UNICEF warns of a significant jump in the number of adolescent girls being forced into early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as the region's worst drought in 40 years pushes families to the edge.

This is the monthly update of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform published in July 2022. 

This is one of the resolutions adopted under the Kigali Declaration on Child Care and Protection Reform adopted on June 25, at the closure of the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. 

This webinar co-hosted with the Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) initiative is an opportunity to lift up how the Catholic Church is advancing safe and nurturing family care for children around the world.

The Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform hosted a webinar on June 22, 2022, featuring speakers from UNICEF's head office and the Better Care Network who provided detailed examples on the importance of data in Uganda's care reform processes. This purpose of this webinar was to examine the importance of using data to inform care reform, and how data can be collected and used effectively.

The webinar, hosted by Transform Alliance Africa, provides an overview of the progress and findings from our youth wellbeing project. The youth wellbeing project is a community mental health initiative led by care experienced youth that aims to develop a safe transition pathway for young people leaving orphanages and provide support to young people experiencing well being and mental health challenges in the community.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the traumatic experiences endured by children in institutional care in Kiambu County, Kenya. The target population for this study was all children in 50 registered institutions of care within Kiambu County aged between 11 and 17 years.

During this webinar, organized by Transform Alliance Africa (TAA), they will talk about how they have developed the innovation in Uganda which is focusing on four key areas: Trauma and Stress, Depression and Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings, Anxiety, and Loss and Grief.

This paper presents findings from a study on care leavers’ experiences of transitional housing at three institutions in Zimbabwe. Using the social sustainability conceptual framework, the study found that transitional housing offers continuity of care, relationships, and a smoother, gradual transition from care to independence.

The Kenyan government has revealed a 10-year plan to remove orphaned and vulnerable children from children's homes and orphanages, and transition them to family and community-based care.