Children on the Edge

Children on the Edge
Founded1990
FounderLate Dame Anita Roddick and Rachel Bentley OBE
Registration no.Registered Charity no. 1101441
Legal statusCharitable organisation
HeadquartersChichester, England
Websitewww.childrenontheedge.org

Children on the Edge is a non-profit charitable organisation dedicated to working on behalf of some of the most marginalised children around the world.

The organisation is based in Chichester, England and was founded by the owner of The Body Shop, Dame Anita Roddick, (DBE) in 1990 following her visit to several Romanian orphanages.[1] It was co-founded by Rachel Bentley (OBE), who has led the organisation to this day.[2][3]

Children on the Edge started off in Romanian orphanages,[4][5] but has since expanded to cover over 18 countries throughout Eastern Europe and Asia, including Bangladesh, Burma, India, Thailand, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Uganda. The charity exists to help children who are living on the edge of their societies around the world. They focus on some of the most marginalised children, who are overlooked by governments, larger organisations, the media and the international community.

We use our size to innovate, test, and refine high-quality education and protection models for children living on the edge. This is what we call ‘the mosquito effect ’-stemming from our Co-founder Anita Roddick’s much-loved quote “If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito”. With our sharp focus, we can raise standards across the sector, creating benchmarks that can be scaled by much larger agencies.

— Rachel Bentley OBE - CEO and co-founder

History

1990–1999

Dame Anita Roddick in Romania in the early days of Children on the Edge

After Anita Roddick visited Romania for the first time in 1990,[6] The Body Shop until 1996 undertook refurbishment of three orphanages, provided medical help, and organised annual play schemes.[7] At this time the organisation were entitled "The Body Shop Romania Relief Appeal".

By 1999, the organisation had established the "Big Brothers Big Sisters" programme in Romania for children without parental care.[8] They also provided mobile sanitation units in Albania for refugees from the Kosovan crisis.[9][10]

2000–2009

The following year, they worked on rebuilding a school in Kosovo, which was destroyed during Kosovan crisis.[5] Much of the experience in Europe contributed to the organisation being invited by UNICEF to implement a Child Friendly Space in a post conflict environment in Viqueque, East Timor.[11]

From 2002 to 2005 they continued to refurbish schools in Kosovo, established semi-independent living apartments for orphaned children in Romania and also opened two Special Needs Day care centres in Romania to help prevent these children being forced into state institutions.[12]

In 2004, Children on the Edge registered as an independent charity and, using the model they had developed in East Timor, established a Child and Community Centre in Aceh, Indonesia helping children and their community rebuild their lives after the traumas of the Asian Tsunami.[13]

Throughout 2006 and 2007 they began work on the Thailand/Burma border, helping Burmese refugees and migrants fleeing persecution from a brutal military regime within their homeland. This started out with the provision of nurseries, which were set up in Ei Htu Hta Refugee camp on the banks of the Salween River.[14][15]

In 2008, they began the following projects:[16] Apartment Schools in Malaysia for Chin refugees from Myanmar;[17] created a scholarships programme in India for Chin refugee children from Myanmar;[18] and developed standards of care in Thai Boarding Houses for Karen refugees from Myanmar.[19]

Their first trip to Bangladesh was undertaken in 2009, which marked the beginning of their work with the unregistered Rohingya community in the makeshift Kutupalong camp,[20] providing low profile education for their children.[21][22][23]Concurrently they began supporting nine Learning Centres for slum dwelling children in neighbouring Cox's Bazar.[24][25][26][27]

2010–2019

After the 2010 Haitian earthquake, they started supporting a sports and education programme children in the slums of Port au Prince, Haiti.[28][29]

In 2012, they established a Child Friendly Space, agricultural training programme and a voluntary Child Protection Team in Soweto Slum, Jinja, Uganda.[30][31][32][33]

To continue their work with children displaced by conflict, the following year Children on the Edge started providing Early Childhood Development and support for children displaced by war and living in the remote IDP camps of Kachin State, Myanmar.[34][35][36]

In 2014, they began supporting an education programme for ‘untouchable’ Dalit children in Bihar State, India.[37] At this time they also began to provide support for children in brothel communities on the India/Nepal border.[38] Again working with refugee children, 2014 was also the year they started investing in tent schools for Syrian children living in the informal settlements of Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.[39][40][41]

Work in Uganda had been progressing over the last two years and in 2015 Children on the Edge Africa was registered in Uganda. The new Ugandan team was expanding the work of Child Protection Team in Soweto to further slum areas surrounding Jinja[42][43]

In 2017, the Rohingya genocide triggered over 700,000 more Rohingya refugees to flee to Bangladesh, into the areas on the border where the charity was providing education. They responded with a brief humanitarian relief programme and expanded education work in the camps for 7,500 children.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50]

The following year, they also established ten Learning Centres for Rohingya refugee children in the Doharazi Enclaves, Bangladesh.[51]

Using a model built up in the Jinja slum areas, and experience developed in Kachin State, Myanmar[52], in 2019 they began to replicate their Early Childhood Development work by supporting Congolese refugee communities in Kyaka II, Uganda to provide high quality early years education for their children.[53][54][55]

The organisation also worked to break down language barriers for Rohingya children in Kutupalong refugee camp by establishing a video newsletter, called Moja Kids,[56] and their Digital Education Programme.[57][58][59]

2020–2026

When the global pandemic struck in 2020, the team pivoted to emergency coronavirus response efforts, distributing 12,850 essential supply parcels to vulnerable households and adapting educational programming into home provision and small group instruction for over 16,000 children.[60] This pivot sparked the creation of the Cluster Learning Model for Congolese children living in the Kyaka II refugee settlement, Uganda.[61]

Advocacy efforts reached a major milestone in 2021 when years of campaigning against child sacrifice in Uganda culminated in the passing of "The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill".[62]

By 2022, the organisation was delivering emergency support to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova and Romania[63][64][65] while expanding its Rohingya education programming to Bhasan Char Island in Bangladesh. Recognition for this scope of work came when CEO and Co-founder Rachel Bentley was awarded an OBE for services to the protection and education of marginalised children worldwide.[66]

The year 2023 saw widespread international expansion and innovation for the organisation. Children on the Edge partnered with Angela Ghayour, an activist and teacher from Afghanistan, to provide online education access for thousands of girls banned from school by the Taliban.[67] Building on a decade of success, the organisation replicated its Child Protection Team model in Karamoja - Uganda's poorest district - establishing new teams and deep community ties.[68] In response to intensifying civil war in Myanmar, emergency support and safe spaces were provided for Karenni communities facing regular airstrikes in Kayah State. Meanwhile, in Uganda, the team piloted a play-based approach and tool[69] tailored for Congolese children.[70][71][72][73]

In 2024, the organisation piloted Rohingya language lessons in Bangladesh,[74] offering refugees the opportunity to read and write in their native language for the first time. This was featured on BBC Radio 4 Appeal in October 2025, narrated by actress Susannah Fielding.[75][76] During 2024 they also mobilised emergency assistance for families displaced by conflict in Lebanon.[77]

As displaced Kachin communities began returning to their home villages in 2025, Children on the Edge supported the replication of Early Childhood Education centres to guarantee continuous learning for returnee children.[78]

By 2026, the Children on the Edge Africa team advised the Ugandan government on play-based learning for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy 2025, taking part in its official launch in April.[79] The same year, they launched the open-source Rohingya Zoban (language) App in Kutupalong camp, Bangladesh, giving Rohingya refugees a digital tool to master their mother tongue.[80]

References

  1. ↑ Glendinning, Lee (11 September 2007). "Anita Roddick, Pioneer Whose Dreams Turned the High Street Green, Dies at 64". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  2. ↑ Ryan, Nick (June 2010). "Visionary Volunteer" (PDF). Etc Magazine. pp. 58–59. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  3. ↑ Gladwell, Hattie (23 May 2017). "Charity Tuesday: How this charity helps give hope to forgotten children around the world". Associated Newspapers Ltd. Metro. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Mission Continues". Society Guardian. 27 December 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  5. 1 2 "Our History". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  6. ↑ Frien, Alexandra. "Children's first steps to recovery after horrors of ethnic cleansing". The Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  7. ↑ Gaines, Sara (27 December 2006). "The mission continues". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  8. ↑ "Independent Appeal: How Ceausescu's orphans were given a new start in life". The Independent. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "A new life for the children". The Argus. 27 June 2000. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "Throwback Thursday - mobile shower units for refugees in Kosovo". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "East Timor: Child and Community Centre". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  12. ↑ Milmo, Cahal (24 December 2010). "Independent Appeal: Changing attitudes and lives".
  13. ↑ "Indonesia: Child and Community Centre". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "Burma: Nursery Schools for internally displaced children". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  15. ↑ Buncombe, Andrew (31 December 2010). "Independent Appeal: The charity giving hope to Burma's refugee children". The Independent.
  16. ↑ "Archived Projects". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Malaysia: Apartment Schools for Migrant Children". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  18. ↑ "India: School Scholarships". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  19. ↑ "Thailand: Boarding Houses for Unaccompanied Children". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  20. ↑ "Standing in the gap – Low-profile education for forgotten Rohingya refugee children". Promising Practices for Refugee Education. Save the Children, UNHCR and Pearson. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  21. ↑ Ryan, Nick (2010). "Helping Burmese children on the edge". The Telegraph.
  22. ↑ Buncombe, Andrew (8 December 2010). "Independent Appeal: The children who hunger for food and knowledge". The Independent.
  23. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (2019). "Accountability in Everybody's Interest". The South Asia Disasters.net Journal. 184: 27–28 – via Accountable Now and AIDMI.
  24. ↑ Buncombe, Andrew (16 December 2010). "The school giving beach beggars a ray of hope". The Independent.
  25. ↑ Philp, Catherine (18 December 2017). "Secret schools in Bangladesh give Rohingya children a vital lesson in hope". The Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  26. ↑ Ryan, Nick (12 October 2010). "Helping Burmese children on the edge". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  27. ↑ Ryan, Nick (30 October 2010). "Beyond the Border". The National. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  28. ↑ "Sport in the slumbs". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  29. ↑ Sengupta, Kim (3 December 2010). "Dead man walking and the world's worst slum". The Independent. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  30. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (4 March 2015). "How one charity is working to prevent child sacrifice in Uganda". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  31. ↑ "Latest stories". Children on the Edge. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  32. ↑ "Latest stories". Children on the Edge. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  33. ↑ Luwangula, PhD, R (2017). External Evaluation of the Children on the Edge Africa Child Protection Team Model in Jinja. Uganda: Department of Social Work and Social Administration. Makerere University.
  34. ↑ "Bringing fun and learning to traumatised young children in Myanmar camps". TheirWorld. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  35. ↑ "Support for Displaced Kachin children in Burma". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  36. ↑ "Global Education Monitoring Report 2019 - Migration, displacement and education - Building Bridges, Not Walls". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). 2018. p. 9. Retrieved 29 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  37. ↑ "Education for Dalit children". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  38. ↑ "Education for children in brothel communities on India Nepal border". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  39. ↑ "Chichester churches link to help Syrian refugees". Chichester Observer. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  40. ↑ "Two very different families with the same goal - to see their children educated". Their World. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  41. ↑ "Education for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  42. ↑ Campbell, Sheena (9 May 2015). "Improving the lives of children living in the Ugandan slums". Observer Series. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  43. ↑ Von Dacre, J.S (12 August 2019). "Children Being Killed for Human Sacrifices in Uganda". IL GIORNALE ON LINE S.R.L. Inside Over. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  44. ↑ Philp, Catherine (8 December 2017). "Rohingya in crisis in Kutupalong, the world's biggest refugee camp". The Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  45. ↑ Morton, Sam (27 August 2017). "Chichester charity working to 'return a full childhood' to Rohingya refugees". Chichester Observer. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  46. ↑ Philp, Catherine (26 December 2017). "In Desperate Need 'Children on the Edge is a charity committed to the long-term rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. It deserves our support this Christmas'". The Times. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  47. ↑ Maxwell, Daniel (January 2017). "Long denied education, Rohingya children start school in exile". Asian Correspondent. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  48. ↑ Hunter, Elaine (16 February 2018). "Safe spaces help young Rohingya refugee children recover from trauma". Relief Web. Their World. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  49. ↑ Rogers, Kelli (12 October 2017). "A city-sized refugee camp with even bigger child protection challenges". Devex. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  50. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (19 August 2019). "Providing Education In Protracted Crisis - Children On The Edge For The World Humanitarian Day". HundrED. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  51. ↑ "Latest stories". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  52. ↑ Laxton, Debra; Ndlovu, Sarah (2025). "Transforming lives: play-based learning programmes in emergency settings - Kachin State". Early Years Educator. 24 (16): 1–2. doi:10.12968/eyed.2025.24.14.24. ISSN 2052-4617.
  53. ↑ "Early Childhood Development for Congolese Refugee Children". Children on the Edge. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  54. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (5 October 2010). "For World Teachers' Day, Children On The Edge Shares The Trials Of Teaching In A Mega Camp". HundrED. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  55. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (21 July 2021). "A Sustainable Start for the Youngest Congolese Refugees in Uganda". Childhood Education. 97 (4): 6–15. doi:10.1080/00094056.2021.1951526 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  56. ↑ "Moja Kids Celebrate 100th Video". Children on the Edge. 13 November 2024.
  57. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (8 April 2021). "Connecting Beyond the Camps: Education goes digital in Kutupalong". Childhood Education. 97 (2): 6–19. doi:10.1080/00094056.2021.1899713 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
  58. ↑ Henderson, Rich (25 September 2020). "Tech4Good: Bringing Connected Education to the World's Largest Refugee Camp". Lenovo StoryHub.
  59. ↑ "Delivering Education to Refugee Children Through Digital - Unit 2 'Improving Analysis and Evaluation'.". Global Perspectives (Cambridge Lower Secondary Stage 9 Book ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge. 2022. pp. 29–30.
  60. ↑ "Hardest Hit - Children on the Edge Annual Report 2020-2021" (PDF). Children on the Edge. February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  61. ↑ Matthews, Julie; Maire, Quentin, eds. (2025). "18 Cluster learning approaches to early childhood education: Insights from a refugee settlement in Uganda". A Modern Guide to Refugee Education - Comparative Perspectives and Innovative Practices. Elgar Modern Guides. pp. 346–363. ISBN 978-1-80392-839-5.
  62. ↑ "Ending Child Sacrifice: The Inside Story of the Five Year Fight to Change the Law in Uganda". Children on the Edge.
  63. ↑ Stack, Joe (28 February 2022). "How to help Ukrainian Refugees - Chichester Charity Appeals for Support". Sussex World.
  64. ↑ Stack, Joe (1 March 2022). "Chichester refugee charity fundraising to help Ukrainian refugees". Sussex World.
  65. ↑ Green, Daniel (20 February 2023). "Chichester charity supports hundreds of Ukraine refugees".
  66. ↑ Pole, Sam (8 June 2022). "Chichester based charity CEO and Co-founder awarded OBE". Sussex World.
  67. ↑ Gilpin, Jemma (8 August 2024). "Girls from Afghanistan reclaim their futures through online education".
  68. ↑ "New Child Protection Teams set up in Karamoja, Uganda". 9 February 2023.
  69. ↑ Laxton, D; Ndlovu, S; Handa Ram, P (2025). "Developing an assessment toolbox". Early Years Educator. 24 (17): 1–3. doi:10.12968/eyed.2025.24.14.24. ISSN 2052-4617.
  70. ↑ Andrews, Claire (19 December 2024). "Lecturer shares story of Uganda visit to Children on the Edge".
  71. ↑ Walters-Davies, J (2022). "Play in extremis, Laxton, D., Cooper, L. & Ndlovu, S.". Introduction to play (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
  72. ↑ Kurowski, A; Lyndon, S (2024). "Global Refugee Crisis: Focus on the Child - Laxton, D. & Cooper, L.". Contemporary Issues and the 21st Century Child. London: Sage.
  73. ↑ Laxton, Debra; Ndlovu, Sarah (2025). "Transforming lives: play-based learning programmes in emergency settings - Kyaka Refugee Settlement". Early Years Educator. 24 (14): 1–2. doi:10.12968/eyed.2025.24.14.24. ISSN 2052-4617.
  74. ↑ "A Literacy Revolution for the Rohingya". iF Design.
  75. ↑ "Children on the Edge". BBC Radio 4 Appeal.
  76. ↑ Jeffery, Nikki (7 October 2025). "Actress Susannah Fielding set to feature Chichester charity in Radio 4 broadcast".
  77. ↑ Matar, Nuna (28 January 2025). "'Our Family Felt Well and Truly Cared For' - Emergency Response in Lebanon".
  78. ↑ Smitheram, Esther (4 June 2026). "Taking Early Education Home - Communities Rebuild in Kachin State, Myanmar".
  79. ↑ Biira, Winnie (29 June 2026). "Our part in shaping and launching Uganda's 2025 Early Childhood Education Policy".
  80. ↑ "Rohingya Zoban App Officially Launched to Strengthen Language Preservation and Learning". Rohingya Vision. 17 June 2026.
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