Khebisa and Laja Gewogs in Dagana can now look forward to improved system for safeguarding children’s wellbeing and protection. Nazhoen Lamtoen, a civil society, has implemented a project to strengthen community-based child protection system in the two gewogs. Under the project, community members take ownership, form child protection teams, and identify and report child-related cases to relevant authorities.
Community members are at the forefront of the programme. Nazhoen Lamtoen has trained them to be first responders in child protection. They are taught to identify cases early on, report, and refer to the Gewog Child Welfare Committees which then forwards the cases to the District Women and Child Welfare Committee.
According to officials, in the absence of a proper reporting mechanism in the past, some child-related cases often remained unreported.
The project, titled ‘Integrated Programme: Strengthening Community-Based Child Protection System, Mechanism and Response Structure’, implemented over a period of over five months, covered ten chiwogs in the two gewogs.
Nazhoen Lamtoen implemented the project in collaboration with UNICEF Bhutan, Dagana District Administration and the gewog administrations.
The gewogs were selected based on the multidimensional poverty index for children aged zero to 17, as identified in the Bhutan Living Standard Survey 2022.
According to Nazhoen Lamtoen, the project aligns with the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan and complements ongoing efforts to strengthen child protection systems at both community and national levels.
RENEW has also implemented similar projects in Chhukha and Samtse.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Phub Gyem
