CRIDOC shares and documents child rights information through a free online eLibrary, school libraries and school child rights clubs.
One home for child rights resources in Malawi.
The CRIDOC Child Rights eLibrary is a free online resource centre for child rights information in Malawi. It holds research reports, policy papers and other resources that anyone can search by keyword, narrow by topic, year or type, and download. It serves children, teachers, parents, researchers, NGO staff and policy makers.
CRIDOC opened its first resource centre in Lilongwe in 2006. It served students, parents, and community groups for several years. Running a physical space grew too costly to sustain, so we moved the resource online. The eLibrary carries the same purpose, at a much lower cost. It remains accessible to anyone with an internet connection, wherever they are: at home, at a restaurant, in the office, everywhere.
The eLibrary serves children, young people, teachers, and parents across Malawi. It also supports researchers, NGO staff, and policy makers working on child rights. Anyone who needs trusted information on children's welfare can use it. The eLibrary helps ensure that accurate, up-to-date knowledge on child rights and welfare reaches those who need it most in one accessible platform.
Search free resources on child and youth rights in Malawi. Browse laws, policies, research, manuals and more. Most of the items link to their original publisher.
Type a keyword, then press Enter to jump straight to the matching resources below.
Browse by topic
Most resources link to their original publisher. Spotted a broken link or an outdated file? Let CRIDOC know so it can be fixed. Contact CRIDOC.
Use our submission form to add it to the eLibrary. You can upload a file or share a link instead. Uploaded files go to CRIDOC's Google Drive, and Google may ask you to sign in first.
Submit a resourceWhy we moved our resource centre online
The idea for our Child Rights eLibrary came from what I witnessed during my early years as a journalist. Time and again, I met children, parents and community members who wanted to understand children’s rights but had few places to turn for reliable information. Important laws, policies and guidance existed, yet they were often difficult to access or presented in ways that were not useful for ordinary families. I became convinced that children needed a dedicated resource where they could learn about their rights, responsibilities and opportunities in a clear and practical way.
In response to that need, the Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CRIDOC) opened its first physical library in Lilongwe in 2006. The library became a welcoming space for students, teachers, parents, journalists and community groups seeking information on child protection, education, health and human rights. For several years, it provided resources that helped raise awareness of children’s rights and encouraged informed discussions within communities.
However, maintaining a physical facility required significant financial resources. Rent, staffing, utilities, equipment and ongoing maintenance costs steadily increased, making it difficult to sustain the library over the long term. Faced with these challenges, we had to make a difficult decision. Rather than allow the collection and knowledge base to disappear, we chose to transform the project into a digital platform – the Child Rights eLibrary – that could continue serving the public while operating at a fraction of the cost.
Today, the CRIDOC Child Rights eLibrary carries forward the same mission with greater reach and accessibility. Anyone with an internet connection can access information regardless of their location, whether they are in a city, town or rural community. By removing geographic barriers, the eLibrary enables more children, educators, advocates and families to access the information they need to promote and protect children’s rights.
While the format has changed, our vision remains the same. We believe that access to information is a powerful tool for empowerment and social change. When children understand their rights and adults understand their responsibilities, communities are better equipped to prevent abuse, support education and create safer environments for young people to grow and thrive. The CRIDOC eLibrary is our way of ensuring that knowledge remains available to all who need it, both today and for future generations.