By Isha Sheth | Project consultant
Childline:
Childline is an emergency helpline for children who are in need of care and protection. It is supported by Ministry of Women and Child Development. Shaishav has been running Childline in Bhavnagar district for past 10 years.
During the Covid period many children lost their mother or father or both, especially during the second wave. Childline team members went through newspaper obituaries and identified people who died and were under 50 years, and followed up at their houses and found 317 children who lost both or one parent to Covid and Comorbidities. With help of District Child Protection Unit child line team was able to get these children monthly support under Chief Minister Balsewa scheme and we are delighted that all the children received their first check under the same.
In these past four months Childline registered 110 cases about linking children with schemes, missing children, child labour, child marriage, protection from abuse, emotional support and guidance, child beggar, needing shelter, etc.
Childline team also does regular outreach programs to create an awareness about their work and to reach to more children who might be in need of care or protection. ChildLine team did outreach programs and went to 16 schools and 62 Aanganwadis and met 1255 children in school and 336 teachers and Aanganwadis workers.
Open houses are organized for children and adults in the community to tell them about Childline and listen to their issues and challenges regarding child safety. Childline team organized more than 14 open houses in different community with more than 305 people.
We have created Child Protection Committees in each area where Balsena (our children’s collective) is working. Children representatives, Parents along with some leaders of the area are part of these committees. Child Protection Committees meet every two months. Childline team conducts these meetings. They discuss problem that children are facing in the area, and together find appropriate solutions for the same. Child Protection Committees discussed issues around schemes for differently abled children and orphan children who live with their relatives, no sanitation facility in their area or open drainage system and how it is dangerous, Collection of waste from their area, etc. Members also brought up the issues about toilets not being cleaned properly in the school. The Childline team then contacted the principal of the school, who then gave assurance that he would look into it and make sure that they are cleaned regularly. Along with this, Childline team also conducted a small training about child rights, right to survival, emotional safety and how to take care and help children who are passing through stress. The team organized 30 C.P.C. meetings and 151 adults and 124 children participated in these meetings.
Case Study:
Child line team received a call that there is a child who is working in a hotel and is only 17 years old. When child line team went there and tried to get more information, they found out that his older brother also works there and when his uncle and grandmother went to meet him and bring him home, the owner had refused the meeting and did not allow them to take him home. He told them that the person who brought this child here owes him money so until he receives the money, he will not let the child go. After finding out this, Child line team contacted the uncle and got him to write an official complain, and then with the help of DCPU officer, Assistant labour commissioner, Assistant Police Inspector, and police constable they raided the hotel at 8 pm and rescued the child and his older brother. Child lien team did counselling of the child and the labour department gave the owner official warning and he was made to give promise in writing that he would not employ children as labour. The child was brought to the Child welfare committee and rehabilitated with his family in Dahod district in east Gujarat. The family was very thankful of child line for their efforts.
Child Rights Training and Resource Centre:
Adolescent Empowerment and Protection Training of Trainers:
Shaishav organized a second phase of Adolescent empowerment and protection training. The topics covered in this training were online safety, patriarchy, power and oppression, healthy masculinity, healthy friendship, love and attraction, healthy body image, gali bandh abhiyaan, what is a consent and respecting no and boundary, and topics related to protection of the children. The participants then also went to the field area and practised what they learnt and gave feedback to each other and got feedback from mentors. 33 participants from different organization participated in this TOT.
Life skills Training:
Falgunbhai facilitated a training on life skills for around 60 frontline workers of different organizations that are part of Child Rights Collective- Gujarat
Aattapi Foundation:
Continuing our partnership with Aataapi foundation, our team went to Jambusar for training with children on life skills and child rights. 80 children and 7 facilitators joined this training.
Training on creating street play:
Shaishav team members gave training on creating street plays to facilitators of Swati organization. Swati team members created a play on girl’s right to occupy and be in public spaces and their right to play with the help of Shaishav team.
Training of Women Safety:
Parulben trained 80 women from Bhavnagar Collectorate on women safety and sexual harassment and what to do in case they face it.
Training on POCSO Act, JJ Act and child rights
Falgunbhai, along with District Child Welfare Committee members gave training to __ on POCSO Act, JJ Act and Child rights as well as different government schemes for children.
By Isha Sheth, Bibha Sinha | Project consultant
By Isha Sheth | Project Consultant
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