By Hajra Khan, Research InternOn World Children’s Day 2020, we are committed to a future where the #VoicesofYouth are amplified and understood. In the spirit of representation, Cities for Children conducted a “mythbuster” campaign to tackle some of the misperceptions that exist regarding street-connected children in Pakistan. Our hope is to help build a future …
by Zoha Jillani, CfC VolunteerA core aspect of Cities for Children's mission to protect the "Right to a Childhood", is the Right to Play. The role of play in a child’s life is essential for early learning, understanding and brain development. It is also closely linked to positive mental health. In order to open up a …
During the COVID-19 pandemic, families and children in urban poverty were disproportionately affected. Their lives and livelihoods were hugely impacted by lockdown conditions, particularly those depending on daily wages for survival. In places like Pakistan, there was a surge of generosity and goodwill, with many people stepping up to deliver relief in terms of rations …
A personal reflection on International Street Children Day in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, by CfC Founder Madeeha Ansari.Karachi,Pakistan, March 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)Today was the International Day for Street Children. It passed, unmarked, barely ruffling the stillness of these days of quarantine. In this, the strangest time in living memory, it …
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 …
by Julia Everett, Development InternAugust 7th 2019 marks national Play Day in the UK. This year’s theme, ‘Play Builds Children’, highlight the benefits of play for children's development. Protecting and promoting the right to play, given its importance in childhood and growth, is something which we at Cities for Children put at the centre of …
In Summer 2018, we organised our “Hansti Basti” or “Happy Hoods,” programme in collaboration with Pehli Kiran School System and the Community Support Programme at Bahria University in Islamabad. The program was designed to ensure that over the course of six weeks, Pehli Kiran students worked with volunteer mentors to build social emotional skills and …
As part of our "Right to Play" strand of work, on 21st April 2018 we supported a special Sports Day event for over 400 children and parents from the urban slums of Islamabad. These are communities served by our partner, the Pehli Kiran School System, a network of open-air, non-formal schools in settlements across the …
By Jetske van DijkLooking back, 2017 marked a milestone in the world of child rights. The United Nations General Comment No. 21 on Children in Street Situations was published in June marking an important step towards protecting street-connected children. While children are recognised as rights holders under the Convention of the Rights of the Child …