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Viva History

Viva was founded in 1996 by Patrick McDonald. As a volunteer in Bolivia he found different organisations in an area of a city providing food for street children but all on a Monday. Children feasted once a week but starved the rest of the time. This simple act of connecting NGOs and churches ensured that more children were fed more often. So began Viva’s vision to bring lasting change to vulnerable children by growing locally-led networks of organisations.

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Viva means ‘Life’ in Spanish. 

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We help people achieve more together than they can alone – allowing us to dream big dreams for whole cities! The mission of Viva is to grow locally-led networks that are committed to working together so that children are safe, well and able to fulfil their God-given potential. Viva has helped in formation of 38 city level network to help children at risk in 26 countries

  • 2020

    • Training on child protection and online safety for 850 teachers and child care workers

    • 15 organisations trained on writing their child safeguarding policy

    • Food and cash distribution to 3164 households with 7970 children and 5318 adults affected by the covid pandemic

    • Psychosocial support during the lockdown by phone mentors to 1726 vulnerable families with 5308 children and 2600 adults.

    • Network Training Course organized for 25 network coordinators in India, Philippines, Nepal and Myanmar.

    2019

    • Child Protection training in schools and NGOs continues in the seven network cities 

    •  The girl child mentoring program is implemented in Dehradun, Delhi, Ranchi, Bangalore and Patna. 

    •   Children’s Good Treatment Campaign is held in Delhi, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi and Hyderabad

    •  Food and hut construction material for 852 families affected by floods in Patna
       

  • 2018

    • Shillong network is added

    • Situational mapping of children at risk issues is done for Shillong

    • Child Protection training in schools and NGOs continues in the seven network cities 

    • The girl child mentoring program is implemented in Dehradun, Delhi, and Patna. 

    • QIS program continues in Delhi, Hyderabad, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi, and Bangalore 

    • Children’s Good Treatment Campaign is held in Delhi, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi and Hyderabad

     

    2017

    • Child protection for schools program is developed

    • Girl child mentoring program begins in Dehradun, Delhi, and Patna

    • Next round of QIS program begins in Delhi, Hyderabad and Dehradun QIS begins for NGOs in Ranchi

    • Children’s Good Treatment Campaign is held in Delhi, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi, and Hyderabad cities

    • Viva India receives its FCRA registration

     

    2016

    • QIS begins for NGOs in Patna and Bangalore

    • Situational mapping of children at risk issues is done for Patna and Ranchi cities

    • The networks decide to focus on child protection and improving the wellbeing of girls

     

    2015

    • Viva India Trust deed is updated Ranchi network is added

     

    2014

    • Strategic planning exercise is held with networks to discover their strategic focus. Child protection, addressing discrimination against girls and improving the quality of education emerge as three prominent themes

     

    2013

    • QIS round two starts in Delhi

  • 2012

    • Consultations are held to form thematic networks on ‘prevention of child sexual abuse’ and the ‘girl child’.

    • QIS programs continue in Dehradun, Delhi, and Hyderabad

     

    2011

    • QIS program begins for Delhi NGOs

    • Patna network is added

     

    2010

    • Bangalore network is added

    • Quality Improvement System (QIS) program beginsfor NGOs in Dehradun and Hyderabad

    • Child mentoring program starts in Delhi

     

    2009

    • Viva begins organising child rights and child development training for NGOs through Delhi, Dehradun and Hyderabad networks.

    • Situational mapping of children at risk issues begins in Delhi, Dehradun, Kolkata, and Vijayawada

     

    2008

    • The Viva India Trust is registered

    • Viva conference ‘Making Children Visibleis heldat Hyderabad. It was attended by 211 delegates

     

    2007

    • Formation of networks explored in 12 cities of India

     

    2006

    • Patrick McDonald visits India and calls upon NGO leaders to start networks to help children in India

    • Viva forms a partnership with EFI to support the formation of city networks in India

Viva India Timeline
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