Cities for Children

Who we are

Cities for Children is a CIO that seeks to promote and preserve the right to a childhood for children facing the challenges of urban poverty. We work with local partners offering education and protection services to street-connected children, and help them develop holistic programmes for child development and wellbeing. Our three programmatic strands to support “the right to a childhood” involve:

• The right to read - through literacy and life skills

• The right to play - through structured recreation programmes

• The right to feel safe - through programmes supporting child protection and psychosocial support.

Our work protects the right to a childhood for children on the margins of society, by promoting literacy as well as psychosocial wellbeing. We help promote the integration of marginalised, vulnerable young people, and bridge social  gaps through community volunteer programmes. Our work aims to promote positive mental health and resilience for young people, and also to contribute to better education outcomes through increased participation, learning, attendance and retention in schools.