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The Children’s Solutions Lab: A Platform for Empowering Children as Agents of Change

Children are at the center of all we do and how we do it. We work to ensure the creation of safe spaces and learning opportunities where children can fully express themselves, participate, engage with people of different cultures and beliefs, and become actively and positively involved in their communities.

The Children’s Solutions Lab is an innovative project that allows children and youth from different backgrounds to come together to discuss, learn, and take action. This year, the invitation to children was to create and propose education-based solutions for child poverty.

The project was co-organized by two of Arigatou International’s initiatives; Ethics Education for Children and End Child Poverty.

Launched in September 2020, the project invited children to discuss the negative effects poverty can have on children’s sound development, and to work in groups to find viable solutions through education.

The Children’s Solutions Lab sought to empower children to be agents of change and to work collaboratively with other children. It builds on the premise that when children are encouraged to think critically about day-to-day situations, they can provide valuable contributions to issues like injustices, violence and poverty.

After receiving 37 submissions from groups of children in 23 countries, five finalists were selected from Cuba, India, Kenya, Peru and Serbia:

“At Arigatou International, we believe in the active participation of children and that is why we want the Children’s Solutions Lab to be an opportunity not just to work for them but with them.”

Rev. Fred Nyabera,
Director,
End Child Poverty

Meet the Finalists!

The Children of the Internet

Cuba

A group of children from Cuba noticed how the pandemic affected learning by shifting from physical classrooms to digital spaces. Under the name “The Children of the Internet,” the group came up with a project to provide educational materials for children in vulnerable situations.

They offered internet connection and electronic devices to help them access online classes and activities, as well as printed learning materials.

“The Children of the Internet” helped over 30 children in Cuba.

Children’s Parliament

India

More than 300 students from nine villages in India engaged in discussions to brainstorm on what could be done to address issues related to education, health care and livelihoods. Through their discussions, children noticed that most public-school students in the villages could not afford electronic devices and an internet connection to attend online classes.

They also noted that younger children were staying behind their learning plan. Based on this, the Children’s Parliament presented a project to ensure that younger children don’t fall behind. They also managed to provide the necessary tools and equipment for children in vulnerable situations to attend online classes.

Garissa Children’s Lab

Kenya

A group of 11 children from Garissa came together to discuss the negative effects of the pandemic in their community. They noticed how the closure of schools aggravated the issue of child marriage.

The “Garissa Children’s Lab,” decided to campaign to raise awareness about the detrimental consequences of child marriage, in contrast to the favorable outcomes of the education of girls. Through dramatic performances, they passed the message to parents and caregivers, as well as local and religious leaders.

Expresarte

Peru

Worried about food scarcity, a group of children in Peru came out with a plan to help children whose parents had lost their sources of livelihood during the pandemic.

Under the name, “Expresarte” they proposed a project of community gardening and selling recycled objects. In addition, they set up a mobile library to support children in situations of vulnerability.

Santa’s Helpers

Serbia

Santa’s Helpers is a group of five children aged 13 to 18 that have been collecting gift packs for vulnerable children during Christmas and New Year’s for several years.

With the start of the pandemic, Santa’s Helpers noticed that children from disadvantaged families did not have access to school supplies, putting them at a severe disadvantage. In response, Santa’s Helpers arranged 40 packs of schools supplies and equipment to be distributed to children.

The five finalists were recognized for their commitment to driving child-led solutions and received mentoring sessions together with a micro-grant from Arigatou International to carry out their project. A booklet collecting their stories as good practices is being developed and will be launched in 2021.

“The experience for me has been very nice because we have helped children that don’t have internet, to download material, games, to help them in the school. It has been a beautiful experience.”

Ana Isabela,
Children of the Internet,
Team from Cuba

“Seeing our peers get married is what made us want to address this issue because we live in this community and us too are under pressure to get married”

Salma,
Garissa Solutions' Lab,
Team from Kenya

“I can probably say that this initiative will be helpful for many other children and we will continue to support many more children in the future as well through the Children’s Solutions Lab.”

Child,
Children’s Parliament,
Team from India

From our team:

“We need to see children as partners in our work, not just as beneficiaries. Intentional opportunities to encourage child-led actions can transform us all.”

Mr. Suchith Abeyewickreme,
Program Officer on Ethics Education for Children,
Arigatou International – Geneva

Key Resources to Ensure Children's Safeguarding

In our constant effort to ensure that all children we work with are safeguarded and treated with dignity and respect, all our programs and activities follow the Arigatou International Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.