New Sweden – Save the Children Partnership to Drive Sustainable Change for Children’s Rights
PRESS RELEASE - New Sweden – Save the Children Partnership to Drive Sustainable Change for Children’s Rights
Lusaka, Zambia, 23rd September 2020 – The Swedish International Development Agency has announced a new agreement with Save the Children International in Zambia worth 55,000,000 SEK ( 123,874,742 ZMW) that will fund a Child Rights Governance project - Driving Sustainable Change for Children’s Rights including Covid-19 response interventions.
Through this project, Save the Children and local implementing partners will use a Child Rights Governance Approach to strengthen Child Sensitive Social Accountability, Investment in Children and Child Rights Reporting in order to drive positive outcomes for children. This will mean strengthening child-centred social accountability skills and structures from national to community level; independent budget tracking and analysis from community to national level; advocacy for efficient and quality social service delivery that benefit children; and supporting the strengthening of children’s agency and structures in the promotion and protection of Child Rights in Zambia meeting the meaningful and ethical requirements of child participation, child safeguarding and supportive protective measures. This project will target the most marginalised and deprived children in selected districts on the Copperbelt, Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western, Luapula and Lusaka Provinces.
Jo Musonda, the Country Director for Save the Children in Zambia, says “This support from the Swedish Government could not have come at a better time. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to wipe out the positive progress Zambia has made in the advancement of children’s rights in Zambia. We see children’s rights to survive, learn and be protected facing greater risks like never before. The support from the Swedish Government will help us protect the gains we have made in promoting and protecting children’s rights and will contribute to driving sustainable change for children’s rights in Zambia. We thank the people of Sweden through its government for this generous support.”
This project aims to reach over 2.1 million children over a three-year period between 2020 and 2023.
The Swedish Embassy in Zambia - Head of Development Cooperation, Ms Susanna Hughes states, “Sida’s support to Save the Children on ’Driving sustainable change for children’s rights in Zambia’ is a unique contribution in our portfolio. This is because of its focus on the agency of children and their communities in demanding greater accountability for education, health and social protection among other issues. It is a priority for the Swedish development cooperation in Zambia to contribute to reduced inequality, democracy and inclusive economic development. The support to Save the Children will contribute to this by enhancing civic participation as well as promoting gender equality. We look forward to supporting Save the Children, the Children of Zambia and their communities as they strengthen their voices for the full enjoyment of children’s rights.”
Zambia has a growing population of approximately 16 million people, 45% of whom are under the age of 15. More than half of children live in multi-dimensional poverty facing deprivation in the areas of protection, education, standards of living as well as health. This project will contribute to the drive positive sustainable change for children’s rights in Zambia.
Notes to the Editor:
About Save the Children
Save the Children has been working in Zambia for over 30 years with government line ministries, civil society organizations, media and members of the public in the promotion and protection of children’s rights through various programmes. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Save the Children in Zambia focuses on Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, Child Rights Governance, Child Poverty and Inclusive Early Childhood Care Development and Education. In addition to development programming, Save the Children in partnership with other humanitarian actors have been at the forefront in ensuring that communities affected by the food insecurity have access to food and children are not deprived of learning opportunities.
For more information about Save the Children’s work in Zambia visit https://zambia.savethechildren.net/
Follow Save the Children in Zambia on Twitter and Facebook
About the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, is Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation. Sida strives to reduce world poverty by allocating resources and knowledge with the goal of making a difference for people in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Sida work with actors from civil society and universities as well as the public and private sector to contribute to sustainable development globally.
For more information about Sweden in Zambia, visit www.swedenabroad.se/lusaka
Follow the Embassy of Sweden on Twitter and Facebook.
For more information, please contact:
Malama Mwila, Communications Manager – Email: malama.mwila@savethechildren.org or Call: +260 960634830
