Key Objective: To advocate and promote the rights of children

This Department is the loudspeaker of the Organization, the driving force of Simukai’s mandate to the public and most importantly the amplifier of the children’s voices. 50 000 adults and children have been reached thus far in community sensitizations around Manicaland

AREA OF IMPLEMENTATION:

All 7 districts of Manicaland with Mutare being the headquarters

TARGET GROUP:

The entry point and key interest for all Simukai interventions is the child

All children as defined by the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) – “any person below 18 years of age.”

Children do not exist in a vacuum, thus for holistic programming it is essential to address the support systems, safety nets and influential systems that surround them (parents, guardians, child minders, service providers, religious leaders, traditional leaders, law enforcements agents and peers)

ACTIVITIES:

Child Rights Clubs (CRCs)

• Intervention piloted in 2014 and was formed by Simukai and owned by the respective communities, schools and most importantly the children themselves.
• Breeding ground of child advocates, empowered with knowledge of their rights and how to access them.
• Advocate for child rights in their own communities making use of arts such as drama, music, poetry, dance etc.
• Club is run by the children exercising their rights by nominating and voting in their peers as the executive committee facilitated by two adult mentors.

Community Sensitizations

Key stakeholders in the life of a child are engaged and sensitized on the importance of child rights as well as the need to collectively advocate against child abuse.

The key methods employed are awareness campaigns, community dialogues, parenting seminars, commemorations of pivotal days (Day of the African Child etc) as well as training and capacity building workshops

Communications

As the loudspeaker of the Organization, the Advocacy Department is responsible for all engagement and interaction with the media, social media platforms, line Ministries and key stakeholders.

Documentation and publications fall under the Advocacy portfolio including the production of regular child protection articles for publication in the press.

Fundraising

The emerging advocacy issues arising from the different areas and facets of Simukai’s programming inform the need for future interventions. Hence the Advocacy department channels issues emanating from the grassroots towards fundraising efforts, in order to craft interventions which fully address the problems present in society.

The Advocacy Department is also responsible for maintaining the fundraising database and library of relevant information as well as the coordination of all fundraising activities within the Organisation