Children’s Movement
The Children’s Resource Centre
Community House
41 Salt River Road
Salt River
7925
Tel: 021- 447 5757
Fax: 021- 447 8597
email: crcchild@iafrica.com
P.O.Box 1187
Woodstock
7915
Child to Child Health Project
Introduction
Our Mission Statement
The mission of the Children’s Resource Centre is to assist children to
organise themselves into a Children’s Movement; to create the conditions
for the growth of a united national children’s organisation and social
movement for children of primary school-going age in South Africa; and
to support such a movement with training, equipment and in organising
itself.
This Child-to-Child Health Programme is part of the broader efforts of the
Children’s Movement and the Children’s Resource Centre to help children
to organise themselves.
The Child-to-Child programme has become an important part of the
Movement’s work with the combined membership of more than 2000
children of primary school-going age(between the ages 7 and 14 years).
Other aspects of the work of the Children’s Movement includes culture
(traditional dancing, singing, etc.); environment; media (a Children’s
Radio, Eyabantwana Radio Station, and a newsletter, the “Voice of the
Children”); a Values-based Sex Education programme; etc.
What is the Children’s Movement and the Children’s Resource
Centre?
The Children’s Movement comprises of the various community-based
children’s groups which are situated in the poor areas of the country. There
are presently about fifty such groups in the Cape Town and surrounds,
with a growing movement of children’s groups in other parts of the
country such as Grahamstown, East London, Cala, Elliot, Venda, etc. This
network of groups constitutes the Children’s Movement of South Africa.
The Children’s Resource Centre (CRC) has been in existence for more
than 16 years and has been largely responsible for initiating and sustaining
these groups. Today the CRC forms part of this social movement called
the Children’s Movement.
What is Child-to-Child?
Our Child-to-Child Health programme is based on the Child-to-Child
approach developed and popularised by the Child-to-Child Trust, a
London-based organisation which is part of a growing international
movement around this approach.
The main aim of the Child-to-Child approach is to educate and train
children to help themselves and other children with their health problems
within the communities where they live out their lives.
What do we understand by being healthy?
Health within the the Children’s Movement means more than just being
free from sores. For us, it means being healthy in mind, body and spirit;
living in peace with other members of the community; and helping to look
after the environment.
It also means having healthy attitudes; at all times striving to be fit and
well; and caring for others, especially those who are younger and weaker
than ourselves.
Why a health programme specially for children?
Many children suffer from ill health, with very little hope of help. There is
also a serious shortage of hospitals, clinics, day hospitals and other health
facilities.
Half of South Africa’s population of nearly 40 million people are children.
This means that there are nearly 20 million children in our country, half of
these children are girl children.
We believe that children are not only victims of the situation but are also
potential agents of change. They have shown that they can help build and
sustain a better way of life.
But to be able to this, they need to be educated and trained. The Child-toChild approach is very well suited to help in this process.
Who the programme is intended for
Being a membership-based organisation, our health programme is mainly
intended for the members of the organisation; and the pupils of the schools
where we have set up our Child-to-Child Health Centres.
Our health programme presently reaches close on to 8 000 children.
The Content of our Child-to-Child Health programme









Children’s Group and Pupil health teams.
The Child-to-Child Healh Centres.
The Hygiene Packs- (scissors, nail clippers, soap, towel, hair brush and
comb, etc.).
The adult coordinators who coordinate the health centres.
Basic research.
Education and training in Child-to-Child.
Peer Counselling.
A food support programme to eventually set up a kitchen community
support campaigns such as street cleanups, anti-bullying, etc.
Exercise and recreation
The health teams of the children’s groups are elected by the children’s
group members to which they are accountable to. These members, two
girls and two boys, receive basic training in the use of the Hygiene Pack.
The Hygiene Pack, a contribution to the Child-to-Child health programme
by the Children’s Movement, has been specially developed by us to help
cultivate and sustain a culture of hygiene amongst our members and the
other children our health programme is able to reach.
The Hygiene Pack differs from the First Aid Box in that the Hygiene Pack
is proactive, whereas the First Aid Box is aimed at reacting to injuries
suffered during play or at work. Through the regular use of the contents of
the Hygiene Pack, children should be able to develop healthy and
hygienically sound habits.
Our members have already conducted a number of basic surveys on
problems with the head and nutrition. This part of our health programme
will grow as the experience and skills develop.
We are planning to embark upon an anti-bullying campaign.
Our street cleaning campaign has already got of the ground in the areas
where our groups exist.
We are also starting with a programme to encourage our members to make
their own sporting euipment.
What we hope to achieve with our Child-to-Child Health programme?
To help build and sustain a social movement of children that will have a
strong mass-based Child-to-Child health programme.
What we have achieved









Training 300 children in the basic Child-to-Child practices;
Setting up 5 Child-to-Child health Centres in several schools in Cape and;
in the process of setting up several more in different parts of the country;
including rural areas in the Eastern Cape
introduced the Hygiene Pack into the Child-to-Child programme;
in the process of developing a manual for people working in our Child-toChild health programme;
conducted a surveys on problems with the head and nutrition;
produced a Special Health Edition of our children’s newspaper;
produced a video on our health programme;
through our programme we are active in the National Progressive Primary
Health Care Network (NPPHCN).
What are we advocating for?


Setting up a office for a National Child Protector of all SA children, by
the Government;
Setting aside a classroom in every primary school for a Child to Child
Health Centre
In the Children’s Movement we understand that a culture of learning can
only arise and be sustained in the context of a situation where children are
healthy
Our Slogan:
Every school a health centre
every child a health activist.