ARCSEA currently has the Children’s Empowerment and Participation (CEP) as its core program. Its main objective is to provide projects for women’s organizations, health care institutions, daycare centers and people’s organizations to realize children’s rights. To assert children’s right to participation in social transformation, four components are included in the CEP.
- Maternal and Child Health
The health of both the nursing mother and their children are of most value in realizing children’s rights. ARCSEA partners with women’s organizations, health care institution and people’s organizations to ensure children’s right to survival.Under this component are:
- Lactation education training for nursing mothers in the grassroots communities
- Human Milkbank at the UP-PGH
- Potable water system for Indigenous communities to ensure children’s health
- Early Childhood Care and Development
Children’s development in their early years is also responded to by ARCSEA through implementing projects with Day Care Centers. ARCSEA believes that these formative years important in empowering children.Under this component are:
- Daycare Center Construction
- Training of teachers and para-teachers
- Children’s Participation
As one of its main thrusts, ARCSEA gives especial attention in ensuring that children are participating in social transformation by engaging the following activities:- Promoting Child Rights Programming through trainings for partner organizations
- Radio programs produced and anchored by children to register their opinions on social issues
- Visual Arts and Theatre arts Workshops
- And other activities such as children’s trooping to senate or congress for lobbying
- Children’s Summit on Social costs of migration
- Research and Resource Development
ARCSEA also initiates researches on the issues of children in Southeast Asia through its partner organizations. From the researches, ARCSEA publishes materials for advocating children’s rights such as books and articles on maternal and child health, child abuse prevention, early childhood care and education and child rights assessments.