newspaper in Pakistan.By Madeeha Ansari, FounderA COUPLE of years ago, I visited a drop-in centre for street children in Peshawar as part of a mapping exercise. The children there were generally ‘of the street’, i.e. they did not return to their …
This article first appeared on the Promising Practices in Refugee Education website.By Madeeha AnsariHow do refugee children live?Often, the image that comes to mind if asked that question is of a settlement like Jalozai camp in Pakistan, with rows of tents sectioned by UNHCR canvas sheets. Or what is now the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex …
By Jetske van DijkOn 9th November 2017, the Cities for Children team attended the Consortium for Street Children (CSC) Annual Research Conference, I BEND BUT I DON’T BREAK: Exploring Street-Connected Children’s Resilience.The day involved panel discussions and presentations of academic research, as well as hands-on workshops where practitioners shared their experiences of working with children …