Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC)

Sobre nosotros

In South Sudan, the number of vulnerable children is increasing quickly. Cathy Groenendijk, together with concerned Sudanese, established Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) to empower these children for hopeful futures.
Cathy Groenendijk has been the driving force behind CCC, delivering services, support and safety to children of South Sudan (formerly Sudan) from 2007 when the organisation was founded. With a team of highly committed South Sudanese volunteers and staff, Cathy is able to continue providing a safe space for children affected by protracted crises in the country, including the most recent conflict, which broke out in 2013.

With the support of South Sudanese volunteers, Cathy began providing support to some of these children. As she provided food, the facilities for them to wash, and clean clothes for them to wear, she learned about the violence and abuse many of these girls had been exposed to. Her home became a drop-in centre for up to 30 girls at a time. Very quickly it became apparent there was a need for a structured support system for these vulnerable children; a safe place for them to be, off the streets, and somewhere they could call home.

Our Vision:
To provide vulnerable children with a safe space to sleep, eat, learn and play in order that they can develop into young adults, fulfilling their potential, and to support households to develop a protective environment for safe reintegration of these children into their communities.

What we do
• Child Protection: 40 children have residential care at our Juba-based care centre; We reunify children with their families where it is in the best interest of the child to do so; We provide extracurricular and recreational activities, and have many volunteers who come to do reading, homework, sports, arts & crafts, choir & much more
• Education: We fundraise yearly for the tuition fees for 600 children in the community; We also provide these children with school materials and uniforms; We ensure all the children at the centre go to school regularly in Juba; We also provide extra tutorials for children who require it in our classrooms.
• Advocacy: We actively advocate for justice for children in South Sudan, against abuse, neglect, exploitation and gender-based and sexual violence. We do community awareness-raising activities on children´s rights.
• Health: We provide vulnerable families with financial support for their children if they are unwell; We individually manage the children’s healthcare at the centre and have a nurse who regularly comes to give the children check ups; We support two children with physical disabilities and mental health issues to receive the best possible care
• Psychosocial Support: We provide psychological first aid for children; We run psychological first aid sessions at our women´s groups; We have an in-house psychologist carrying out assessment and providing support to the children at the centre
• Livelihoods: We provide livelihoods support such as our Kitchen Garden project for communities to learn how to grow and maintain crops; We also provide vocational training for youths such as catering and housekeeping - more than 90% of them have jobs now; We support local women and children to make Souk Souks (handicrafts) to sell at the markets including beaded jewellery and crocheted items
• Gender-based violence (GBV): We identify cases of GBV and refer them to the relevant authorities and provide protection at the centre if required; We distribute "dignity kits" for girls and GBV-prevention items such as solar lamps (making dark trips to the latrines / toilets, safer); We distribute household items such as pots and pans, blankets and bedsheets, and toiletries, to vulnerable households so that families are better able to support children at risk of GBV; We run youth and women’s groups to discuss GBV, and create protection committees involving men to create a safe environment for children, their families, and communities

Cathy Groenendijk is the Founder and Executive Director of Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.