The project in summary

Develop and implement a holistic program for the protection and promotion of the rights of children on the move, located in the collective Federal and Cantonal Asylum Shelters in Switzerland.

The project in detail

Strengthening the resilience and coping mechanism of refugee and migrant minors, and promoting their emotional, cognitive, motor development and their social inclusion.

Final Beneficiaries (2020-2022)

  • 101 Staff Members from 15 Asylum Shelters received in-depth technical support in setting up child-friendly spaces and activities;
  • 57 Staff Members from 17 Asylum Shelters received creative activity support trainings;
  • Approximately 4’000 minors on the move have been reached by child-friendly activities.

In 2020-2022, Save the Children Schweiz, with Alta Mane support amongst others, developed the following main activities:

  • to coach asylum shelter staff to autonomously run Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS), to develop and implement arts-based pedagogical activities that are tailored to the needs of the minors in asylum shelters by means of the Creative Tool Kit and Activity Box;
  • to replicate and scale the Creative Tool Kit and Activity Box and make it available to 15 Federal and Cantonal asylum shelters;
  • to strengthen the advocacy, enhance networking and share best practices in the field of child protection and child rights in the asylum and migration sector.

In 2020-2022, a total of 15 Asylum Shelters (7 Federal/8 Cantonal) received in-depth technical support in setting up child-friendly spaces and activities and 101 Staff Members (79 Staff, 22 Shelter Directors) were trained in over 90 coaching sessions. During the same period, a total of 17 Asylum Shelters (5 Federal/12 Cantonal) received low-threshold counselling on the implementation of child-friendly activities and 57 Staff Members (12 Shelter Directors, 45 Staff) as well as 3 volunteers benefited from creative activity support trainings, including child development and protection, pedagogical principles, and the use of the Creative Toolkit and Activity Box.

Since 2020, Save the Children Schweiz played a key role as expert organization in the reporting process of the civil society to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the promotion and protection of right issues concerning refugee children in Switzerland. In May 2021, the NGO Report and the Child and Youth Participatory Report were successfully submitted to the UN Committee, both elaborated in collaboration with the Swiss Child Rights Network. The official recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to Switzerland, published in September 2021, contain many calls for action, especially regarding refugee children. Action requests concerning these children are as well based on the information provided by Save the Children Schweiz.