Focus and priorities

We prioritise children at risk

Save the Children Sweden targets its efforts towards children whose rights are most

infringed. These are children for whom the three development objectives seem most

distant. Who these children are will be determined by local analyses. These analyses

should take into consideration that children run a greater risk of having their rights

violated:

 

• when they are neglected or abandoned by their family (e.g. children in institutions,

children who have lost their parents or who have a family that does not provide

care, support and guidance).

• when they are discriminated against on grounds of gender, disability, sexual orientation,

HIV/AIDS, or for ethnic, religious or social reasons.

• when they live in poverty.

• when they are adversely affected by war, armed conflict and other disasters.

• when they are exposed to exploitation, violence and other forms of abuse (e.g.

children in hazardous work, children who are exposed to sexual abuse or trafficking,

children who are exposed to harmful practices or who are used as soldiers).

 

Children who experience several of these situations simultaneously are at most risk

of having their rights violated.

 

Participation and non-discrimination should be integrated parts of all our work. The

situation of the girl child should be afforded special attention.

 

Otherwise, the focus could vary depending on local circumstances and priorities.

Save the Children Sweden will identify a limited number of focus areas in each

region/country/local branch. These focus areas should be delimitations in relation to

the development objectives and should specify particular issues within the framework

of these objectives.

 

We use the following guidelines to limit and determine our focus

• Save the Children Sweden selects focus areas based on a thorough analysis of local

conditions.

• To achieve the best possible impact with limited resources, Save the Children Sweden

uses every opportunity to influence, supplement and enhance the effects of

ongoing measures and programs in society.

• Save the Children Sweden focuses on areas where we have a comparative advantage

compared to others, e.g. that we have a rights perspective in our work, we are flexible

and can raise funds rapidly and that we often have a network of contacts at all

levels of society. We make use of our accumulated knowledge and take advantage

of having a field organisation both in Sweden and abroad, which makes it possible

to link international with national/local work.

• Save the Children Sweden selects areas taking into account the views of children

themselves regarding their needs and priorities - not only what adults believe would

be good for them.

• Save the Children Sweden selects areas which contain good opportunities to stimulate

and strengthen the capacity of other parties. In order to achieve sustainable

effects we ensure local ownership and capacity building in all our work.

• Save the Children Sweden selects areas where we can be a driving force in development

and not an administrator of assignments or projects. We always set a time

limit for our involvement and agree with our local partners on their take over when

we phase out.

• Save the Children Sweden focuses on areas that have been overlooked by others.

• Save the Children Sweden selects areas where we avoid being the sole financial supporter

of a project or an organisation. We do not use other organisations only as

agents or implementers of our own agenda.