Child Protection India Project #9139

Protect 1,500 children in Orissa, India from abuse

by International Childcare Trust

Project Report | Jun 27, 2013
Education, outreach and awarness raising

By James Paul | Programmes Manager

Children at the Community Care Centre

PROJECT NAME: Protect 1,500 children in Orissa, India from abuse

PROJECT LOCATION: Bolangir District, Orissa, India

PROJECT PARTNER: Adhar

This important project has so far enrolled 35 children in the Community Childcare Centre; linked 10 children, aged 0-6, to the Integrated Child Development Services, a government scheme that provides supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition & health education; and enrolled 12 children in primary school.

Adhar has so far established one of the five proposed Community Care Centres (CCCs), which will serve as a pilot for the remaining four CCCs. The CCCs are meant to be multi-purpose, community run centres, which provide support to vulnerable children. The centres will serve as day care centres for young children, drop-in centres for older children, particularly those living and working on the streets, and crisis intervention centres, which provide support to children and families at critical times e.g. domestic violence, child abuse and family breakdown.

The CCCs aim to ensure protective mechanisms are available to safeguard vulnerable children from neglect, abuse and exploitation. The future paths of children supported by the centres will vary widely and may include returning to school, recovering from trauma, learning vocational skills, gaining employment, starting a business, or reuniting with their families. The centres will support them towards their chosen future.

Community Mobilisation

Formation of Community Care Centre 4 (CCC4) management committee composed of women in the community;
Enrolled 35 vulnerable children in CCC4;
Linked 27 families to the government Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centre, which provides support to 0-6 year old children: supplementary nutrition; immunization; health check-up; referral services; pre-school non-formal education; and nutrition & health education (including women aged 15-45).

Awareness Raising

Awareness raising meetings and campaigns within slums, streets and Mohollas of Bolangir Municipality;
Formation of three child rights clubs in various slum localities to ensure children have the knowledge and skills to address child related issues such as school drop-out, child labour, and child abuse through peer support.

Outreach

Individual household visits within slums to promote child protection and health, hygiene and sanitation education;
Counseling for families of vulnerable children.

Education

Identification of dropout children during household visits and enrollment in government schools;
Remedial support to ensure children are at the required standard to reintegrate into formal education;
Early childhood care and education for 35 children aged 2 – 6.

Early Childhood Education

CCC4 is currently providing support to 35 children (16 girls and 19 boys), aged 2-6, in Bolangir town. These children are composed of rag pickers, beggars and domestic labourers who have to work to support their families, and children who are simply neglected. CCC4 ensures these children are at the required standard to enroll in primary school. It also provides a safe, secure, fun and interactive learning environment, which focuses on the development of:

Cognitive skills through identification of shapes and sizes, writing and reading;
Motor and physical skills through physical exercises for muscle development, strengthening of finger movements, eye and hand coordination;
Language skills through songs, conversations and storytelling;
Social skills through peer group activities;
Creative skills and expression through art, drama, dance and role plays.

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Apr 5, 2013
The right to education

By James Paul | Programmes Manager

Giving children the chance of a happy childhood

PROJECT NAME: Protect 1,500 children in Orissa, India from abuse
PROJECT LOCATION: Bolangir District, Orissa, India
PROJECT PARTNER: Adhar

Case Study: Minu
Minu, a 7 year old girl, lives in a slum of Baijayanti Pada in Bolangir Municipality with her mother and older brother. Her father died five years ago. Her mother earns a small amount of money each day by working as a hotel dishwasher, although this isn’t enough to meet the family’s basic needs. The family often go without meals. Minu therefore started begging in temples and parks to contribute to the family income, missing out on school. Her brother also misses out on school as he collects polythene from rubbish heaps in order to earn a few rupees from recycling businesses.

One of Adhar’s social workers discovered the dire situation of the family through a home visit last year. The social worker discussed Minu’s situation with her mother. Minu’s mother explained that due to poverty they all needed to earn money in order to survive. After a number of visits and counselling sessions, her mother agreed to send the two children to school. Having also persuaded the Headmaster at the local primary school to admit the children, they were both enrolled and are now attending classes every day.

The school provided Minu and her brother with books and school uniforms. They are also entitled to a meal through the government Midday Meal Scheme. Their prospects are now much improved, although Adhar’s dedicated team of social workers must continue to follow-up on their situation through regular home and school visits to ensure they continue to progress.

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Jan 17, 2013
Update from Community Childcare Centre in India!

By James Paul | Programmes Manager

Children at the Community Childcare Centre

PROJECT NAME: Protect & Support 2,000 Children in Orissa, India
PROJECT LOCATION: Bolangir District, Orissa, India
PROJECT PARTNER: Adhar

International Childcare Trust has been working in partnership with Adhar, a grassroots NGO based in Orissa, India, since 2011, supporting Protect & Support 2,000 Children in Orissa, India. This project aims to protect vulnerable children from risk of abuse and exploitation and reduce incidences of infant mortality, malnutrition and child hunger by mobilizing support from the government and the local community, through:

(1) Increased protection of vulnerable children from abuse, exploitation and harm through community-based safety nets including rights awareness and family reintegration leading to better safeguarding of children;

(2) Increased access of families and children to available government health entitlements through effective community monitoring and advocacy leading to reduced incidence of infant mortality, malnutrition and child hunger.

Adhar plans to establish five Community Childcare Centres for vulnerable children requiring care and protection, which will be safe and protected spaces run by the local communities. Adhar has so far established one Community Childcare Centre in Bolangir district, which opened in August 2012. The Community Childcare Centre aims to offer vulnerable children access to education, improved health and education on child protection.

Since the centre has opened, Adhar has identified 35 children, who have since been enrolled into the centre and are receiving early child education, with bridging courses being given to children who have been out of school for long periods or who have never attended school. The centre has been supporting children with disabilities by providing accessible facilities and by enrolling them into disability accessible schools. Adhar has also created a female led committee to monitor and oversee the centre, led by women in the community, which will help empower the community to have a voice and to raise issues.

Alongside educational support, the Community Children’s Centre also provides education on nutrition to children, families and communities in order to help them lead a healthy life and to protect children from disease.

The centre provides psychological support to children and families, offering counseling on stigma, discrimination, sexual abuse, domestic problems and displacement. Since the establishment of the centre, 10 street children suffering from the above issues are receiving counseling and their families are also receiving counseling to promote child re-enrolment in schools. The centre is also aiming to provide health check-ups for children and livelihood training to vulnerable youths in skills such as carpentry, wiring and tailoring to help them gain sustainable employment.

Stay tuned for further updates!

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