Salaam Baalak Trust - working for street children

Food plays an integral role in ensuring health and well-being of all individuals. Consumption of a balanced diet is important to meet the nutritional requirements of maintenance, growth and development of the body. Significance of having nutritious food increases tremendously in childhood and adolescence due to rapid physical and psychological growth in these stages of life. At the same time, a regular meal pattern not only keeps body healthy but also keeps diseases at bay. Food has social and emotional significance as well. Having meals together inculcates the feeling of sharing and caring among children. Therefore, SBT has made conscious efforts to provide children a well-balanced diet.

 As part of the present project the children of the shelter homes are being provided food and nutrition. 

Food Menu:

Deciding on a balanced yet interesting menu for children is challenging as children like to have tasty and colourful meals with ample variety. Apart from this, children have also developed preferences for fast and junk food which are laden with fat, calories and high sodium. Therefore, in order to plan for a menu which is nutritious and enjoyable, food committees at different centres had meetings with children to include their choices in the menu. Based on the findings of the meeting and food committees’expertise on food and nutrition, menu with foods from different food groups was formulated for children. 

The menu is an attempt to include different foods such as cereals, pulses, vegetables, fats and oils and fruits. An effort has been made to include dishes of children’s choice for example chole bhature, maggi and samosa. However, such dishes are prepared in ways to make them nutritious, as in the case of maggi, vegetables are added. Similarly, murmure or rice puffs rich in iron are offered as evening snacks with namkeen of children’s choice.

Quality of Food: The formulation of menu though an essential pre-requisite does not assure that well-balanced meals are served on children’s plate. To ensure this, stringent quality checks are made by the coordinator and staff at home at different stages from buying the raw materials to preparing the actual food.Staff members make regular checks in a day in the kitchen while meals are being prepared so that the cooks observe cleanliness and hygiene. In addition, before the meals are served to the children coordinator or a staff member tastes all the dishes to ensure food is palatable and safe. To further improve the quality of meals the budget for breakfast, lunch and dinner has been increased.

Progress Update

As part of the present project following activities are conducted regularly at the centre to ensure health and nutrition of children.

• Regular health check-ups of children are conducted at the centre. The results show that most of the children are growing according to their age with ideal body weight for height.
• The reported illnesses and diseases have also been low in the home.
• Children are being provided well-balanced meals, with food items from all the food groups including cereals, pulses, vegetables, fats and oils.
• Care is taken to ensure that meals are colourful and attractive and children enjoy having them.
• Specific care is taken to ensure that those children who are thin consume adequate amount of food to reach their ideal body weight according to the height.
• In addition, children have been enjoying the practice of having meals together.
• They have learnt to eat together, share and serve others.
• Most importantly, the children have developed the habit of praying before the meals.
• Sincemeals are served at a particular time, children also have a sense of having meals on time.

In the current year in average 345 to 400 children are being provided meals per day at SBT shelter homes. 

Having food together has helped the children in bonding well with each other and has instilled a feeling of unity among them. While sitting and eating together children feel a part of a big family. Thus, apart from having a positive effect on well-being of children, the practice of having meals together also plays a crucial role in their psychological and social development. This has been a remarkable achievement of the present project.However, the team often faces a challenge in organising food for fluctuating number of children in the home. Sometimes food is required for 50 children and at other times for 75 children as the number of children staying in the home varies based on the ordersof the Child Welfare Committee.

 Future Plan

The staff members have envisioned timely menu and food quality review meetings with children. In addition inclusion of healthier diet options such as gourd vegetables and more green leafy vegetables is also being explored

IntroductionStreet children are deprived of protective environment of family. Article 20 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of such children who cannot be looked after by their own family to special care. The Government of India also accorded serious attention to provide protective environment of children in need of care including street children through enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and subsequent amendments to the Act. The Act in its Section 37 provides for establishment of shelter homes for children in need of care and protection.  Significance of shelter homes and residential centres for street children is immense, given the exploitative, violent and hostile situations they face in cities. Shelter homes or residential centres act as safety nets protecting street children from sexual abuse and exploitation, physical violence and child labour

Unlike orphanages, shelter homes and other child care institutions, full-care and short stay residential homes provide an enabling environment to children to realize their potential to the fullest. An attempt is made to educate and help children develop intellectually at these centres. However, children who are not inclined towards academics are not pushed towards a definite career path. Children are provided opportunities to develop their hidden talents and skills. They are encouraged to pursue dance, puppetry, acting, painting and photography as well.Aasra was the first shelter home/Centre started by SBT. With a capacity of 50 it caters to boys of five to 18 years. The home was set up under the JJ Act, 2000.

Under the present project, the funds from the donor were utilised for operation of Aasra Centre.

 Activitiesand Progress Update

Understanding the importance of ensuring a safe environment for children, SBT runs the Aasra Centre for boys rescued from the streets Besides serving the prime purpose of providing a ‘safe living space’ to children, residential homes offer a comprehensive package of services including food, education, medical care, mental health and psychological support. Children’s admission in the Centre is ascertained after they are duly presented in CWCs as per the provisions of the JJ Act, 2000. Identifying the unique background and needs of the child, individual care plans are drawn for each child in these Centre. Regular academic, psychological and medical assessments of the children are done to provide individualised education and health facilities. Full-time mental health professional and medical coordinator are appointed in the centre to provide psychological support, counselling and facilitate medical check-ups and treatment of children, respectively.  The continuum of care and protection services provided at the residential centres have been depicted in the Figure below.

In the year 2016-17 a total of 776 boys were provided shelter in Aasra centre.

A snapshot of services provided by the residential centres from April 1, 2016- March 31, 2017 has been presented in the Table below.

Activities

No of children

New Registration

714

Total beneficiaries

776

Shelter provided

776

Restoration

592

Place to other NGO boys

134

NFE boys

674

Produced to CWC boys

714

Referred from CWC boys

714

Restoration follow up(Telephone)

58

First Aid

570

Medical check up(no. of children)

369

Referred to hospital

65

Hospitalised

11

Operated

1

Tetanus injection

109

MMR vaccination

0

Typhoid vaccination

45

Hepatitis 'B' Vaccination

0

Medical investigation

162

long term treatment

6

HIV test

5

Eye check up

1

IQ Assessment

8

Dental check up

0

Referred to MHP

19

Referred to Drug de-addiction

4

Group Counselling

112

No. of children(annual tour)

25

Apart from these activities children celebrated festivals such as Eid, Holi, Diwali, X-Mas, and national holidays etc. Children also went for educational trips and tours. A total Trips and Tours: 350 children went to Sattal and while about a 100 girls went to Manali.

The  children also participated in various competitions and won numerous prizes. A child was second runner-up in HUDCO Painting Competition and received INR 7500 cash prize, around 10 children were participated in Goody beg program of PRC and two children won in inter Salaam Baalak Trust Quiz Competition.

Additionally, Mr. William and Ms. Kate (Duke and duchess of Cambridge) visited the Centre and interacted with children. Other donors and students from University of Delhi visited the Centre.

Case Study

Waseem, a 15 years old boy came to Aasra Centre in May 2016 on the direction of Child Welfare Committee.  When the social worker at Salaam Baalak Trust interacted with child, he was not able to recall anything about his family.  He only shared that he had worked in a hair salon in Old Delhi. He seemed to be grappling with some behavioural issues such as no eye contact, lack of social interaction, inability to make friends, loneliness, slow movement and unusual smile. In view of these signs the staff referred him to the Mental Health Team. The team and psychologist in particular interacted with, held sessions and counselled him. However, his overall condition worsened he became more aloof and locked himself in a room or began sitting in an enclosed almirah. The case was presented before the Salaam Baalak Trust Psychiatrist Dr. Amit Sen. The doctor diagnosed him with Catatonic Schizophrenia and recommended hospitalization immediately. His condition was also shared with the CWC and post their order Waseem was admitted to Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Shahadra for two months.

Once Waseem came back to the shelter after the treatment, there was a drastic change in him. He was doing very well and showed active involvement in all daily activities of the Centre. The social worker tried to trace his family but they were unable to do it. Thus, he was transferred to Apnaghar Shelter home for vocational training. At present, he is on medication and psychological therapy. He is also interning in a hair salon and performing very well earning around INR 7000-8000 per month.

Future Plan

SBT team plans to improve the existing quality of services at Aasra Centre through increased networks, better opportunities and staff capacity building. The team is making concerted efforts to reach more number of children in the coming year.

Introduction

Street children are deprived of protective environment of family. Article 20 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of such children who cannot be looked after by their own family to special care. The Government of India also accorded serious attention to provide protective environment of children in need of care including street children through enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and subsequent amendments to the Act. The Act in its Section 37 provides for establishment of shelter homes for children in need of care and protection.  Significance of shelter homes and residential centres for street children is immense, given the exploitative, violent and hostile situations they face in cities. Shelter homes or residential centres act as safety nets protecting street children from sexual abuse and exploitation, physical violence and child labour.

SBT Residential Centres are Unique

Unlike orphanages, shelter homes and other child care institutions, full-care and short stay residential homes provide an enabling environment to children to realize their potential to the fullest. An attempt is made to educate and help children develop intellectually at these centres. However, children who are not inclined towards academics are not pushed towards a definite career path. Children are provided opportunities to develop their hidden talents and skills. They are encouraged to pursue dance, puppetry, acting, painting and photography as well.

Brief Overview of Different Centers

Centre Catering to Boys or Girls

Brief Overview

Aasra Boys

Aasra was the first shelter home started by SBT. With a capacity of 50 it caters to boys of five to 18 years. The home was set up under the JJ Act, 2000.

ApnaGhar Boys

It is a short stay centre, where 30 children come stay short duration and then they are either restored or posted in a long stay home. The home was set under the JJ Act, 2000.

DMRC Boys

DMRC Children’s Home was established as part of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s corporate social responsibility. The home houses 125 boys from the age of five to below 18 years.

Old Delhi Railway Station (ODRS) Open Shelter Boys

ODRS is an open centre catering to 30 boys. It is a short stay centre, where children come stay short duration and then they are either restored or posted in a long stay home. The home was set under the JJ Act, 2000.

Arushi Girls

Arushi was first girls’ shelter home under SBT. It is an initiative to offer 24 hour shelter to 50 girls between the ages of five years to 18 years living on the streets.

Udaan Girls

Udaan was initiated with the support of Give 2 Asia in March 2010. It started with eight girls and currently shelters 60 girls at a time.

Activitiesand Progress Update

Understanding the importance of ensuring a safe environment for children, SBT runs full-care residential homes for girls and boys who live on streets. Aasra, ApnaGhar, Old Delhi Railway Station Open Centre (ODRS OC) DMRC Children Home are home for boys; Udaan Home and Arushi are shelter homes/residential centres for girls. Besides serving the prime purpose of providing a ‘safe living space’ to children, residential homes offer a comprehensive package of services including food, education, medical care, mental health and psychological support. Children’s admission in the centres is ascertained after they are duly presented in CWCs as per the provisions of the JJ Act, 2000. Identifying the unique background and needs of the child, individual care plans are drawn for each child in these centres. Regular academic, psychological and medical assessments of the children are done to provide individualised education and health facilities. Full-time mental health professional and medical coordinator are appointed in the centre to provide psychological support, counselling and facilitate medical check-ups and treatment of children, respectively.  The continuum of care and protection services provided at the residential centres have been depicted in the Figure below.

In the year 2016-17 a total of 2271 children (192 girls) were provided shelter in six shelter homes of Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT). Approximately 10% childrencame to open shelter directly or without Chile Welfare Committee(CWC) referral.

• SBTGeneral_ReportResidential_CentreFeb072017.docx (DOCX)

 Salaam Baalak trust mental heath programme.

 The key objectives of this project are to:

• To extend psychological support to children rescued from the streets and ensure their emotional and mental well-being
• To provide adequate support to children with learning and developmental challenges by enrolling them to special schools and enrolling them in professional institutions for therapeutic treatment

In the reporting period of the project, following key activities have been conducted by the project team.

1. Referral Sessions: Thesesessions are being conducted with the children who need regular counselling and face psychological difficulties and clinical symptoms.The appointed mental health team member conducts detailed clinical assessments and if specific problems are found then the case is discussed in the core group meeting for a clear diagnosis. Following this management plansare made and discussed with the concerned staff members. These plansarebeing implemented by the combined efforts of the team comprising of a psychiatrist, psychologist and social workers.
2. Psycho Social Counselling: The sessions are being conducted for children through informal discussions and problem solving. The issues currently being addressed during these sessions include, behavioural issues, anger and aggression management, sex and sexuality, emotional issues, drug abuse, relationship issues, academics, religion, belief systems, anxiety over a career decision among others.
3. Group Sessionshave been regularly organised to address psycho social issues. These session have been conducted in groupsofeight to 10 children. The sessions are mostly arts based to provide a non-threatening environment to children and enable them to share their problems and solve these through collaborative learning. These sessions have been instrumental in helping children heal at their own pace.
4. Enrolling Children with Special needs in Specialized Institutions: The children with learning disabilities have been enrolledin institutions likePrabhat Resource Centre and Orkids School for special educationand St. Stephens hospital for speech therapy.
5. Extending In-House Academic and Psychological Support: The teachers and social workers at the centre are providing academic and psychological support children with learning disabilities and they are regularly monitoring their progress as well.

Child Development Units (CDUs): The units provide children with neuro-developmental difficulties, a safe, nurturing environment and aim at early screening of mental health problems followed by carefully planned interventions. These were set up in September 2015. At present the CDU is covering eight boys with Autism Spectrum andattention deficit hyperactive Disorder.

attached is a report on this programme

• mental health programme (DOCX)

Introduction

Street children are deprived of protective environment of family. Article 20 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of such children who cannot be looked after by their own family to special care. The Government of India also accorded serious attention to provide protective environment of children in need of care including street children through enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and subsequent amendments to the Act. The Act in its Section 37 provides for establishment of shelter homes for children in need of care and protection.  Significance of shelter homes and residential centres for street children is immense, given the exploitative, violent and hostile situations they face in cities. Shelter homes or residential centres act as safety nets protecting street children from sexual abuse and exploitation, physical violence and child labour.

SBT Residential Centres are Unique

Unlike orphanages, shelter homes and other child care institutions, full-care and short stay residential homes provide an enabling environment to children to realize their potential to the fullest. An attempt is made to educate and help children develop intellectually at these centres. However, children who are not inclined towards academics are not pushed towards a definite career path. Children are provided opportunities to develop their hidden talents and skills. They are encouraged to pursue dance, puppetry, acting, painting and photography as well.

Brief Overview of Different Centers

Centre Catering to Boys or Girls

Aasra shelter home Boys

Aasra was the first shelter home started by SBT. With a capacity of 50 it caters to boys of five to 18 years. The home was set up under the JJ Act, 2000.

Apna Ghar open shelter Boys

It is an Open shelter, where children come stay short duration and then they are either restored or posted in a long stay home. The home was set under the JJ Act, 2000.

DMRC children’s home Boys

DMRC Children’s Home was established as part of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s corporate social responsibility. The home houses 100 boys from the age of five to below 18 years.

Old Delhi Railway Station (ODRS) Open Shelter Boys

ODRS is an open shelter catering to boys. It is an Open shelter, where children come stay short duration and then they are either restored or posted in a long stay home. The home was set under the JJ Act, 2000.

Arushi shelter home Girls

Arushi was first girls’ shelter home under SBT. It is an initiative to offer 24 hour shelter to girls between the ages of five years to 18 years living on the streets.

Udaan shelter home Girls

Udaan was initiated with the support of Give 2 Asia in March 2010. It started with eight girls and currently shelters more than 70 girls at a time.

Activities and Progress Update

Understanding the importance of ensuring a safe environment for children, SBT runs full-care residential homes for girls and boys who live on streets. Aasra, Apna Ghar, Old Delhi Railway Station Open Shelter (ODRS OS) DMRC Children Home are home for boys; Udaan Home and Arushi are shelter homes for girls. Besides serving the prime purpose of providing a ‘safe living space’ to children, residential homes offer a comprehensive package of services including food, education, medical care, mental health and psychological support. Children’s admission in the centres is ascertained after they are duly presented in CWCs as per the provisions of the JJ Act, 2000. Identifying the unique background and needs of the child, individual care plans are drawn for each child in these centres. Regular academic, psychological and medical assessments of the children are done to provide individualised education and health facilities. Full-time mental health professional and medical coordinator are appointed in the centre to provide psychological support, counselling and facilitate medical check-ups and treatment of children, respectively.  The continuum of care and protection services provided at the residential centres have been depicted in the Figure below.

Future Plan

SBT team plans to improve the existing quality of services through increased networks, better opportunities and staff capacity building. The team is making concerted efforts to reach more number of children in the coming year.

pls see attachment for more details 

• SBT update (DOCX)