TABLE OF CONTENTS
- SEEDS INITIATIVE
- BACKGROUND
- LEADERSHIP ROLE OF LOCAL ACTORS
- WHY IT WORKED
- CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED
- HOW THEY WERE ADDRESSED
- OUTCOME AND IMPACT
- LOCALISATION AND CHILD PROTECTION LINK
- SCALE AND SUSTAINABILITY
- LESSONS LEARNED
SEEDS INITIATIVE
SEEDS for Child Protection programme is a community-led child protection approach co-developed by War Child and Save the Children. It was implemented in conflict-affected regions of Colombia, where formal child protection systems are often weak or absent.
SEEDS is designed to help strengthen child protection structures more rapidly in times of crisis. It is both a standardised yet adaptable method that places the community at the very centre, helping them identify risks, co-design solutions, and strengthen their own protective environments. Through inclusive facilitation, local actors took ownership of child protection action plans, shifting power from international agencies to community leaders. SEEDS demonstrates how sustainable, locally driven action is both possible and powerful in humanitarian contexts.
In this initiative, several key localisation dimensions were addressed, including governance and decision-making, participation and influence, partnerships, and institutional capacity. The approach emphasised meaningful engagement with local actors, ensuring their voices and perspectives shaped both design and implementation. It also created opportunities for sharing and showcasing learning, while promoting accessible learning to build local capacity, strengthening the ability of local stakeholders to sustain and expand impact over time.
BACKGROUND
For decades, Colombia’s armed conflict has disrupted families, displaced communities, and left children vulnerable to violence, recruitment by armed groups, and school drop-out. In regions like Cauca and Chocó, government services are limited, and child protection structures often depend on external NGOs.
While communities possess deep resilience, they historically lacked the recognition, tools, or resources to lead child protection efforts themselves. SEEDS was developed in this context to transition from externally imposed programming to a model centred on local knowledge, leadership, and long-term ownership.
LEADERSHIP ROLE OF LOCAL ACTORS
SEEDS enabled local actors to lead every phase of the intervention.
- In coordination, community members formed child protection committees and coordinated with schools, health posts, and municipal leaders.
- In decision-making, adults and youth led risk assessments and co-created protection plans tailored to their specific realities.
- In implementation, community volunteers facilitated awareness sessions, peer learning, and monitoring of child well-being indicators.
Rather than following INGO agendas, communities designed their own approaches, supported, not directed, by technical partners.
WHY IT WORKED
- It respected local timelines and cultural processes.
- It prioritised facilitation over instruction.
- It recognised communities as the primary protection actors—not recipients.
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED
- Skepticism due to past failed interventions.
- Limited access to flexible funding for community-owned actions.
- Power imbalances between local actors and traditional INGOs.
HOW THEY WERE ADDRESSED
- SEEDS facilitators built trust gradually and celebrated small wins.
- Communities were supported to advocate for local budget allocations.
- INGOs stepped back from control, becoming mentors, and connectors.
OUTCOME AND IMPACT
- 24 communities developed and implemented their own child protection action plans.
- Reduced reports of school dropout and domestic violence in several regions.
- Youth participation increased significantly in community decision-making.
- Some child protection plans were integrated into local government planning cycles.
- Community members are now routinely invited to contribute to municipal dialogues on child well-being.
- 75% of community groups reported increased confidence in protecting children.
- Monitoring tools were adapted locally and remain in use beyond the pilot.
LOCALISATION AND CHILD PROTECTION LINK
- More relevant protection strategies based on lived realities.
- Stronger leadership among women and youth.
- Increased accountability, with community-led monitoring and response.
- A sense of dignity and pride in locally owned solutions.
SCALE AND SUSTAINABILITY
- Many communities have continued SEEDS activities without external support.
- SEEDS is being adapted for other contexts in Latin America.
- A “train-the-trainer” model is in place to scale the approach through local partners.
- Municipal partnerships have helped embed community-led protection in long-term planning.
LESSONS LEARNED
Lasting protection efforts must begin with trust, which is built through open community dialogue rather than starting with predetermined program design. Local leaders should be positioned to lead, as facilitation is far more effective than directive approaches. Engaging the youth is also essential, as their involvement often generates positive ripple effects throughout the community. Flexibility is key. Rigid program timelines can undermine local agency and hinder sustainable outcomes. Finally, true localisation requires international NGOs to step back and fully transfer power, rather than merely sharing it.