Education & Health via Sports to Indian Slum Kids

Various initiatives have been undertaken in the project area during the year 2013-14. Please find below a few initiatives and impact the project made to children in the operational area.

Initiatives undertaken in 2013:

• Petitions submitted to the health department of Chennai Corporation for activating urban health center in SM Nagar and extending the hours of operation to 24 hours.
• Shared the consolidated data, that was collected in 2012 on malnutrition of slum children, with parents, government officials in order to highlight the requirement for improved services in ICDs.
• Conducted close monitoring of ICDs centers, staffs and status of malnourished children enrolled in ICDs center.
• Organized enrollment campaign for re-enrollment of drop-out and children involved in child labour. Conducted anti child Labour day campaign at all the slums and discussed preventive strategy of accessing school to address the issue of child labor.
• Worked with cadres to address the issue of potential drop out children and forced child marriage.
• Leadership Camp for the leaders of the 12 Children’s Collective.
• Developed understanding of the reasons that lead to child marriage in the community and sensitized the community of ill effect of child marriage.

 Impact in Jan 2013 –Dec 2013:

• 4 new ICDs centers sanctioned and 2 new centers opened.
• 50 children enrolled at 2 newly opened centers.
• Achieved sanctioning of toilet for every individual household.
• Facilitated media coverage on the issues related to child labour in the six working slums of Vyasarpadi by New Indian Express-City express on Anti-Child Labour day (13^th June, 2013). The media advocacy resulted in immediate interventions. The Chennai City Corporation Commissioner convened a meeting and the corporation officials have been rolled out a study on the Child Labor scenario in the slums of Vyasarpadi.
• 28 children identified as child labours and 21 of them reenrolled into schools.
• A special sports meet was conducted for all the Children of SCSTEDS. Tamilnadu Slum Clearance Board was roped in for conducting the event, with 430 chidren participants.