As part of the regional project Unity in Care, Terre des hommes Kosovo (TdhK) initiated the process of adapting the Child Advisory Board (CAB) Toolbox to the local context. The journey began with contextualization workshops, ensuring that the tools reflect the realities, needs, and voices of children and professionals in Kosovo.
Contextualization Workshops: Children and Professionals in Focus
Two workshops were held separately with children and with professionals.
With children – sessions were designed to be interactive, exploring concepts of participation, wellbeing, and psychosocial support. Through games, drawings, and practical exercises, children reflected on what it means to have safe spaces and how they can actively contribute to shaping decisions that affect them. Children were reminded that:
- Everyone has the right to speak and be heard.
- There are no right or wrong answer every opinion is valuable.
- Everyone’s ideas would be respected equally.
- The group would take turns when speaking to make sure all voices were heard.
With professionals – discussions cantered around language, terminology, and cultural elements. The goal was to adapt the materials so that they are clear, accessible, and meaningful for children from diverse backgrounds.
These sessions are a key step to ensure that the CAB Toolbox is not simply translated but contextualized, allowing it to empower children to participate safely and meaningfully in decision-making processes.
Two-Day Training for Professionals
Following the workshops, a two-day training was organized with mental health professionals and school staff.
The main objectives of the training included:
- Deepening participants’ knowledge on the core concepts of child participation, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Developing practical skills to implement the Lundy Model of Child Participation in their daily work.
- Building confidence and professional capacity in using the CAB Toolbox with inclusive groups of children.
This training reflects Tdh’s approach, which views child participation not only as a fundamental right but also as a powerful tool to amplify children’s voices, influence decision-making, and ensure that solutions to issues affecting children are more inclusive and effective.
Looking ahead
The next phase of the project will focus on establishing a Child Advisory Board (CAB) to strengthen children’s participation at the community level. Rather than creating new structures, the emphasis will be on reinforcing existing mechanisms and making them more inclusive for all children.
- The CAB will bring together 12 children and young people from diverse backgrounds in Kosovo, meeting monthly with the support of trained facilitators.
- Members will take part in life-skills workshops – such as public speaking, advocacy, ICT, and self-care – with topics chosen together with the children.
- Through a five-phase participatory action research cycle – Map, Explore, Plan, Collective Action, Reflect & Share – the CAB will design and lead one initiative that promotes children’s wellbeing and rights in Kosovo.
- The results and experiences will be shared at the national level through platforms, conferences, and advocacy campaigns, ensuring that children’s voices influence decision-making processes.
By connecting children, professionals, and communities in Kosovo, Unity in Care is creating spaces where young people are heard, respected, and empowered to shape the decisions that affect their lives.
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