Since the Rohingya influx in August 2017, nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees have settled in camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. According to the Government of Bangladesh and UNHCR Joint Population Fact Sheet, more than 52% of the population is below 18, and they face heightened protection risks. In response to these risks, COAST Foundation initiated Child Protection Case Management services in 2018 under the “Strengthen the Protective Environment for the Children and Adolescents (SPE4CA)” Project, supported by UNICEF and continued until March 2026. Recently, we conducted an impact assessment to identify the major impacts, key challenges, and the way forward for future interventions.
Assessment findings show that 85% of adolescents acquired critical life skills and protection-related knowledge. In addition, 80.39% consistently demonstrated positive behaviors, including improved communication, emotional regulation, critical thinking, and risk management. Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) case management services reached over 3,400 vulnerable children. Vocational Education and Training (VET) further enhanced livelihood opportunities, with more than 12,000 graduates and over 1,500 adolescents engaged in income-generating activities. Community-based protection structures became increasingly functional and trusted. As high as 83% of respondents recognized their effectiveness, while reporting of protection concerns rose by over 65%. Interesting. For more details, please refer to the full report.
