Rule of Law for Children Project FINAL REPORT

26th April, 2017 to 25th April, 2018

Promoting the Rule of Law Project Grant Number: RLP-G-007-004

Implemented by:

Social Care Volunteer Group (SCVG) Nay Win Ko 09-401614525, 09-425319826 No. 505, 18th Street, Yan Aung Ward, Magway 90101, Magway Division.

- 1 -

Milestone B During this milestone period, the following activities have been accomplished. 1. Preparation for Project Launching and Advocacy Workshop Agenda, invitee list, supply materials for project launching and advocacy workshop have been prepared. The workshop was organized on 2nd June 2017 in Magway Hotel.

2. Preparation for Paralegal Intensive Training Agenda, curriculum, pre-test & post-test, evaluation form, handouts, supply materials and personal information of external resource persons-guest speakers for paralegal intensive have been prepared. Recruitment for 20-paralegal volunteers had been announced through organizational facebook page and notice boards of partner organizations in Magway and Yenanchaung Townships. 39 applicants have already applied till 24th May 2017. The announcement deadline was 31st May and selection process was in the first week of June. And applicant (paralegal volunteer) selection criteria had been developed in draft. Some remaining handouts for this training were requested to postpone due to delay of resource persons, agenda drafting. The in-house training was long for 3 days from 14th June to 16th June 2017 at SCVG in Magway Office.

3. Internal Staff Meeting and Coordination A staff meeting including management, program and supporting staffs was held to induct and orient the project agreement with PRLP including milestones, work plan and budget plan, reporting timelines, and others.

4. Staff Capacity Building A 3-day training, financial management and report writing training has been joined by 3 staffs; Program Manager, Project Officer and Finance Officer from 17th May to 19th May 2017 in .

Milestone C During this milestone period, the following activities have been accomplished. 1. Project Launching and Advocacy Workshop Project launching and advocacy workshop was held in Htain Htain Thar Hotel, Magway on 2nd June, 2017. Final Agenda, signed participants list, supply materials, and meeting minutes of project launching and advocacy workshop have cordially been submitted.

2. Paralegal Intensive Training Paralegal Intensive Training was conducted to 21 paralegal volunteers in SCVG - Magway Office from 14 June 2017 to 16 June 2017 for 3 days. Participants are included 15 male and 6 female, which are 11 participants from Magway and 10 participants from Township. In day 1, a speaker session on paralegal was conducted by Ma Khin Win Maw and, afternoon session, Ko Nay Win Ko conducted United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (1989).

- 2 -

In day 2, Ko Ye Linn Aung shared Child Law (1993) and Legal Aid Law (2016 and amended in 2017). And a facebook secreted group, named SCVG – Paralegal Volunteer Network for children, was published for information sharing & communication between paralegal volunteers and staff. In day 3, a speaker session on criminal and civil law was shared by U Aung Kyaw Soe, Advocate. A network communication and developing legal awareness session agenda was facilitated by Ko Thint Htet Wai, Project Officer.

3. Legal Awareness Session Agenda, handouts and materials were developed by the 3rd day of Paralegal Intensive Training.

4. Cordination Legal Awareness Session A work plan for legal awareness session was developed with paralegal volunteers.

5. Legal Aid & Support Service 2 new cases were supported by legal aid & support with the items of case files copying charges, transportation, accommodation and perdiem for client and case management with the item of lawyer fee.

Milestone D During this milestone period, the following activities have been accomplished. 1. Legal Aid & Support Service 4 new cases were supported by legal aid & support with the items of case files copying charges, transportation, accommodation and perdiem for client from the townships of , , Yenangyaung and Magway. One client from Magway is living in military compound, but she is not a military servant, and the defendant is not a military servant.

2. Preparation for Legal Awareness Session The first 7 new legal awareness sessions were delivered in 7 villages in Yenangyaung. Totally 360 people (Male: 157, Female: 203) well knew child rights, child law and reporting channels for child cases from these sessions. Although the activities were achieved, we collected only the attendance person list, but not signed. This was because of forgetting to insert sign column in attendance format.

3. Coordination for Paralegal Network Meeting The first paralegal network meeting was delivered on 16th October 2017. At the meeting, 20 paralegal volunteers (trainees) were joined and visited to Court at the afternoon session of the meeting day.

4. Coordination for Paralegal Refresher Training Two-day paralegal refresher training was delivered in December 2017. The training delivery days was discussed at network meeting.

Milestone E During this milestone period, the following activities have been accomplished.

- 3 -

1. Legal Aid & Support Service 4 new cases were supported by legal aid & support with the items of case files copying charges, transportation, accommodation and perdiem for client from the townships of Natmauk, Pwintbyu. The story of one client from Pwintbyu is published at facebook page of The Irrawaddy – Burmese Edition.

2. Paralegal Refresher Training Two-day refresher training was delivered to 21 paralegal volunteers (male 16, female 5) from 2nd Dec to 3rd Dec 2017 in SCVG – Magway office. One officer from Magway Regional Department of Social Welfare and one associate township judge from Magway Township Court joined to speak role of DSW in child related cases and basic concept of judicial law. At the end of the training, paralegal volunteers request DSW to deliver community awareness session in Magway and Yenangyaung. The session on legal education was occurred in Thabyay San Village, Yenangyaung on 9th Dec 2017.

3. Legal Education Session The second 7 new legal awareness sessions were delivered in 7 villages in Yenangyaung. Totally 364 people (Male: 174, Female: 190) well knew child rights, child law and reporting channels for child cases from these sessions. As a result of legal awareness session, a child case was reported and the perpetrator was arrested.

4. Paralegal Network Meeting The first paralegal network meeting was organized on 30th October 2017. At the meeting, 19 paralegal volunteers (trainees) and SCVG staffs joined. At the afternoon of the meeting, they visited to Magway Township Court and meet with township judge.

5. Coordination for Paralegal Network Meeting The second paralegal network meeting was organized on 10th Mar 2018 in SCVG – Magway Office. 21 paralegal volunteers were invited to the meeting.

Milestone F During this milestone period, the following activities have been accomplished. 1. Legal Aid & Support Service 6 new cases were supported by legal aid & support with the items of case files copying charges, transportation, accommodation and perdiem for client from the townships of Pwint Phyu, , Minhla and Seik Phyu Townships.

2. Legal Education Session The third 6 new legal education sessions were delivered in 5 villages and 1 quarter from Magway and . Totally 237 people (Male: 129, Female: 108) well knew child rights, child law and reporting channels for child cases from these sessions.

- 4 -

3. Second Paralegal Network Meeting The second paralegal network meeting was organized on 15th March, 2018. At the meeting, 19 paralegal volunteers (trainees) and SCVG staffs attended.

Milestone G During this milestone period, the following activities have been accomplished.

1. Legal Aid & Support Service Although 6 new cases were targeted for this milestone, 7 new cases were supported by legal aid & support with the items of case files copying charges, transportation, accommodation and perdiem for client from the townships of Sinbaungwe, , and Townships.

Findings

According to Myanmar Law, child rape case is handling by the government Law Officer. Therefore, lawyer fees (MMK 500,000) was not applied in the case management budget line.

Sustainability

In Magway Division, there is no more civil society organization for free legal aid services before this project, and with the experiences of the twelve-month intervention, we would like to recommend the following; 1. We will keep communication with paralegal volunteers for case services, capacity building and legal awareness activity at community level. 2. By Grant Manager’s suggestion during his visit to Magway on Feb-2018, we are planning to provide free Legal Services by inviting private Legal Aid Lawyers or ILAM members.

- 5 -

Activity Report

Insert information into the below charts based on the activities completed during the reporting period, from the completion of Milestone B. If possible, please include quotations from conference/training participants and photographs from the activities.

Meetings / Workshops/ Trainings/ Forum/ Campaigns/ Events

Number of participants Topic Discussed/ Topic Type of Date(s) Title of events Location/Venue Follow-up/ action point taught Participants Men Women

Legal Aid Services

Time Duration Types of services (Court representation, Number of Township legal assistances, safe house) From To Cases Men Women 26/9/2017 21/2/2018 Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Sinbaungwe 9/12/2017 Ongoing Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Sinbaungwe 25/1/2018 Ongoing Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Taungdwingyi 29/3/2018 Ongoing Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Pakokku 12/1/2018 Ongoing Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Pakokku 3/1/2018 Ongoing Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Yesagyo 20/7/2017 13/2/2018 Legal Assistances Child Rape 1 Sinbaungwe

- 6 -

- 7 -

Evaluation Report

1. What was the overall goal of each training/workshop/activity? a. Project Launching and Advocacy Workshop: to present the activity plan of the project by inviting project stakeholders and to advocate children related cases especially child sexual abuse cases to government officials such as Department of Social Welfare, Members of Parliaments, and local service provider organizations.

b. Paralegal Intensive Training: to conduct United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children (UNCRC) and what about community-based paralegal and its functions and ethnics to 20 volunteers from Magway and Yenangyaung Townships.

c. Legal Education Sessions: 300 people at community level in Magway and Yenangyaung Tonwship, to be aware of child rights, legal knowledge and case reporting channel through legal education sessions shared by 20 trainees paralegal volunteers.

d. Paralegal Network Meeting: to be discussed achievement, challenges and ways to overcomes of their legal educations sessions by each other, and to develop future plan of the network with 20 paralegal volunteers.

e. Paralegal Refresher Training: to be fulfilled and trained some needed skills and knowledge of child rights, child law and case handling mechanism of a court.

f. Legal Aid and Support: to support 22 cases, legal assistance – copy charges of lawyer fee, travel, accommodation and per diem for client of child related cases and its lawyer fee to access to justice and rule of law on his/ her case.

2. Please provide a description of workshops/trainings/activities and how related to the goal in #1. a. Project Launching and Advocacy Workshop: A one-day project launching and advocacy workshop had been organized with 40 participants in Htein Htein Thar Hotel, Magway Town. One member of parliament from Magway Regional Hluttaw, officers from Magway Regional Department of Social Welfare, Information and Public Relations Departments, and international and local NGO/ CSO partner organizations including Magway Township Lawyer Network attended the workshop. There, case mapping including types of cases, occurred location, age of victims was developed and advocated to government officials. And contacts and types of service providers were identified by the workshop.

b. Paralegal Intensive Training: A three-day paralegal intensive training was hosted twenty paralegal volunteers from Magway and Yenangyaung Townships. During this training, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC), Myanmar Child Law and Rules, Community Based Paralegal, Criminal Law vs. Civil Law were conducted by two guest speakers and three project staffs. After the training, schedule and curriculum for legal education session at community level were developed with trainees (paralegal volunteers). Moreover, a facebook group, named SCVG – paralegal volunteer network for children, was published for the purpose of

8

knowledge/ information sharing and communication between paralegal volunteers and staffs.

c. Legal Education Sessions: Totally twenty legal education sessions had been outreached 1,006 peoples at community in Magway and Yenangyaung Township led by paralegal volunteers. It is more reached to targeted populations although the project was expected 300 peoples. The community well known about child rights and law, ways to communicate when a case occurred through the activity. And, a significant change from these intervention, one attendee communicated child sexual abuse case of her daughter (victim) to us. He wanted to be justice the case by the law. Meanwhile, a similar case was occurred to his elder daughter seven years before, but a little knowledge of rights and no support system for victims, and the case was moved away by the law. But at this time, increased knowledge of rights and legal awareness through legal education session, he contacts us to access justice for her daughter case. Please see the success story by the following link: http://www.tetratech.com/pdf/download?url=http://localhost%252fen%252fdocs%252fpd14% 252d236%252dparalegals%252dprotect%252dthe%252dhuman%252drights%252dof%252dc hildren%252epdf

d. Paralegal Network Meeting: Paralegal Network Meetings had been organized paralegal volunteers for two times. There, work plan and its achievements, challenges of legal education sessions were discussed, and developed objectives, activities for paralegal network after project end. Moreover, paralegal volunteers and staffs had visited to Magway Township Court to study mechanism of a court and met with Township Judge of the court.

e. Paralegal Refresher Training: A two-day paralegal refresher training had been conducted paralegal volunteers to wrap up community based paralegal, child rights, law and its rules. Moreover, we could invite two guest speakers, one Associate Township Judge of Magway Township Court, named U Then Tan for the purpose of experience sharing of child related criminal case, and one department head-officer from Magway Regional Department of Social Welfare for the purpose of experiences sharing and mission of department for handling child related issues and cases.

f. Legal Aid and Support: During the project period, the project had supported twenty-three children (female) victims from sexual abuse case occurred in Magway Division by providing funds for transportation, accommodation, and/or case file documentation.

3. Summarize the findings of the activity evaluations? Overall, the proposed activities were successfully implemented, and directly benefited to 1143 from activity implementation and 23 child victims for free legal services by the project. And the project had outreached to more beneficiaries than targeted indicators especially in legal education session: although 300 people are targeted, 1,006 people were outreached, and legal aid had successfully supported 23 cases although targeted to 22.

9