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Djohong, Cameroon: At the Ecole Publique de Borgop’

3 June 2019, Djohong, Cameroon: At the Ecole Publique de Borgop’ (Public School of Borgop), children participate in 'the Listening Club', where today painter and consulting artist Dogari Samson leads a specific eight-day intervention to teach the children how to make drawings with images and messages of peace. The Borgop refugee camp is located in the municipality of Djohong, in the Mbere subdivision of the Adamaoua regional state in Cameroon. Supported by the Lutheran World Federation since 2015, the camp currently holds 12,300 refugees from the Central African Republic. 

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On 18 November, in a global event in Rome, the World Council of Churches (WCC) joined several child-rights organisations to launch the toolkit “Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years – A Contribution to the Protection of Children from Violence and for Their Holistic Well-Being.” WCC programme executive for Child Rights Frederique Seidel collaborated in the development of the toolkit, underlining the urgency of climate solutions to prevent the increase of violence against children. Children’s holistic wellbeing is immensely affected today by the climate emergency. Nurturing spirituality in early childhood is more important than ever. The toolkit provides strong support to faith communities and partners.

On 21 November, WCC will give a keynote speech in the online Symposium for World Children’s Day organized by FELM

To support member churches around the globe, WCC has been consolidating its effort to produce resources for churches to protect children:  

Cooler Earth—Higher Benefits: Research documenting good practices by churches and partners whose  financial choices help to bend the CO2 emissions curve (also called the “Keeling Curve”). It invites churches and partners to discern the power of their own financial choices, and supports decision-makers through  practical strategies to address the climate crisis.

Helping Children Out of the Shadows and Into the Light: Church resources for ending sexual violence against children: A campaign through its “Churches’ Commitments to Children” programme, in collaboration with the Just Community of Women and Men programme and the EHAIA programme - to support local churches and regional partners in protecting children and adolescents from sexual violence. The campaign can help churches identify important issues and develop ways to address them.

We Care About Children - The Theopopettes: Puppet characters Theo and Popette help children worldwide understand what the WCC is and provide Sunday school facilitators to engage with young children in the ecumenical movement.

More information about WCC work for and with children

Download the toolkit "Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years