Rehabilitate Commercial sexualy exploited children

SEHER’s first study of Quetta revealed an astonishing fact in the prevailing social setup the boys are more prone to becoming sexually abused than girls. The study also highlighted that mostly the incidences of child abuse take place in the vicinities of Cinemas, video gaming zones and small hotels. The boys who are forced to work by their parents usually become any easy target for the perpetrators to lure them into commercial sexual activities.

The darkest side of the picture is the silence of the society, which gives the perpetrators more room to operate their inhuman activities fearlessly. There are 17 operative spots where children are used as sexual commodities. A rough estimate indicates that a sizeable number of 4000 children in age bracket of 7 to 20 years are involved in sex trade. One of the ill known spots is Baldia plaza which is situated in the very heart of the city. According to some analysis daily 20000 to 250000 people visits this place however the heinous culture of silence has so strongly blindfolded the people that they refuse to see and speak against these inhuman and antisocial activities.

The issue on which all the mega actors including civil society organization, government departments and religious leaders had turned a deaf year; in such as situation SEHER stood alone to take the bull by the horn. In the year 2006 SEHER took a decisive step of taking an initiative against these inhuman and antisocial commercial activities.

 SEHER strategically dealt the situation multi-dimensionally. On one hand SEHER started rehabilitation of victimized children through variety of recreational activities and psychosocial counselling and on the other hand started sensitization of key stakeholders that include people belonging to different tiers of the society that directly or indirectly have a link with the life of the children vulnerable to sexual abuse.  The focused stakeholders include parents, primary care givers, mentors, community elders, Law Enforcing officials, school teachers and elected representatives.

SEHER initially faced tremendous critical pressure for having touched so sensitive an issue, as most of the people were reluctant to discuss about and it was considered a taboo. The gravity of situation charted another difficult however equally important path of breaking the culture of silence, which in a sense had provided a safe shelter to perpetrators. SEHER kept its consistent endeavours continue for several consecutive years and as a result succeeded in highlighting the issue in different provincial and national forums, in which the issue was comprehensively discussed.

This has been a wonderful year in respect to SEHER’s endeavour of child protection. SEHER made more focused efforts on 119 children. The children underwent different stages of prevention and rehabilitation activities to become a useful member of the society. As most of them were literally unable to read and write, now they have been enabled to not only read and write in national language but also to some extent in English language. They have learned basics of computing and well trained in LSBE to protect themselves from any potentially harmful circumstances.

The children have been relieved from their mental traumas through psychosocial counselling and variety of recreational activities. It has been endeavoured to inculcate positive values into their minds.

In order to reduce the level of their economic dependency they have been provided trainings in vocational skills that have high market demands.  30 children have started earning a reasonable amount from the acquired skills of tailoring and repairing of electronic accessories. 69 children were provided with professional diploma in the skills they have learned.

20 children were empowered as change agents and taken initiatives for child protection in their communities, On the other hand extensive measures have been taken to prevent children from abuse. The Parents community Committees and child associations are fully functional in playing their important roles. Regular coordination meetings have been held with various stakeholders in order to holistically strike on the core issues. The parents and volunteers started four child friendly spaces in their respective areas to support and provided children for their self-protection.  

The staff and stakeholders have regularly been provided with vitally needed capacity building trainings and refresher trainings in order to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Through various advocacy campaigns the issues have been highlighted through media channels, seminars, sensitization workshops and trainings. A 19 days campaign was launch on provincial level on the dangers of information, communication technologies.

Rehabilitation of Commercially Sexually exploited children - is a program running successfully in the city of Quetta, Baluchistan. According to the base line survey conducted in the year 2006 in Quetta it has been found that some 2500 children are involved in commercial sex and found at video games shops, mini cinemas, internet cafes and hotels where the perpetrators pay the amount to the children for sexual activities which results in the degradation of the children mental and physical health. Many diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other STd (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) have been prevalent among the children. Child protection Center established in 2006 at the heart of the city serving as a point for the rehabilitation of such children by not only providing them a safe and healthy environment but also fulfill their nutritional, psycho social and medical needs. Formal/non formal classes and recreational activities have been provided to the children. SEHER works on the 3 pronged strategy for the rehabilitation of the CSEC and CSA children, i.e (i) Rehabilitation of children (ii) Skill development and job placement (iii) Advocacy with the stake holders. During the quarter from July to September 2012 the progress of the project is as under; 1. Mobilization of Stake Holders 1.1 Parent Community Committees Monthly meetings were held with the PCC in the targeted communities, in these meetings child protection situation of their particular area was discussed and decisions and actions points were reviewed and they shared the updates regarding their activities regarding child protection. The meeting aims to ensure their participation and monitoring the Child protection in their areas. It was discuss and plan with them that they will keenly observe the activities of children and the spots where there is risk of abuse. S. No Month No. of meetings No. of participants 1 July 7 35 2 Aug 8 40 3 Sep 8 40 4 Total 23 115 2. Coordination with Police stations During the Reported quarter coordination meetings were conducted with Police stations of the Quetta city to enhance the link and effective reporting of the spots for the closer, police officers and police personals were oriented about IMTIZAJ Project and information about the Parents and child groups were provided to them for the effective linkages. S.No Month Session No of Person 1 Jul 9 9 2 Aug 7 7 3 Sep 8 8 Total 24 24 2. Mobilization of Victim Children Team identify the children with risk behaviour on the spots and initiate the counselling and motivation process to attend the CPC activities. The children who are willing to come to CPC are registered there and rehab process is started but if some children do not agreed to come to CPC the counseling process has been continued there. 2.1 The Registered children need to be followed up so team visited their homes and spots to ensure to put the rehab process on track. 2.2 Family play vital role in the rehabilitation of children victim of CSEC, where ever it is required family members are contacted and taken into confidence, they are provided information how to communicate with the child and deal with him. During the reporting Period 19 families of children were contacted and they were mobilized to re-enrol their children in schools. A meeting with doctor panel was organized 5 doctors participated in the meeting and issues of child protection. # Month No. Of Follow up visits No. Of Children Spot visits New children identified 1 July 16 51 23 32 2 Aug 14 32 17 25 3 Sep 13 38 21 14 Total 43 121 61 71 3.1 Educational Activities at CPC Educational activities are being implemented for the Prevention of children from Exploitation, through these activities they learn, reading & writing, computer, English language, and life skills. Basic Literacy Literacy class aims to enable children to write, read and count. The literacy classes are based on alphabets, Numbers, basic words and sentences, addition and subtraction. Their learning is being assessed on monthly bases and based on the result their next lessons are planned. Following table shows the progress during reporting Quarter # Month No of session No of children 1 July 16 25 2 Aug 16 25 3 Sep 15 15 Total 47 65 B. Computer literacy The high risk areas to be trapped and exploited are net cafes and gaming zones where children visit to play games and have fun. They visit pornographic sites and the abusers initiate the exploitation process from these spots. CPC provided them opportunity to learn and play games to have fun at computer lab in a safe environment with a productive adult supervision. Children are categorized in different group, like pre beginner, beginners, and level I and their classes were scheduled. Following table is about the Computer literacy. Computer Literacy # Month No of session No of children/session 1 Jul 19 35 2 Aug 16 35 3 Sep 19 25 Total 54 95 A. English language B. English is a very successful tool for indulging and retention of street children where all other activities aim at their rehabilitation. Keeping in view the interest of the CSEC language session is taken on regular basis at CPC. In the beginning CSEC were very indigent in English but now they have very opulent knowledge regarding it. They can write, read and trying to speak in English and CSEC also take part rigorously in the debate. The children enjoy speaking in English as far as they have learnt it also acts as a cover for the parents who assume that their children are being taught multi subjects and are in proper respectable place. # Month No of session No of children 1 Jul 16 25 2 Aug 16 25 3 Sep 8 30 Total 40 80 D. Life skill based education Children love to learn life skills through sessions, pictorial stories and role plays. These sessions help them to improve their decision making, problem solving, interpersonal and communication skills. # Month No of session No of children 1 July 4 35 2 Aug 4 35 3 Sep 4 50 Total 12 120 E. Religious education During the reporting period religious education sessions were conducted on daily bases in which Hadiths, Quran verses, and prayers were shares and through these sessions children's spiritually and positivity was enhanced. The religious restriction on sexual activities was communicated to decrease their involvement. # Month No of session No of children 1 July 18 45 2 Aug 12 45 3 Sep 16 55 `W Total 46 145 During the reporting period religious education sessions were conducted on daily bases in which Hadiths, Quran verses, and prayers were shares and through these sessions children's spiritually and positivity was enhanced. The religious restriction on sexual activities was communicated to decrease their involvement. F. Recreational activities Following Recreational Activities were carried out in the CPC during this Quarter o Creative expression competitions o Indoor games like Caram board, lodu blocks etc o Malamal, Aflaton, Bank of Creative Idea, Baid, Karam Board, o Out Door Cricket Match, Football Match 3.2 Educational Activities at CFS Under result 3 following activities were carried out Child Friendly Space CFS established and providing services to children with the support of community are continued working in this quarter. In this quarter 3 CFS provided educational, recreational and life skill education services to children in the out skirts of Quetta. Area Name of volunteers # of Children registered # of Working hours Pashtoonabad Muhammad Zaman 45 3 Hours Killi tairkha Hafiz , Habibullh 45 3 Hours Chaki Shahwani Naseebullah 38 3 Hours Faiz abad 40 3 Hours Axis 4: Rehabilitation of Victims For the rehabilitation of the children victim of CSEC following activities were carried out. 4.1 Psychosocial counselling Individual and group sessions were conducted for the children, with the new registered children Assessment sessions and history taking was conducted. Counseling aimed to provide them a safe place to express their feelings and give them insight to take decision to protect themselves from abusive activities. The counselor was able to gain their trust and provide them a friendly environment for counseling. There are some children found with significant indicators in their changed behavior. Annex 3 case studies 4.2 Medical Services Medical treatment for the minor problems children having was provided at CPC and for the intense treatment they were referred to the Sandman provincial hospital where the Members of Doctor Panel treat them. The prescribed medicines were provided from SEHER as the governmental hospitals lack medicines and parents of these children cannot afford. Sessions on health and hygiene, HIV, STIs and TB were conducted and on monthly bases their learning was Assess. Malamal was also an effective tool to learn about their physical safety. A weekly Chart was developed to enforce children to carry out activities for their better Hygiene. Medical Treatment S.No Month No of treatment at CPC No of Referral 1 July 35 35 2 Aug 35 35 3 Sep 15 15 Total 84 84 Health and hygiene sessions S. No Month No of session No of children 1 July 4 23 2 Aug 4 23 3 Sep 4 30 Total 12 76 HIV sessions S. No Month No of session No of children 1 July 4 30 2 Aug 4 30 3 Sep 4 35 Total 12 95 4.3 Nutrition supplement The Nutritional needs of these children are neglected by their parents and during their working hours they cannot afford to buy food for them. They are exploited for the provision of food so SEHER arrange lunch at CPC for them and provide them food. They are provided lunch according to Menu decided for the week and tea with Biscuits twice a day. 4.4 Skill Development Children learned skills in the CPC, fancy work; tailoring and mobile repairing are the skills which are being taught to the children. The skill trainer develop plan for each child to learn and be able to earn a livelihood. In the reporting period for the practical learning, children were placed temporarily with vendors to have exposure to the market under the supervision of skill trainers. The children in fancy work develop and design their samples to Learn and their sample work was preserved with their names. Skill Development S. No Month Tailoring Fancy Work Mobile Repairing 1 Jul 13 22 22 2 Aug 18 18 18 3 Sep 20 16 16 Total 41 56 56 Market Visit # Skill No.of children registered Children Visitied Market Exposure children registered for TTB 1 Mobile repairing 25 6 9 2 Tailoring 25 6 10 3 Fancy work 25 6 7 Total 75 18 26

Rational

Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome), incident exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to intimidate or groom the child, physical sexual contact with a child, or using a child to produce child pornography.

Location: 

City :  Quetta, Pakistan

Beneficiaries:                                                      Street children involved in Commercial Sex

 Children registered in CPC:                            115

 Category of children 

CSA:                                                    39

CSEC:                                                  40

Vulnerable:                                          36

Main activities:                             

Literacy class:, English language class: Computer literacy: LSBE session: Religious education:                         

Health & Hygiene: Skill development: TTB certification: PCC meetings:                                                    

Intervention

The children underwent different stages of prevention and rehabilitation activities to become a useful member of the society. The children have been relieved from their mental traumas through psychosocial counseling and variety of recreational activities. In order to reduce the level of their economic dependency they have been provided trainings in vocational skills that have high market demands.  The trained children were facilitated for trade and testing board certification for a better future.   

Qandeel center is established at Abdul Sattar Road Quetta for the rehabilitation of CSEC and CSA children. Children identified through Social mobilization are then categorized into different categories including CSA, CSEC and vulnerable. Children are registered into the center formally through the medical checkup and history taking.

Psychosocial support

Psychologist in the centre asses the needs of the children according to their mental and physical conditions and prepare a chart of assistance which would provide to the children during the rehabilitation process. 

Education

Children are provided with formal and non formal education to the children with proper English language and computer literacy classes. Religious education and life skill based education is also provided to the children to capacitate them according to the need of the hour.

Skill development

Skill development of the children is also taken into account and children are provided with skill trainings on different trades including Tailoring, bids work and mobile repairing. Children who have successfully completed their skill development course are certified through Trade & Testing Board after formal test of the candidates.

Apart from the above mentioned major activities children are also provided with nutritional supplements keeping in view their nutritional requirements, moreover legal sessions and aid is also provided to the vulnerable children. Child associations play their role effectively for the protection and prevention of children in their schools and communities, they were provided with legal education to be aware of their rights and a referral mechanism was developed with them.

The Street Children face major health problems as they wander over the streets where they eat unhygienic food and as a result become infected with various fatal diseases. Unsafe sexual practices also make these street children subject to various sexually transmitted infections/diseases and HIV/AIDS.

Impact of activities

Case Study of beneficiary:

Before Intervention

The reprehensible social stigma of children’s exploitation is one of the harsh truths that are hard to swallow and indemnify as create an agony in the society.

A reflection of this, is the story of Nooroz Khan , 16 years old, residents of Killi Qasian, one of the small settlement in the city. Engraved with the notion of tradition and culture, family of Nooroz khan is deeply  conservative and patriarchal. With the strong religious orientation, family also believes in education as essential but do less for this .  

The parents of Nooroz khan was least concerned about their child and was unaware of his activities. Father mostly remains out of town for his business and mortify his son because nooroz khan wanted to acquire education. Nooroz khan left school due to the reasons of teacher’s maltreatment; start dwelling in the street, wasting time at gaming zones  and other absurd spots .

Due to extrication from school and family environment, a negative attitude developed in Nooroz khan. He misbehaves with her mother and barely respects her elders. Due to parking in bad affiliation, nooroz khan personality came to halt. Nooroz started to sit in bad community and visiting gaming zones, mini cinemas on regular basis where he finds that the young boys are involved in Commercial Sex and the perpetrators who are using them providing them money, gifts and other luxuries. Nooroz seemed very impressed and as he was not looked by his father of other relative he indulged in the business of commercial sex.

The challenge

Children’s in the Child Protection Center are those who are sexually exploited or distracted because of the negligence of family. These children’s remains in the center in day time and returns back to their homes, which let them face same family treatment. They continually indulge in their gauche activities and often refuse to join the center. Due to the reason of repeating exposure to hostile environment, retention of children’s in the center remained one of the critical tasks, in the project line up.

Due to the maltreatment of Nooroz’s father, he also faced similar suffering and remained absent in the center for several months. After frequent follow-up and counseling he rejoined the center, for which project team exerted another thread of efforts to retrieve him to normal activities.

The Achievement

SEHER is working with the children’s at various levels under different programmatic themes, in which saving the life of distracted children’s is one of the lead. These children’s need a proper line up for which IMTIZAJ is exemplary to cite in. Fulfilling ,the objective of IMTIZAJ  and requirement of the child trafficking scenario, is the model of Child protection center where children’s like Norooz khan are mobilized, personalized and treaded towards  normal life . Nooroz khan was identified by the CPC team and brought to the center in 2009.  

To rectify the negative behavior of Noorooz khan project team exerted various counseling session with him and mobilized him to join the center. Upon several counseling attempts and follow-ups, Nooroz Khan became regular child in the center.

SEHER under the project has initiated skill development classes for the children of CPC so that they can be involved in positive activities and at the same time learn skills to earn their livelihood in a respectful way. After his attainment in CPC, Nooroz khan starts indulging himself in various activities and showed interest in the skill learning. This was a radical change observed in him and he learned various mobile repairing techniques in the center.

Along with the Nooroz khan will’ of learning mobile repairing skill, project team traced him towards education, provided awareness on different subjects which helped in molding his behavior in positive manner.

Nooroz khan was also provided with medical assistance as he was facing with different psychical injuries. He was checked by doctor available at CPC and medicines were also provide to him.

 The Fall out

Nooroz khan with a journey of about three years in the child protection center came up with an evident success. He learned various skills and is now employed in the CPC as skill trainer for mobile repairing.

With the honor of earning independently, raised the income of his family and Nooroz khan’s confidence as well. With extended financial range and increased motivation, Nooroz khan yearns to acquire more technical skills. He is now treated with respect in her family and his father bear polite and humble behavior towards him.

Links:

• www.seher.org.pk