International Day of Children Living and Working on the Streets Celebrated

14. Apr 2025.

On the occasion of April 12, the International Day of Children involved in Street Life and Work, the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization organized a creative workshop for children from the Adice settlement. The activity is part of the project "Support for Children at Risk of Being Involved in Street Life and/or Work", which is implemented with the support of the H. Stepić CEE Foundation from Vienna.

Eleven children participated in the workshop, supported by peer educators and volunteers from Turkey and Serbia. The aim of the activity was to provide children with a safe space to learn about their rights through play, artistic expression and conversation, with a special focus on the right to play, education and protection from any form of exploitation.

The workshop began with a joint game called "Parachute" to help participants get to know each other better and relax. After that, the children drew and colored the planet Earth on a large canvas, around which they wrote the message: "Childhood belongs on the playground, not on the street." During the activity, they discussed what it means to have the right to childhood, free time, education and safety, as well as the importance of protecting children from all forms of labor.

As a symbol of togetherness and every child's right to express themselves, all participants left a handprint in color on the canvas around the drawn planet. At the end of the workshop, the children took the canvas and balloons out onto the street, where they released the balloons into the sky with smiles and joy – as a symbol of freedom.

The ecumenical humanitarian organization once again emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the challenges faced by children at risk, as well as the need for joint action to protect and promote their rights.