TERMS OF REFERENCES FOR THE HIRING OF CONSULTANTS TO PRODUCE A RAPID ASSESSMENT ON CHILD RIGHTS ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION AND DOCUMENTING CHILDREN STORIES AND THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE COVID-19

1. Introduction

Rwanda Religious Leaders Initiative (RRLI) the first ecumenical organization and an apex of religions and churches legally registered in Rwanda. It subscribes to the fight of child rights abuse and exploitation, the fight against pregnancy for adolescent girls and upholding the gender equality principals in the religious spheres and the mobilization of religious leaders to the campaign of supporting government of Rwanda efforts to ascertain child rights and protect children against any form of exploitation.

RRLI in collaboration with World vision Rwanda wishes to formally contribute and supplement to various efforts of the Government of Rwanda, development partners, civil society organizations and the private sector, by making a quick and rapid assessment to identify child rights abuse through religion and churches in this ongoing  period of Covid-19id. This will add on a campaign to fight child rights exploitation and abuse launched by the world vision Rwanda in partnership with the Ministry of gender and family promotion MIGEPROF and other partners including the Rwanda Investigation Bureau RIB and the Rwanda national Police (RNP).

One of the reasons that brought the Rwanda Religious Initiative to think about this rapid assessment  that will identify child rights abuse and exploitation for this period of COVID 19, is that churches  and religions closed based on the lockdown measures imposed by the government and that so many people including children could not access their fellowship places and Sunday schools trainings  and couldn’t neither attend schools and play with their friends in the neighborhoods and paying visits to their friends normally. This has been a heavy burden to carry even from the side of mature people and parents; this assessment aims at identifying possible frustrations, bad practices against child rights in this period of covid 19.

The RRLI wishes to use this opportunity of the rapid assessment on child rights abuse and exploitation, to convey a strong message on the respect of child rights and protect children from any form of violence and exploitation. Being in this situation of covid 19, it shouldn’t be an opportunity to harass children and use them for exploitation, rather to cherish, love, educate them and to develop friendship with them and protect them from any violation.

It is from this backdrop that Rwanda Religious Leaders Initiative (RRLI) wishes to hire two experienced and competent consultants to 1.  Make the rapid assessment on child rights abuse and exploitation during the covid 19 period, 2. To document children experience of the COVID 19 period through stories and videos.  An assessment to be carried out in 24 World Vision Rwanda Clusters in n selected 9 parishes, Catholics, Pentecostals, Muslims and Protestants

2. Main objective of the assignment

The overall objective of this rapid assessment is to identify possible violation of child rights and exploitation during this period of covid 19 and documenting children experience of the covid 19 through stories telling and testimonies. The asssesmain aims at informing future work and interventions in the field of child rights in Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa and globally.

3. Specific Objectives:
4. Produce a rapid assessment document that shall inform future interventions and work in the field of child rights in Rwanda especially during the covid 19 period and post covid 19 period
5. Documenting children stories and testimonies of the covid 19 to further get a clear sense of how to handle effects of the covid 19 on children lives and their growth
6. Laying further strategies of work and interventions to children that experienced covid 19 period and showcasing some of good stories that came out from this period.
7. Scope of work:

The rapid assessment and documented stories will be used across all churches and religions in Rwanda to inform about child rights and exploitation during the covid 19. Developed materials will not only be used by the religions and churches, will also be used by the public to help them comprehending about child rights abuse and exploitation during the covid  19 period  and to inform all stakeholders on future work and interventions in the field of combating child rights abuse and exploitation in Rwanda .

5. Approach

The consultants are expected to work directly under supervision and technical oversight of the Executive Secretary of RRLI.  Selection of sampled parishes, church and religious leaders shall be done in partnership with district religious forums leaders and clusters mangers of the world vision in all 24 WV clusters. Families and children targeted in this rapid assessment, will be identified through religion and churches .

6. Expected Deliverables

• The rapid assessment document
• Document with children experience of the covid 19
• Stories backed with pictures
• video documentary on stories of children

7. Assignment duration and management arrangements 

It is estimated that the work of rapid assessment will last for 20 days, and the work of documenting children stories and experience of the covid19 will last for 15 days .

8. Qualifications and Experience

Consultants will be chosen based on the following criteria:

1. University advanced degree in social sciences
2. 5 years of professional experience in developing different documents related to the assessment and developing evidence based documents
3. A qualified story writer with skills of narrative and documentation
4. A good film maker and book teller
5. Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda with excellent writing, analytical and communication skills.

9. Application process:

Interested candidates that meet the required criteria shall submit the technical and financial offers in different envelopes addressed to the Executive Secretary, Rwanda Religious Leaders Initiative, which is located in Remera, main road coming from Kigali international airport, building closer to duhange Plot and opposite to ituze plaza .

Envelops clearly marked “CONSULTANCY ASSESS CHILD RIGHTS ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION FOR THE COVID 19 PERIOD ” should be submitted to RRLI secretariat offices not later than 10^th July  2020 at 4:00 P.M. Financial proposal should be sealed in separate envelop.  The technical proposals will be evaluated first and candidates who pass the technical stage shall be the only ones eligible for financial evaluation. Only selected candidate will be notified.

For any other contact, kindly email us on rrlfrwanda@gmail.com or call 0782233653

Done at Kigali on 10^th  July 2020

Alexis NKURUNZIZA

Executive Director (RRLI)