Child Protection - Krishnagar Cathedral Charitable Social Society

Title :- United for Child Protection

(Protecting and Reclaiming Childhood in West Bengal State of India.)

Project Period :-

1st April 2019 – 31st September 2019

Target Areas :-

District – Murshidabad

Block :-

Farakka
Suti- II

G.P. :-

Arjunpur
Mahesali- II
Beniagram

Villages :-

Arjunpur, Bhabanipur, Sibnagar, Bamuha, Basantapur, Bhairabpur, Hazipur, Khidirpur, Kisorpur, Lokaipur, Parulia, Parsadpur Andhua, Hosenpur, Baikunthapur.

Background :-

Murshidabad : Bidi rolling is what young girls do in Murshidabad, the joys of childhood snuffed out in a bid to help their families earn a living . Report suggests that 3 lac to four lacs workers in Murshidabad, when in 90% are women and children working at home. Mothers teach daughters to roll bidi from the age of five before they attain puberty they master the work

Parent admits children to school, but majority of the girls drop out after primary school to supplement their family meager income. With constant exposure to tobacco, girls contract tuberculosis and asthma. The bidi industry perpetuates the vicious cycle of poverty by encouraging cheap labour through engagement of children, avoiding the overhead expenditure of employing adult labourers guided by trade unions. Women and children lack the freedom to fight for their rights in the absence of proper education.

Collective responsibility from trade unions, government departments, and other NGOs to make the employers accountable for perpetuating child labour.

Over Goal / Impact :-

A safe and sound environment for children to achieve the fullest potential through attainment of the Right to Survival, Protection, Development and Participation as enshrined in the UNCRC, ratified by the Govt. of India

Overall Objective :-

Enhanced child protection and development by strengthened socio-legal child safeguarding mechanisms in the districts of North and South Bengal.

Implementation strategy :-

The programme will operate to achieve a safe and sound environment for children to rise up to their fullest potential, through the following strategies of

Functionalizing statutory mechanisms and services on governance, health and education at community level for preventive actions,
Raising Children’s organization and Community Based Organisations to act as watchdogs on child protection and development,
Dialogue and engagement with law enforcement agency and Policy Makers;
Alliance building and convergence with state level children’s networks.

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Community Level Meeting

Community Level Meeting at Andhua Block of Farakka District.- Murshidabad.

General Awareness Program

PRA , Community meeting and General Awareness program conducted at Block - Farakka , Arjunpur - Deonapur and Bhabhanipur with 12 different member of villages.

Participatory Rural Appraisal( PRA )

Participatory Rural Appraisal( PRA ) was conducted with community members comprising of ICDS workers, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Anganwari Members at Hazipur Block of Suti II ,District.- Murshidabad