Projects and Activities
Bice Asia’s projects in the field:
Our philosophy of action and strategy in the field
Bice Asia works in partnership with local organisations in Cambodia, India, and Nepal to implement projects which promote the dignity and the rights of children.
Our action in the field is effectively guided by two underlying considerations:
• Children have rights, which are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Bice believes taking a Children's Rights Based Approach, which empowers people to demand justice as a right, and not as charity.
• Children, adults and communities have the capacity to draw upon inner resources to react in creative ways to difficult situations. Resilience is seen as a critical component of addressing children rights and is promoted at every stage and in every way throughout our projects.
Our strategy generally has three main lines of actions:
1. Empowering communities and strengthening community structures
At the foundation of all Bice Asia's involvement is the development of community based-programmes which empower communities to take responsibility for all of its children, by focusing on positive approaches. Community members, including children, are encouraged to form supportive and caring groups with appropriate committee structures for the overall development of programmes, to address children's rights and welfare. These groups do not only promote participation, but they also provide a positive support network and a valuable space for listening.
2. Building and supporting individual capacities of caregivers and stakeholders
An important factor in promoting children's rights and building resilience is helping adults in the family and community to improve their effectiveness as parents and care givers. An important element of this is increasing awareness on children's well-being and on the importance of listening.
Other important aspects of our programming includes facilitating livelihood opportunities, improving access to health services and educational opportunities, promoting skill development and providing cultural and recreational activities. In utilizing these resources, children, their families and their communities are encouraged to be self sufficient and improve their self esteem and self confidence.
3. Working in cooperation with local NGOs, services and local authorities
To ensure the sustainability of the action and to build a sense of ownership, Bice Asia's projects are always integrated into the wider context of existing local non-governmental organisations, government services and authorities. Moreover, a coordinated action to address children's rights issues does not only raise the profile of different issues of concern, it contributes to mainstreaming the issue on the agenda at local, district and national levels.
