We are delighted to share with you our final update of the work your generous support has enabled during the Big Give Christmas Challenge in December 2020.
During this Challenge week, we beat our target of £12,500 and raised an incredible £20,500, plus £2,721 in Gift Aid. A huge thank you to everyone involved.
The needs of street children are often overlooked – an issue that has only become more pronounced with the continued impact of Covid-19 and governments’ responses worldwide.
Many are unable to work and earn money for food and survival. The outreach services they rely on are closed or oversubscribed, and shelters are overcrowded. Law enforcement may use unnecessary force to detain street children and they face unfair treatment from the justice system in the name of keeping Covid-19 at bay.
Your support has enabled us to further develop our interactive digital platform where street-connected children can connect with one another in a safe environment, helping to combat their isolation and share experiences of how they are overcoming the obstacles they face.
The platform, which is currently undergoing rigorous user testing ahead of its wider release to our 200 network members, gives children a fun, secure, and interactive space to learn about their rights and the rights of children in street situations in other countries, even if Covid-19 restrictions are in place.
Other achievements since project launch:
- With the money we raised over and above our £12,500 target, we have been able to support our network to speak up for street children when they face violence and discrimination in their communities and by local and national law enforcement, ensuring that street-connected children’s views and experiences are included at the highest level.
- We have submitted reports to the UN alongside several of our network members, including on the sale and sexual exploitation of children in street situations, family reunification and street children’s rights, and how housing discrimination impacts the rights of street-connected children – especially in light of measures taken by governments around the world to control the spread of coronavirus.
Thank you once again to everyone who supported the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2020: your generosity is helping to ensure street-connected children around the world are kept safe from Covid-19.