Ndaawin Project

Ndaawin Project PDF Version (241 KB)

The Ndaawin Project was a culturally-based intervention aimed at preventing the sexual exploitation of children and youth in Winnipeg. Sponsored by New Directions, a multi-service agency for children, youth, adults and families, the project offered services to Aboriginal children aged 8 to 13 living in the Lord Selkirk Development in North Winnipeg.

The Ndaawin Project consisted of five program components:

Integral to the Ndaawin Project, the Advisory Council was composed of community and service agency representatives who helped staff by providing expertise, guidance, networking opportunities and linkages with relevant organizations.

Project assessment

A process and outcome evaluation was conducted. The results were derived primarily from qualitative information including observations and interviews.

In total, 29 children participated in the Prevention Curriculum program: 18 completed the pre- and post-test measures and 21 children participated in focus group session.

A cost avoidance analysis was conducted, which compared the costs of the program to the costs to individuals and society when young people become involved in prostitution. The intent was to determine how many children would have to be successfully dissuaded from becoming involved in prostitution to justify the cost of the program.

Key findings

The process evaluation showed that:

The outcome evaluation showed that:

Lessons learned

Lessons learned included:

Conclusion

The Ndaawin project helped reduce the risks of sexual exploitation for the children who participated in the program. The project helped them increase their self-esteem and self-worth, and they engaged in substantially less risky behaviour.

It is critical to reach out to parents and families, to educate them and to provide appropriate support for preventing the sexual exploitation of children and youth.

For more information or to receive a copy of the final evaluation report please contact the National Crime Prevention Centre at 1-800-830-3118, or visit our website.

The cost-avoidance study is available through most libraries. Its title is "An Examination of the Fiscal Impact from Youth Involvement in the Sex Trade: The Case for Evaluating Priorities in Prevention," by Linda DeRiviere. It appeared in Canadian Public Policy, Volume 31, No.2, pp. 181-206.

For more information, you can also visit the web site of New Directions.

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