GENERAL INFORMATION:

Defence for Children International Liberia is active since March 2009 and started by a group of committed and dedicated Liberians who are concerned about the deplorable situation faced by children in conflict/contact with the law in the criminal justice system in Liberia.

It gains its legal status as a registered Non-governmental organization in June 2009.

Defence for Children International Liberia is based in Monrovia. It has also sub-offices in Bensonville and Tubmanburg in Bomi County.

It can counts on a team of 19 people of which is eleven (11) males and eight (8) females.

These staff capacities have been built on issues relating to Child rights and protection, Juvenile justice standards in dealing with children, Preventive and Response mechanisms towards Gender-based violence, and a wider range of interventions in advocacy, psycho-social counselling, and GBV case management.

FIELDS OF INTERVENTION:

Defence for Children Liberia operates in Liberia for and with children carrying out initiatives for the protection and promotion of rights in the following areas:

Juvenile Justice
Sexual, Exploitation and Abuse against children
Education to Human Rights and Children Rights Gender based violence
Defence for girls programme

CURRENT ACTIVITIES & PROJECTS:

The Girl Power Project

The Girl Power Programme is a regional programme, supported and funded by the Dutch Government, to promote the rights of the girls child and create opportunities for their protection, to have quality education and access to vocational and technical training, socio-economic and political empowerment. It is implemented in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ethiopia (FSCE), Ghana, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Zambia (Children in Need Network) and Liberia. DCI Liberia is currently running Juvenile Programs and the Girls Power project in Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount and Bomi Countries that promote Child rights issues, renounce Gender-based violence, advocacy, and Strengthening of Justice professionals such as police, magistrates, court clerks, and local community based structures. More information about DCI-Liberia's involvment in the project.

Protecting, preventing, and reporting violations of children’s rights

*Preventing, and reporting violations of girls and young women's rights in Liberia for Equal rights and opportunities:

Through the Defence for Girls Project, which is a part of the Girl power programme, child protection structures at national, district ans local levels are being established and strengthened.

*Monitoring and reporting child right violations in the criminal justice system:

Statistical reports is a direct representation of data disseminated with government stakeholders, national and international partners at a monthly child protection network and Juveniles justice sessions chaired by the Ministries of Justice and Gender & Development on the situations of children within the criminal justice system. Basically, it is at these various children working sessions advocacy is mainstreamed in our update and action planned derived to response promptly to child violations. For example, in 2010 CI-Liberia has carried out advocacy and intervention strategies on behalf of 52 child offenders (charged with minor offences) subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention in the central prison of Monrovia; 12 of these youths have subsequently been granted clemency.

*Establishment and strengthening Child Welfare Committees and Clubs

DCI-Liberia has strengthened and established a total of 20 Child Welfare Committees(CWC) and 20 Children Clubs in Montserrado and Bomi counties which has been empowered towards protecting a preventing, and reporting issues of child rights violations occurring in the community.


Pose for a photo after a Children Club Meeting	Focus Group discussion with children

Training of beneficiaries

A child protection training workshop was conducted in selected projected community in Monrovia and it’s environ by DCI-Liberia in which 14 police officers, 5 court clerks, 7 DCI-Liberia staff as well as 72 local community stakeholders including Child Welfare Committee members, and representative of the Children clubs were in attendance.These project beneficiaries were trained in : Child rights and Protection and Juvenile Justice, etc.

Publishing posters on various central juvenile justice issues

During September 1st 2010 to May 2nd 2011, a total of 2,500 posters were printed portraying: The role of Police in the juvenile justice system,The Role of family and children’s court in juvenile justice,The role of Child Welfare Committee in Juvenile Justice, and The Rights of the child. These posters were distributed in project communities, Government ministry and Agencies, Public buildings, Magisterial courts, Police stations etc.

Conducting a joint juvenile justice baseline survey in collaboration with DCI-Sierra Leone

DCI-Liberia in collaboration with DCI-Sierra Leone conducted a joint Juvenile Justice Baseline Survey with the aimed of accessing information on policies and practices put in place by the Government of Liberia to protect the rights of Children in contact and conflict with the law. Additionally, it was intended to identify tangible gaps within the juvenile justice system that the government and other partners in progress would utilize for future interventions.The data was however collected, processed and submitted to the consultant for review; and finally compiled and published.

Following up on cases of juvenile offenders referred from police stations and facilitating psychosocial interventions

DCI-Liberia is currently collaborating with the above organization through the referral of child offenders from the police stations, the communities and subsequently admitted to child fund juvenile rehabilitation centre for psychosocial interventions.The main objective is to facilitate the child for these interventions since we are widely known in the criminal justice system for child justice issues.Given the situation of parents’ refusal to accept their children being reunify with them after the rehabilitation process, a joint meeting was held between DCI-Lib and Child Fund-Liberia on the 8th of February and the 17th of March 2011 to resolve these problems. Due to our key strategy put into place, DCI-Liberia has begun to resolve them through the intervention of the Child Welfare Committee.

Carrying out extensive advocacy in favour of passing the Child Act Bill in the Liberian Parliament

The bill was approved by the Lower house - the House of Representative- in July 2010 and subsequently sent to the Upper house- The House of Senate- for concurrence before enacted into law by the Government of Liberia. DCI-Liberia conducted four (4) talk Shows with the United Nations Mission Radio Station (UNMIL Radio) which has larger coverage through out the length and breadth of Liberia.The Children law was enacted on September 15,2023 by the Government of Liberia.

Cross sections of CSOs, NGOs, and UN agencies,
journalist and Parliamentarian in attendance at the debate on the child act bill.