Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Child Rights & Protection Resource

This workbook from Bantwana, an initiative of World Education and John Snow, Inc., was created for and by children to help them understand their rights and responsibilities and to discuss ways to respond to violations or abuses of their rights. The booklet is organised into 5 sections and contains information, stories, essays, poems, and drawings around the 7 most commonly identified child rights abuses and violations, including: child labour, child neglect, defilement, domestic violence, drug and alcohol use, early marriage, and denying education. It contains a supplemental section on community mobilisation for youth and adults.

Under the Western Uganda Bantwana Program (WUBP), district government, and non-governmental organisation (NGO) stakeholders met and planned the contents of the booklet with Bantwana staff, selecting issues of greatest concern for children in Western Uganda. Children from WUBP child protection clubs then contributed stories, essays, poems, and artwork around these issues.

This tool can be used by child rights clubs, teachers, caregivers, and other organisations working to strengthen community child protection services.