1. Project Rationale
VaCNets Virtual Hub, is a product of Impact and Innovations Development Centre (IIDC) learning Initiative and a safe online space developed to serve as a central repository and networking platform on promising practices and emerging evidence on prevention of violence against children (VAC) work by organisations in East Africa.
IIDC/VaCNets Virtual Hub aims to address the problem of scattered evidences on VAC prevention programs; the limited engagement on available evidences; and slow process of decision making that results into low evidence uptake on ending VAC across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. In order for change to be realized, IIDC works with actors to identify and collate available evidences, translate the evidence into easy to use materials, and provide a platform on the interactive section of the hub and through webinar platforms to discuss the evidence shared.
Hence, the Hub operates on the conviction that if available evidences on VAC prevention is well documented, and centrally located for practitioners’ access and discourse; and if leadership in organizations with proven VAC prevention models and Government Children departments are knowledgeable on evidence use in decision making processes; then there will be increased use of evidence in program and policy decisions for enhanced safety of children at risk of violence.
2. Summary of the Initiative
2.1 Overall Goal: To be the leading virtual hub for impact evidence sharing and networking hub on prevention of Violence against Children in East Africa .
2.2 Mission: To provide the most accessible information exchange platform on evidence – based approaches to ending violence against Children that can be adapted and scaled.
2.3 To achieve its goal of contributing towards prevention of violence against children, two approaches are used;
• Sourcing for evidence from various PVAC players through documenting and publishing information through the virtual hub, mentoring organsations to document evidence from their interventions and share with us for publication, and through reading already existing literature on PVAC and extracting knowledge which in turn is shared on the hub for access by all and possible adoption.
• Technical Assistance to organisations in knowledge generation, management and sharing to empower them to become evidence hubs. IIDC does this through carrying out capacity training for partners and sharing knowledge on knowledge generation and management
The hub achieves its goal through a number of activities, including leadership narturing on evidence informed decision making; co-creation of knowledge products with VAC prevention evidence sources and holding policy dialogues on emerging evidences.
Program target areas include the East African region: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania
3 Partners:
5.1 Funding Partners
Children’s Rights and Violence Prevention Fund (CRVPF)
3.1 Practitioners
VaCNets virtual Hub has over 90 practitioners (91 organisations) across the three countries of focus (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania) access the Hub for evidence generation, use and sharing . This figure keeps growing by day, with increased sharing of evidence on the hub.
Evidence on what is working in preventing Violence against Children in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is submitted, stored and can be accessed on https://vacnets.iidcug.org/submit-evidence
