Children's Resource Centre

The Children's Resource Centre is a national, membership-based movement of children and young people working to build a society that supports children's development, voice and agency.

Founded on three core values: respect yourself, respect others and respect your environment. The organisation gives children and young people the tools and platform to engage actively in decisions about the issues that affect their lives.

Members range from five to 25 years old, with the majority (65%) aged between five and 14. The movement operates through community groups and school-based programmes in townships, informal settlements and rural areas across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, reaching 17 areas in total.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation had around 5 500 registered members. Like many grassroots movements, it was hit hard by the disruption. Today, it is in the process of rebuilding, with 1 355 active members across 31 community groups and eco-streets, supported by 22 coordinators currently serving as volunteers.

Children don't just benefit from the movement, they lead it. Through established task teams and a trainers-of-trainees model, young people take an active role in growing and sustaining the organisation. The impact also extends beyond members, reaching their families, schools, faith-based institutions and wider communities.

Vision: A united, national social movement of children building a society that supports every child's development.

Mission: To help children and young people build and sustain a strong, capable, child-led movement that gives them voice and agency to engage in the critical challenges they face today — and those that will shape their future.

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