Project Period: Ongoing
Location: Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar (Host Communities)
Target Beneficiaries: Children at risk of abuse, exploitation, child labour, and rights violations within the target communities
Background:
Children in Bangladesh’s urban and coastal areas often face multiple vulnerabilities, including hazardous labour, exploitation, and limited access to education and safe environments. In Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar, host communities face added socio-economic pressures that can heighten these risks. Ghashful, with a long history of child rights advocacy, works closely with community stakeholders and government mechanisms to ensure that children are protected, empowered, and given opportunities for a safe, healthy future.
Objectives:
The program seeks to build a protective environment for children by raising community awareness, strengthening child protection mechanisms, and influencing policy through advocacy and research. It aims to ensure that vulnerable children grow up free from exploitation and with access to their basic rights and opportunities for development.
Key Outputs and Activities:
Under this program, Ghashful carries out a variety of activities to protect children and strengthen the systems around them. The team organizes awareness sessions in communities to educate parents, local leaders, and youth groups about child rights, the risks of exploitation, and the importance of safe childhoods. Simultaneously, Ghashful actively participates in government-led platforms such as the District Child Labour Welfare Council (DCLWC) and the District Child Rights Monitoring Forum (DCRMF), helping ensure that policies and decisions reflect the needs of vulnerable children.
Research forms a critical part of the program. Ghashful conducts studies on child labour and other forms of exploitation, using findings to inform advocacy initiatives and contribute to academic curricula in universities such as Premier University and Independent University. The program also hosts national-level webinars and discussions, bringing together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to advance the child rights agenda.
Building on its legacy of successful projects with partners like Manusher Jonno Foundation, Ghashful incorporates best practices from past initiatives, ensuring that interventions are effective and replicable. Through these combined efforts, the program empowers communities to recognize children’s vulnerabilities, take protective actions, and create an environment in which children can grow safely and confidently.
