Despite decades of progress, millions of children worldwide continue to be deprived of their basic rights – to education, protection, safety and participation. In Asia Pacific, an estimated 1.2 billion children live in vulnerable contexts such as extreme poverty, war-affected areas, exploitation and trafficking, child labor, internal displacement due to conflict and natural disasters, or other forms of abuse and violence.
The report “Child Protection in Asia Pacific”, authored by Onalie De Silva, GSIF Asia Pacific Manager, is a testimony to the efforts of the social services of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd to protect children from these forms of violence and uphold their rights. Through data, visuals, field testimonies and concrete examples, this publication explores the practices and impact of the work of the Good Shepherd sisters and mission partners in 10 countries across Asia Pacific: Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Myanmar and Malaysia.
“I have seen these programs myself, worked on reports, project proposals” explains Onalie, “and I realized there was so much excellent work already happening but little understanding of and sharing about commonalities. Some programs function so well in particular countries, but they might not know anything about other programs. I wanted to show that we are all connected into one mission, that all these projects are connected into one purpose. My inspiration was purely to show there’s so much we can learn from each other and how vibrant our mission is.”
Over the course of more than a year, Onalie conducted extensive research, mapped and analyzed all Good Shepherd child protection programs and gathered inputs from the Asia Pacific Units and Mission Development Offices (MDOs). This process led to the construction of the 3Es model of child protection – Education, Empowerment and Engagement: a systemic approach that cuts across all the efforts the programs take on child protection in the region.
The closer I got to these programs, the more I realized there were commonalities that aligned with these 3Es. I realized that the Good Shepherd approach was very holistic, that we were not looking at only one aspect of Child Protection. We ensure that children are in safe spaces, accessing education. We also ensure that children themselves know how to stand up for their rights, know what their rights are, and can support each other in protecting their rights. But empowering is not only for children; it is also for those around them, those who are the closest to children. The third E – engagement – is about networking and connecting with different stakeholders, including parents, teachers, like-minded organizations, the media, government organizations etc. All these entities play a role in protecting children. This engagement component is about making sure that everybody takes equal responsibility in protecting every child in society.
Education – the 1st E – is at the center of this model and an essential tool in child protection, both in the short run and long run. When children are in a safe space for education, they’re not outside or in dangerous environments, and therefore they are less likely to be exposed to dangers such as child trafficking, labor, exploitation or kidnapping. It also means they’re not left alone where they could be at risk of physical or sexual abuse. Beyond immediate protection, Good Shepherd education also presents long-term positive effects: “when children get into schooling, they’ll get exposure to learn about values, about their rights, they are able to learn beyond the textbooks. This education involves the child in learning their rights, their responsibilities, and the values, especially those of the Good Shepherd. When children are empowered with knowledge and skills to protect themselves, they also grow up to become responsible citizens, able to help, protect and support each other. Bringing children into education is a tool to protect them immediately from dangers, physically, and in the long run, they grow up to become values-based humans who will be able to live a dignified and respectful life with much compassion, love and justice”.
Programs in Asia Pacific are widely spread, diverse in nature but are truly connected to serve the same purpose: protecting children today and creating a better future for them tomorrow. “I sincerely hope the reader will see the impact that is created by the Good Shepherd programs in child protection in Asia pacific” concludes Onalie “and will find ways to connect with these programs in spirit, or to connect by visiting them, speaking to the sisters, partners, learning more about the programs and finding ways to support them”.
