Active participants

483,000 people of whom 347.000 children and young people, actively participated in our programmes. They joined activities with a high intensity such as life skills courses, youth clubs or awareness raising events. The number of active participants increased by 14% compared to 2011 as a result of a planned scale up in programme activities.

Of the 347,000 children and young people who actively participated in programme activities, 20% took part in public campaigns such as child parliaments, theatre plays, or awareness-raising events. Another 19% benefitted from coaching or mentoring and 12% participated in life skills courses IDEAL and BIG DEAL. Only 4% of children and youth participated in basic education training like catch-up education and vocational skills. Most of the educational activities that War Child implements reach indirect beneficiaries (see B). These activities increase the capacity of school management, parents, teachers associations and the teachers themselves.

Armed conflict affects each child differently. But children themselves can develop the skills to overcome the effects of conflict in their lives. In 2012, 28% of War Child projects primarily aimed at improving social skills amongst participating children, and 18% aimed at increasing their self-esteem and confidence.

Of the total projects, 15% aimed at giving children the knowledge to protect themselves and their peers from, for example, corporal punishment or sexual and domestic violence. Another 8% of the projects wanted to go a step further and see children and young people actively protecting themselves and their peers through, for example, participating in self-created child rights clubs, theatre activities, or referring their peers to existing services. An additional 5% of the projects worked toward supporting children and young people to make use of child protection support services and response mechanisms such as counselling, medical services or family mediation.

Education projects in which children and young people actively participated provided them with literacy and numeracy courses (13%) and vocational skills training, (13%). This training allows participants to become self-sufficient as motorcycle mechanics, hairdressers, carpenters, tourist guides, or masons, instead of remaining caught up in the conflict.

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