Unite for Children, Youth, and Environment (UNITE)
Country
Organisation
Partners
Duration
Total budget
Participants
Contact
catherine.larsson@barnfonden.se
Project summary
UNITE strengthens children's and young people's rights, resilience and voice in the face of climate change, across Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Bolivia and Ukraine. Local partners lead context-specific initiatives: school-based climate education and safe spaces in Ethiopia, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policy reform and youth-led innovation in Kenya, climate clubs and social accountability with local government in Bangladesh, and EcoClubs with green entrepreneurship for young women in Bolivia. Across all countries, children and youth gain climate knowledge and green skills, engage in advocacy toward duty bearers, and lead community-based adaptation – from climate-smart agriculture and early warning systems to youth-led innovation challenges and green enterprises. The programme strengthens the capacity of local civil society organisations to sustain this work over time.
Why was the project developed?
Climate change is increasingly linked to violence against children, threatening their safety, health and rights. UNITE was developed to support initiatives that prevent and respond to climate-induced violence against children, ensuring that children grow up healthy and safe and can fully enjoy their rights under the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Applicable activities
Informative education
Empowering advocacy
Building resilience
Innovative solutions and skills
Examples of activities
nformative Education
- School-based climate and environmental education, including safe spaces and child-rights awareness (ACFDO, Ethiopia)
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and climate education through animation, gamification and creative coding (AFOSI, Kenya)
- Climate clubs and EcoClubs for children and youth (NSS, Bangladesh; Estrella Del Sur, Bolivia)
- Teacher training and curriculum integration on environmental education and disaster risk reduction (Estrella Del Sur, Bolivia)
- Inclusive climate, biodiversity and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) training in schools and communities (SDS, Bangladesh)
Empowering Advocacy
- School-based clubs promoting child-led advocacy (ACFDO, Ethiopia)
- Functional accountability platforms engaging duty bearers (DCFCO, Ethiopia)
- Advocacy with Kenya's Ministry of Education for inclusive ESD policy reform (AFOSI, Kenya)
- Youth-led social accountability tools and dialogue with local government (NSS, Bangladesh)
- Girls' leadership and youth advocacy with local authorities through EcoClubs (Estrella Del Sur, Bolivia)
Building Resilience
- Climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry and market linkages (DCFCO, Kenya; NSS, Bangladesh)
- Environmental restoration and disaster risk reduction (DCFCO, Ethiopia)
- Food security and sustainable agriculture for smallholder farmers (Pioneer, Kenya)
- Early warning systems and nature-based solutions (SDS, NSS – Bangladesh)
- Disaster preparedness and environmentally friendly household practices (NSS, Bangladesh)
- Training professionals in the Healing Forest methodology (games, movement, creativity) to support children's emotional self-regulation (CWBF, Ukraine)
- Supporting caregivers, local authorities and civil society to address the impact of war on children's mental health and development (CWBF, Ukraine)
Innovative Solutions & Skills
- Green job skills training and energy-saving stove production, linked to microfinance for women (ACFDO, Ethiopia)
- Green skills development and climate leadership training (DCFCO, Ethiopia)
- Incubation of youth-led ESD solutions in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), renewable energy and climate resilience (AFOSI, Kenya)
- Green entrepreneurship training and a revolving financing mechanism for young women (Estrella Del Sur, Bolivia)
