Strengthening Child Protection in Vulnerable Communities Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The project aimed to mitigate the critical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being and protection of vulnerable children and adolescents in affected indigenous and rural communities. Community-level child protection mechanisms (CLCPM) were established and strengthened in 20 beneficiary communities. CLCPM members, comprising 144 individuals (32% men and 68% women), completed a training cycle and obtained certification as Community Advocates. These CLCPM members, along with community participants, developed community child protection plans, which included initiatives to prevent gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, child labor, alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. The project also focused on improving community spaces to ensure that boys and girls can engage in recreational and educational activities in a safe and hazard-free environment. Boys, girls, adolescents, and adults learned about children's rights, child protection, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health rights through various events held at the community and school level. The edu-communication campaign reached 1,255 participants, and key messages were disseminated through social media, reaching at least 100,000 users in both provinces. In addition, the project provided material support, including the distribution of 1,993 protection kits for girls, boys, and adolescents, as well as cash assistance to 484 beneficiaries who face greater vulnerability and protection needs. The post-distribution monitoring revealed that 100% of cash recipients surveyed stated that cash assistance did not cause any conflict in their homes, and 100% reported having been able to access care because of the assistance provided. The project also worked in schools, where several actors were involved, including teachers, school authorities, students, and caregivers. The GBV safety audit in 10 schools selected for the intervention found that the risks and evidence of GBV identified are quite similar and linked to each other, having the same structural causes. Work plans were designed for the prevention and response of GBV in schools, which included activities for awareness raising and learning such as fairs, workshops, socialization of protocols and action routes, and a training cycle for teachers. A total of 123 teachers successfully completed the GBV prevention and response training cycle. In addition, 800 girls and adolescents attended workshops on menstrual care, which helped them to learn about body care and clarify their doubts about the menstrual cycle. The girls and adolescents received a dignity kit, and according to the post-distribution monitoring, all recipients were satisfied with both the quantity and quality of the materials provided. The project also underwent changes and amendments, including the need to work in coordination with organizations that belong to the protection system to reactivate and form CLCPMs. Training sessions on child protection were planned for CLCPM members and teachers at intervention schools, but the project identified a need to expand coverage to representatives of the local protection system and other teachers to raise awareness about the importance of CLCPM and reinforce knowledge of GBV prevention. For the fourth round of cash assistance, Plan revised the cash assistance process to provide additional support to the most vulnerable cases, such as victims of violence and families facing extreme vulnerability. Households deemed to be extremely vulnerable were provided with a second round of cash assistance of $60, and in total, 16 households benefited from this additional support and received $120 each, while 468 received $60 each. The project aimed to mitigate the critical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being and protection of vulnerable children and adolescents in affected indigenous and rural communities through the provision of child protection services, strengthening community-level child protection mechanisms, and enhancing protective environments in schools.