1. INVESTING IN CHILDREN 

The majority of the developing world’s poor are children and youth.

(Definitions of children (0-14) and youth (15-24) are based on those employed by the Millennium Development Goal Framework. The following three reasons offer a rationale for SERVE’S strong commitment to prioritise working with children and young people:
 

(1) Its a pro-poor response: Many income and non-income poverty indicators are much worse among children and youth; and today, these two groups represent the majority of the developing world’s poor. Strategies that focus on investing broadly in children and youth are inherently – and doubly – pro-poor, that is, reaching the currently poor while reducing future poverty.

(2) It recognises their Unique Vulnerability: Among the poor, children and youth are the most susceptible to increased vulnerability during periods of economic downturn and other external shocks (e.g. as indicated by malnutrition, school dropouts to assist families, youth unemployment, violent and risky behaviour, etc.).

(3) It acknowledges that they are the Highest Risk: Both age groups represent the two periods of highest psychological and social risk in the life-cycle. In early years, this is manifested more by malnutrition, child diseases, and infant and child deaths. Whereas in adolescence and young adulthood, this is manifested more by risky sexual behaviour, early pregnancy, higher rates of maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, crime, gangs, and violence. Preventive risk management would argue that these are the two most productive and efficient periods for investing in human capital development.
 

Early Year Support
For the ages 0 to 5, SERVE supports programmes that  focus on those interventions which will ensure a child survives infancy and early childhood, while also contributing to the necessary elements they and their families need to ensure that children enter and succeed in school and later life.

Neglecting to invest effectively in these critical years can produce adverse outcomes, which are more likely to be severe, long-lasting and irreversible.

The required intervention strategies are centred around:

*Child Health and Nutrition

*Early Childhood Development

*Safe and Healthy Environment (including dignified housing and access to water and sanitation.)

The importance of a quality primary education becomes fundamental. Paramount is the protection of the most vulnerable…orphans, children with disabilities, child labourers, child prostitutes, child soldiers.