Call for Nominations: Wear My Shoes Award

Deadline: 25-Sep-2026

The Wear My Shoes Award recognizes grassroots and community-led initiatives that work to prevent and end violence against children through collaboration among children, families, schools, faith communities, civil society organizations, and local authorities. Two winning initiatives will each receive USD 3,000 and recognition for their community-based work. What Is the Wear My Shoes Award? The Wear My Shoes Award is an international recognition opportunity for grassroots initiatives and community organizations working to end violence against children. The award highlights locally led approaches that bring multiple stakeholders together to protect children, prevent violence, strengthen children’s rights, and create safer communities. The programme particularly values initiatives where children actively participate in designing, implementing, or evaluating activities that affect their lives. Why the Wear My Shoes Award Matters Violence against children can take many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, and other forms of abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Community-level organizations often play an important role in preventing violence because they understand local needs and can work directly with children, families, schools, faith groups, and authorities. The Wear My Shoes Award aims to: Recognize effective grassroots approaches to child protection. Promote meaningful participation of children in community initiatives. Encourage collaboration among different community stakeholders. Highlight locally developed solutions to violence against children. Support the global movement for children’s rights and well-being. Give visibility to organizations achieving measurable community impact. What Does the Award Support? The award focuses on initiatives that demonstrate a practical commitment to ending violence against children. Strong initiatives may involve collaboration among: Visibility for their community-based work and approach The award is therefore both a financial support opportunity and a platform for showcasing effective grassroots action against violence affecting children. Who Is Eligible? The Wear My Shoes Award is open to organizations and initiatives working at the community or grassroots level.

Eligible applicants include:

Community-based organizations Faith-based organizations Grassroots groups Local initiatives Networks Other community-led organizations Applicants should be able to demonstrate that their initiative is actively addressing violence against children or preventing situations that put children at risk. Key Eligibility Requirements Applicants should demonstrate proven results from their initiative. Another important requirement is meaningful child participation. This means children should have a genuine role in the initiative rather than simply being passive beneficiaries. Applications should therefore be able to explain: What problem involving violence against children the initiative addresses. How the initiative works within the community. What results have been achieved. How children participate in the initiative. Which stakeholders are involved. How collaboration contributes to better outcomes for children. What Makes a Strong Application? A competitive application should clearly demonstrate the connection between the initiative, community needs, child participation, and measurable results.

Applicants should emphasize:

Community ownership: Explain how local people and organizations are involved.

Child participation: Show how children influence decisions and activities.

Collaboration: Identify the different stakeholders working together.

Impact: Provide clear evidence of results and changes achieved.

Sustainability: Explain how the initiative can continue or expand.

Innovation: Highlight approaches that provide practical solutions to local challenges.

Child rights: Demonstrate how the initiative protects children’s dignity, safety, and rights.

How to Apply Applicants should prepare information that clearly explains the initiative and its impact. A strong application can be developed through the following steps: Describe the initiative Explain what the organization or community group does and the specific issue of violence against children it addresses. Identify the community need Clearly explain the problem affecting children and why the intervention is necessary. Explain the approach Describe the activities, prevention measures, community engagement, or protection mechanisms used by the initiative. Demonstrate child participation Explain how children are involved in planning, decision-making, implementation, monitoring, or evaluation. Describe collaboration Identify the roles of families, schools, faith communities, civil society organizations, local authorities, or other partners. Provide evidence of results Include measurable outcomes, examples of change, community feedback, or other evidence showing that the initiative has made a difference. Explain future impact Describe how the award and recognition could help strengthen, continue, or expand the initiative. Common Mistakes to Avoid Applicants should avoid presenting their work only as a general child welfare project. The application should establish a clear connection with preventing or addressing violence against children.

Other common weaknesses to avoid include:

Failing to explain children’s actual role in the initiative. Providing activities without demonstrating results. Describing partnerships without explaining how they work. Making broad claims without supporting evidence. Focusing only on organizational achievements rather than community impact. Not explaining how the initiative can be sustained. Treating children only as beneficiaries rather than participants. Why Child Participation Is Important A central feature of the Wear My Shoes Award is meaningful child participation. Children should have opportunities to express their views and contribute to initiatives addressin