By Siân Wynne, Director of Programmes for Network, Practice, and Children’s Participation
The Power of Participation: Launching CSC’s Resource Pack for Participatory Advocacy on International Day for Street Children 2025
It is overwhelming at times and we often feel powerless. But with support and collaboration, we believe meaningful change is possible […] we want to be part of the solution
These are the words of Rani*, a ‘Street Champion’ from Kolkata, speaking at a satellite event to address violence against street-connected children to the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children in Bogota, Colombia, in 2024.
As we mark the 15th International Day for Street Children, and approach eight years since the release of UN General Comment No. 21, one thing is clear: while progress has been made, we still have a long way to go in realising genuine, meaningful participation for street-connected children. Too often, their voices remain unheard in the very spaces where decisions about their lives are made.
Viewing street-connected children through a narrow lens—either as victims needing rescue or as problems to be solved – doesn’t just overlook them as rights-holders, but also completely misses who these young people are: resourceful, resilient, and, when given the chance, powerful collaborators in shaping the world around them.
To mark International Day 2025: The Power of Participation, I’m really proud that Consortium for Street Children is making our Resource Pack for participatory advocacy open-access. This collection of guidance, facilitation plans and tools is designed to support street-connected children not just as rights-holders, but as advocates and changemakers.
I feel incredibly lucky to have spent more than five years working alongside Rani, the other Street Champions, and the brilliant Street Work team from CINI who support them in Kolkata. I’ve seen first-hand, in their work, what the ‘power of participation’ really looks like. Since the Street Champions first came together, supported and trained by CINI, street-connected children in Kolkata have – for the first time – been given a real seat at the table. They’ve not only been heard, but listened to by decision-makers. There’s still a long road ahead, but Rani and her friends have shown us that with the right support, street-connected children really can be part of the solution.
Of course, for young people who’ve been let down time and again by the adult world, participation isn’t just about handing them a microphone – it means investing in trust, in relationships, and in creating spaces where they feel safe, respected, and confident. While street-connected children may have incredible strength and resilience, they may not yet know they have the right to be heard—let alone feel ready to speak up.
That’s why I’m so excited that this Resource Pack is now going to reach even more people. The tools and sessions in it helped Rani and the other Street Champions build on their existing strengths, growing into confident, informed advocates. With the support of trusted adult Street Workers, they learned how to understand their rights, speak up safely, and push for real change—not just for themselves, but for others too.
This pack builds on a long journey of participatory work with street-connected young people. It evolved from the Knowledge Exchange Training Pack developed through Growing up on the Streets —a research project involving the University of Dundee, StreetInvest (now part of CSC), and partners across three African cities. That research was co-created with street-connected youth who collected data about their own lives over three years. In 2020, with support from Railway Children and UK Aid, the training was expanded into this pack, to include activities helping children explore their experiences, identify what needs to change, and discover safe ways to make it happen.
At the start, the children were largely unaware of their rights, somewhat accepting the ‘bad luck’ of their situations and extremely wary of actors in positions of power. As we end the project, these children are collaborating with other children on advocacy and are confidently sharing their experiences and voicing their demands to decision-makers at local and national level
A reflection from a Child Rights Practitioner from NGO Grambangla Unnayan Committee, on using the Resource Pack to build Street Child Taskforces in Bangladesh.
Since then, the Resource Pack has been used by CSC members in India, Tanzania, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, and Sierra Leone, with more organisations around the world now using it as part of their International Day activities. It’s been amazing to see it embraced by our global network—and even more inspiring to see what young people are doing with it.
When we make space for street-connected children to influence change, we move closer to a world where their rights are truly respected. But meaningful participation doesn’t happen by accident – it takes time, support, and trust. I hope this resource helps more organisations support children not just to understand their rights, but to use them—to shape decisions and challenge injustice.
If you are interested in training to get the most out of the pack, or have any other questions or comments, please contact us at info@streetchildren.org.
We would love to hear from organisations and practitioners who make use of the pack – please get in touch on the email address above.
* name has been changed