An Interim Report on the Impact of the CREAM Project
BREADS
Bangalore Rural Educational And Development Society
Contents 03 Preface 04 Introduction 05 CREAM Genesis 06 CREAM Objectives 07 CREAM Programmes 09 CREAM Actions 20 CREAM Monitoring and Evaluation
22 Fresh Acknowledgement from anchoring MDG Consultations in Karnataka
25 Glimpses of CREAM Impact 30 Director’s Page
Preface This report documents the genesis of project CREAM – Child Rights Education and Action Movement, conceived, administered and implemented by BREADS Bangalore, through its project implementing partners. CREAM is now 18 months old, growing with an impact that continues to surprise us. At this juncture we think it would be appropriate to share the evolution of CREAM and its flavours with likeminded groups that work for the protection and promotion of child rights. BREADS takes this opportunity to thank our funders, who have extended all their support in implementing this rights based project. It is also our responsibility to thank our implementing partners from the 10 districts, who have been a boon to this project, coming from varied capacities engaging in protection of vulnerable children for many years. Thanks also due to all our friends and associates from the development sector, the Salesian community and government representatives whose regular feedback continues to add value to our work with the children. Most of all, many thanks to our children and community stake holders (parents, teachers, local representatives, self help group women, anganwadi workers, etc.) whose active participation in the programmes has acknowledged the need and significance of such a project.
Introduction How many of us have a complete understanding of what children in our nation are exposed to, while blowing our bastion about the demographic dividend? So what if the population comprises largely of children and youth? Our leaders are yet to come out with an integrated policy effort that will prioritise child rights and ensure that children are protected from all vulnerabilities. The existing mechanisms and their execution leave
Development Society assists and promotes the development activities of NGOs, particularly the Don Bosco projects in the Salesian province of Bangalore. Our major interventions include: Promotion of education Vocational & skill training Community development
development workers like us scouting for that
Youth development
elusive dark matter which can bridge attitudinal
Young at Risk (YaR) programme
differences, personal experiences and intentions that often pitch against the cardinal cause of protecting our children.
4
BREADS- Bangalore Rural Educational and
Children have been the main target group of all our projects, as we believe that their formative years are very crucial to individual and societal
Nevertheless, there is still some hope. We have
development. BREADS therefore, has made
a number of initiatives taken by the non profit
considerable efforts in reaching them, ranging
organisations who try to make a mark from their
from school dropouts to children who are abused,
respective levels of functioning. BREADS has been
infected/affected by HIV, living on the streets and
doing its part since 1995.
trafficked.
cream
Genesis CREAM – Child Rights Education and Action Movement
The project works out to create structures at multiple
was born out of the notion of educating children on their
levels for the children to realise their right to participation
rights, so that they can take informed decisions in matters
and also simultaneously sensitise the government
concerning their growth and development. Experiences
authorities to respond to such voices from the ground,
taught us that educating children on their rights is the best
prioritising protection and promotion of child rights.
possible way to re-prioritise child welfare in the present
Consequently, the project is also evolving networks that
development discourse.
further add value to the project’s reach.
Educating children on their rights was the first step to help
An intensive grass root level facilitation and capacity
them realise their right to participation. At least, they would
building process by a team of more than 170 trained
come to know if they were being exploited. Thus, CREAM
and motivated social activists has been integrated in
was envisaged with activities that would educate children
the project. This ensures the informed consent and
on their rights, empowering them to raise collective voice
acceptance by parents, social workers, teachers and other
in matters hampering their holistic development.
relevant community stakeholders for fostering children’s
Many of the actions proposed in the project were already experimented and implemented by BREADS through its partners. Many pilot interventions in the given themes like child rights promotion, child participation, community integration in child protection, etc., had already been
involvement in their development. The formation and strengthening of community vigilant groups envisaged in the project like task forces has been an effective tool to address the challenges of cultural norms and beliefs such as child marriage, gender discrimination, etc.
implemented and were found to be a successful model,
CREAM is being implemented through a partnership
calling for expansion and replication in other areas. CREAM
between BREADS, Federal Ministry for Economic
was thus designed as an integration of these tested
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Don Bosco
interventions from a rights based framework, intending to
Mondo (DBM) Germany. The project is currently
evolve into a movement wherein the community will voice
implemented across 10 districts in the state of Karnataka
for its children and their rights.The actions of CREAM are
– Bangalore, Bellary, Bidar, Chitradurga, Davangere,
therefore, a consolidation of our experiences for wider
Gulbarga, Mysore, Raichur, Ramnagara and Yadgiri.
reach and impact.
cream
5
Cream Objectives
1. Enhanced confidence level of children to work in a team, address local issues and interact with local governance bodies. The resultant high level in participation of children is ensured. Also scaling up child participation from different experimented models to consolidation 2. Enhanced capacities and improved levels of confidence of children and various stakeholders (social workers, parents, community leaders etc.) to involve children in advocating and demanding accessibility to services from rights based perspective. 3. Care and protection of the children at risk through participatory strategies and structures which can replicate the desired effects even in future development interventions. Beyond the quantitative and qualitative outcome, the impact lies in the enhanced individual potential of the participating children that opens perspectives for their future.
CREAM aims to train 75000 children in child rights, impart Human Rights Education in 450 schools covering 22500 children and form more than 450 child rights clubs and 300 task forces comprising members of the community in the project areas that will work for the protection of child rights. 6
cream
Cream Programmes
Training For Children On Child Rights
Formation And Strengthening Of Child Rights Clubs (CRCs) District
No of programmes done
Bangalore
36
Bellary
32
Bidar
25
Chitradurga
41
Davangere
35
Deodurga
31
Gulbarga
20
Mysore
16
Clubs (CRCs), making sure that being a part of CRCs is
Ramnagara
7
completely an informed decision by the children. These
Yadgiri
19
Total
262
The training programmes are the first window to gauge the interest and attention of children on the topic. These programmes are a precursor to formation of Child Rights
programmes initiate the thought processes that help children relate to their rights. Interestingly, they have also
Reach out
Boys 19991 Girls 20133 Total 40124
been the first level of platform for children to speak their A CRC is the first formal structure introduced at the school
mind on the plight of children like them. District
No of programmes done
Bangalore
89
Bellary
27
Bidar
41
Chitradurga
39
Davangere
32
Deodurga
56
Gulbarga
33
Mysore
14
Ramnagara
11
Yadgiri
36
Total
378
level to promote children’s right to participation. Children Reach out
have displayed their ability as keen observers of the community, informing the district government teams about the situation of children in the locality. In fact, the children knew much more about potential incidences of child marriages, child labour, drop outs, etc. than what we could
Boys 19991
gather from other sources. Eventually, these clubs created the space required by children to discuss out issues and
Girls 20133 Total 40124
cream
7
the possible solutions. Children have written to authorities like Gram Panchayat leaders, SDMC (School Development and Management Committee) members, school Head Masters, etc. soliciting their attention on issues ranging from supply of drinking water, water for toilets, a separate shed for kitchen, leaking roofs in the classrooms, etc.
Training Of Community Stakeholders No of programmes done
No. of participants
SHG women
76
5525
Youth
12
602
NGO representatives
1
35
Government Officials
7
227
PRI members
11
211
SDMC members
10
355
Project staff
21
160
District
One of the components of the project is to train multiple
programmes conducted in these districts proved very effective in convincing the older youth on the influence they can have on children and their peers. The awareness sessions on multiple topics like child rights, government child protection mechanisms, role of community stake holders, etc. allowed them to understand their crucial role in helping the community own the concept of protection and promotion of child rights.
stake holders in the community such as the SHG (Self
Most of all, peer education programmes became a handy
Help Group) members, Panchayat members, government
tool in educating and engaging child labourers and
officials such as the BDO (Block Development Officer),
street children on their rights. It has also helped children
VEO (Village Education Officer), members of the SDMCs,
understand the extent of vulnerabilities that they could
etc. This is to ensure that all those who have a stake
be subjected to if they continued to stay on the streets or
in upholding the rights of the child are well informed
work as child labourers.
about children’s entitlements and are aware about the mechanisms to face the violations in such cases.
Peer Education Among the ten districts where CREAM is operational, BREADS focussed on Bangaloreand Gulbarga to record the impact peer education can have.The 10 peer education
8
cream
No of programmes done
Boys
Girls
Bangalore
6
115
31
Gulbarga
4
171
117
Total
10
286
148
District
Reach out
Cream Actions
DISTRICT, REGIONAL AND STATE LEVEL NETWORK OF CRC MEMBERS Children were very observant on several issues including drop outs, child labourers, child abuse, etc. making their ability to look at issues as concerning all of them collectively, apparent. This gave way for the next progressive level, to realize their right to participation. Networking efforts were initiated to help children understand the challenges and issues faced by children like them in different regions and explore options based on each others’ experiences. Each district formed a network of CRC leaders with 5 office bearers. Soon after, 3 Regional Networks were formed as under, each with its own set of representative leaders. • South region – comprising the districts of Bangalore, Mysore and Ramnagara • North region – comprising the districts of Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur and Yadgiri • Central region – comprising the districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Davangere Following this, BREADS organized the inauguration of State CRC Network in Bangalore, in November 2013. On day 1, the children were given an opportunity to share their CRC experiences district wise. Fr Joy Nedumparambil, Executive Director – BREADS Bangalore, facilitatedthe session where children made the best of this opportunity expressing their concerns and obtaining clarity on the purpose behind establishing such a network. The children headed off to little debates and discussions in between, curious about similar issues receiving different approaches in the project districts. The programme offered a canvas of opinions from children that enriched the overall experience for the staff on issues such as child marriage, child labour, access to quality education. Later during the day, the children were divided into three groups and asked to deliberate on the following questions:
cream
9
Office Bearers of Karnataka State Network of CRCs 1. What is the most important issue concerning child rights, according to you? 2. Why is it important to address this issue? 3. What can be done to address these issues through the State Network? 4. What do you think should be the role of a State Network of CRCs? Post these discussions, the members of the State Network were elected.
Name
Class
District
Position
VIII
Bangalore
President
Spoorthi
X
Davangere
Vice President
Devika
VII
Mysore
Member
Harshitha
VI
Ramnagara
Member
Manjunath G J
VII
Chitradurga
Member
Merlin
V
Bidar
Member
Mariyappa
IX
Raichur
Member
Panduranga
VIII
Bellary
Member
Shivashankar
VII
Gulbarga
Member
Suhas
IX
Yadgiri
Member
Bharath Kumar
On day 2, the Network President and Vice President – Bharath Kumar (Bangalore) and Spoorthi (Davangere) geared up to present the unanimous inferences from group discussions to eminent guests on board – Mr C G Hungund, Member, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, Fr Edward Thomas, Member, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, FrKoonan Thomas, Vice Provincial and Director – Youth Services, Bangalore Province, FrPuthenpurayilKuriakose, Head – YaRCommission and Fr Joy Nedumparambil, Executive Director – BREADS Bangalore.Teachers from the districts were also given an opportunity to share their experiences with CRCs and opinions on choosing the way forward. Their enthusiasm compelled BREADS team to declare that child friendly, proactive teachers from the project districts will be duly recognized. The 10 members of the network then came up on stage to plan campaigns on specific issues for the year 2014. Child Marriage and Out of School Children were chosen as the issues of concern. They decided to organize 4 events at the district level (in 10 districts), 2 events at the regional levels and 1 mass campaign at the State Level in 2014, marking the 2nd anniversary of the project.
10
cream
Human Rights Education There is no seconding to the thought that education is quintessential for upward social mobility. We have adequate studies and reports at national and state level,lamenting on behalf of the marginalised groups who still find it hard to access good quality education. With CREAM, we are trying to propagate education as a right and also, educate children on human rights so that they are aware of what they deserve and where they ought to be in their age. Human Rights Education in Schools is one of the major components of CREAM that intends to convince the state government that teaching human rights to children can make a world of difference in addressing child rights violations in a community. As a precursor, BREADS organized a training programme for CREAM staff from all the districts in the month of June, 2013. The staff were guided to organize similar programmes for Government School Teachers in each of their districts. As the teacher training programmes were underway, BREADS, in collaboration with SICHREM (South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring) published teachingmaterial thatcould be used by teachers while teaching children. The teachers had expressed that the flipcharts were very child friendly and enabled them to conduct classes with examples from daily life. Further, children from the CRCs and teachers involved in handling these classes have remarked that HRE classes allowed them to openly discuss community’s issues, specifically that concerningchildren, allowing them to contextualise the need to learn rights. • 266 teachers from 189 schools were trained in HRE. • HRE is presently being implemented in 184 schools, reaching over 12243 children. A CRC member in Davangere noticed the adulteration in mid day meals served in the school. With no responsible answer from the kitchen staff, he soon gathered outside the school gate with all CRC members and friends, demanding for good quality food as a fundamental right. CREAM team learnt the incident from the following day’s newspaper.
cream
11
Ms Daniela Schadt, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Germany interacts with children during her visit to BREADS CREAM project at BOSCO Bangalore, in February 2014.
Task Forces in the Communities As a rights based project, CREAM intends to create community level entities that will grow to protect and promote child rights, owning it as a collective responsibility of the community concerned. Ambitious as it may seem, it did daunt us with problems in convincing authorities for permissions and bringing different stake holders together. District teams managed their level best to penetrate the people concerned and succeeded in forming 39 task forces so far. Most of these task forces comprise of members from Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI – local self government institutions) and other stake holders like SDMC members, government school teachers, NGO representatives from the locality, general public, Self Help Group women. The table below summarises the details of task forces formed in 2013.
12
cream
District
No. of task forces formed
Areas where task forces are formed
Bangalore
12
Majestic bus stand Babuji Nagar Satellite bus stand Mailappanahalli City Railway Station Out Post Police Station – Kempegowda bus stand KSRTC bus stand Goripalya K S Nagar Athiganahalli Cantonment Railway Station JallyMohalla (2)
Bellary
3
Kamalapur village HagriBomanahalli village Kudligi village
Bidar
No task forces formed yet
Chitradurga
No task forces formed yet
Davangere
Deodurga
Gulbarga
Mysore
Ramnagara
Yadgiri
Constituent members of the task forces formed Employees, vendors, porters Employees, vendors, porters PRI members + villagers Platform cleaners Police officials in the bus stand Passengers Community members Community members PRI members Coolie porters and Cleaners Mothers’ Groups Government officials + SHG women PRI members, Teachers, NGO members PRI members, Teachers, NGO members
5
Kondajji Kokkanuru Yelehole Nandhigavi GP Gutturu GP
Members from PRI, SDMC, SHG, Anganwadis PRI members Community members Community members Community members
4
Karadigudda Koppar Arakera Jalahalli
PRI members PRI members PRI members PRI members
No task forces formed yet
6
Hanche Srirampura Gopalapura Siddalingapura Rammanalli Dangally
PRI members PRI members PRI members PRI members, community stake holders PRI members SHG women
3
Mangadahalli Arkeshwara Colony Lalbanwadi
SDMC members PRI members Teachers, Anganwadi workers, auto union leaders, Elected Councillor
6
Haligera Balichakra Yaddalli Varkanalli Tanagundi Bandalli
Members from PRI and SDMC PRI members PRI members PRI members PRI members PRI members
cream
13
Campaigns on Child Rights Eleven public campaigns have been organized so far, involving the participation of CRC members, volunteers, NGO representatives from the locality and community members. Posters, speeches, on spot rescue operations, street plays, mime shows were the medium used to communicate child rights to the public. In the rally against child sexual abuse in Davangere (sparked by 3 incidents in the same month), children prepared a memorandum and presented it to the Tahsildar. These campaigns affirmed the ability of children to communicate their concerns and perspectives, when a platform was available.
District Bangalore
Issue
Participation
Eradication of child labour (4 rallies) Eradication of child labour 252 boys and 254 girls Right to Education Right to Education
Davangere
39 boys and 25 girls 8217 participants including children from 14
Silent walk against sexual harassment of
CRCs, volunteers and NGO representatives;
minors
children presented a memorandum to District Tahsildar.
Role of Gram Panchayat in protecting children,
505 participants including school children,
in collaboration with different community
parents, teachers, SDMC members, other
stake holders like the Anganwadi teachers, etc
community members and Gram Panchayat
– in K N Halli, Gutturu and Devanabelakere
functionaries.
Eradication of child labour, Right to Education Deodurga Eradication of child labour, Right to Education
1050 children from government schools in Gabbur cluster 60 children – Deodurgataluk Initiated by SDMC President (Mr Syed
Mysore
Back to School Campaign
Ahmed); 45 children from the school and neighbourhood.
14
cream
Press Conferences by Children From CRCs Two press conferences were organized in 2013. The one in Davangere had children voicing strongly against sexual abuse of minors, with 10 pointed demands and the latter in Deodurga had them raising questions on the apathy of officials exclusively responsible for protecting child rights in the district. Although government department officials were invited, only the press people turned up for this conference. Some of the demands raised by children in the
4. The law against child sexual abuse must be implemented effectively. 5. In cases of child sexual abuse within school premises, the perpetrators are only suspended for 3 months, with half the salary reaching them. They must be dismissed and not be provided with any of the benefits. Children raised questions on safety problems that stop them from going to school – like
Davangere Press Conference –
disturbance by drunkards on the way, ragging/
1. In cases of child sexual abuse, the perpetrator
to school, adulterated mid day meals, etc. They
must be arrested immediately. 2. Judgements have to be passed on all the pending cases pertaining to child sexual abuse, at the earliest. 3. Perpetrators of child sexual abuse must be
eve teasing by men, government buses not plying were concerned about child labourers transported in auto rickshaws driven past the local police stations, and why there was no action yet. One of the CRC members lamented on the inaction from the authorities’ part - “no issues are being addressed. Why should I come for the meeting at all?”.
awarded death sentence.
cream
15
Children’s Gram Sabhas On 30th October 2007, Karnataka State Government
concerns, they were very categorical about what
passed an order making it mandatory for village
had to be done from the purview of child rights.
Panchayats to offer children a platform to voice
In Deodurga, children had also questioned the
their concerns and problems, through special
negligence of SDMC members, who have not even
Children’s Gram Sabhas (village general body
visited the schools once.
meeting). However, this initiative is yet to be formally regularized by the officials concerned. Children’s Gram Sabhas do not happen in all the Panchayats as mandated by this order. CREAM has tried to make a dent in this context in 3 of its districts – Davangere, Deodurga and Gulbarga. Children raised issues concerning their rights – food served in the schools or the indifference of authorities to the plight of child labourers/school drop outs/out of school children or infrastructure
16
cream
In Bangalore, children’s issues are being taken up for discussion in Gram Sabhas. 1098 (Child Help Line) is now publicly advertised. Suggestion boxes placed in schools and Panchayat offices helped in solving the issue of obtaining TC for school admission for a child. In Davangere district, the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) has passed an order to all Panchayats – asking them to conduct Children’s Gram Sabhas in all the villages in coordination/ collaboration with the CREAM team.
Bridge School for Rescued children One year remedial course (Bridge school) for child labourers and school dropouts was organized under CREAM project, aimed at readmitting the children into formal schools. The course imparts classes on basic literacy, arithmetic, social and natural sciences along with life skills. After the training, all children will be readmitted to formal schools in different grades based on their age and learning capacity. Last year we had admitted 312 rescued child labourers/street children in bridge school. All of them are undergoing the course and are expected to be mainstreamed in formal schools in the next academic year (starting from June 2014).
Details of Bridge School 2013 Name of Project
District
No of children studying in Bridge school
Don Bosco Child Labour Mission
Davangere
106
Don BoscoHospet
Bellary
60
BOSCO Bangalore
Bangalore
40
Don BoscoMakkalalaya Mysore
Mysore
36
Don Bosco project for Young at Risk
Gulbarga
40
Don Bosco Social Action Centre
Yadgir
32
Total
314
Supplementary Education Supplementary education programmes are going on in 10 project districts. The reach in every district is summarized below. No. of tuition centres
No. of children reached
Bangalore
10
397
Bellary
12
465
Bidar
10
219
Chitradurga
10
350
Davangere
10
372
Deodurga
10
307
Gulbarga
11
548
Mysore
10
196
Ramnagara
10
336
Yadgiri
10
167
103
3357
District
Total
cream
17
Besides the regular tuition classes, tuition teachers have been very active in observing the child rights situation in the locality and planning interventions. In one of the districts, 2 girl drop outs (class 7 and 9) were moved to another place by father after mother’s death. Without Transfer Certificate (TC), they were not able to resume schooling in the new place. The tuition teacher intervened, convinced the school management (explaining provisions of Right to Education Act of 2009) and got them admitted in the school. Another of the teachers managed to stop a child marriage, with the information gathered from the student at the centre, who happened to be the child bride’s sister.
Participatory Action Research PAR has been an integral part of interactions BREADS has facilitated with the CREAM team members in the districts. Every initiative has been supported by their remarks and feedback from the community. During the project monitoring visits in August 2013, BREADS team also visited schools in the project districts and interacted with the members of CRCs in the schools. The interaction with them was more an eye opener, than a mere participatory exercise. Children’s expression of concerns affecting their rights brought to light the intensity of problems such as child marriage and child labour, etc… also the apathy with which the local authorities responded. This called for more strategies from the CREAM teams to facilitate the engagement of persons in positions through task forces or other forums, thereby making them partners in protection and promotion of child rights.
18
cream
Missing Child Bureau Missing Child Bureau (MCB) is a web based search
and must optimally use the inroads provided by
facility for missing children supported by the
CREAM to trace and home place the missing children
software Home Link. It works to document and
in communities that were initially impenetrable.
publicize information relating to Missing Children with the co-operation and collaboration of the Child line and District Police Station. The state government in Karnataka acknowledged the work done by BREADS and its partners for the Young at Riskin the last two decades, by designating one of them as the nodal agency for the entire state, in 2007. Since then, BREADS Bangalore has been engaged in strengthening the MCB centres across the state. With fresh space and penetration promised by CREAM, BREADS decided to administer and strengthen MCB units in the 10 districts under this project.
The MCB programme has been able to make its own strides in all the districts. Whether it is spreading awareness on the significance of filing complaints or tracing/home placing a child, the response from the communities has invited new and composite strategies. Nevertheless, the MCBDCs have walked their extra miles only to make sure that missing children are traced back to a place where they are cared best. 1218 complaints were registered during year, of which 751 were traced. Another 1192 unaccompanied children were found. Among them, all 1465 children were home placed while 477 children were domiciled in government/NGO run homes.
A 2013 report from the National Crime Records
There are still more than 450 children who have to
Bureau revealed that Karnataka recorded the
be traced back to their families. With revamped
highest number of missing children complaints in
monitoring, the staffs are more confident of bringing
South India. This only meant that BREADS could
down these alarming numbers.
cream
19
Cream Monitoring and Evaluation
Evaluation:
Being a large-scale project implemented in several districts of
CREAM baseline survey intended
Karnataka, with a time span of threeyears, monitoring and evaluation of the CREAM is of utmost importance to track the project progress and assess the achievement. While the monitoring and evaluation functions are interlinked and complement each other, each of these functions addresses a specific need of the project. The M&E activities rendered for the project so far are briefly discussed below.
Monitoring As a rights based project with distinct challenges and approaches in each of the project districts, CREAM required a monitoring and evaluation system that did not compromise documentation to showcase the impact, which will in turn contribute to building an evidence based practice in the realm of child rights. This was one of the concerns that led to incorporating Participatory Action Research as part of the project. The project has integrated an effective and impact oriented monitoring system, using the logical framework as its basis, which has clear indicators of achievement of objectives and outputs. A decentralised, three layer monitoring system has been planned, which will involve communities at the first layer of the system. a) Level 1 – community level – engaging with multiple stake holders from respective communities b) Level 2 – project level - engaging with CREAM staff headed by a Project Director in each of the 10 districts, to assess the progress and assist with due diligence c) Level 3 – core team level – Executive team from BREADS
to conduct a preliminary study to understand the factors concerning child rights in the field, in order to develop a deeper understanding on the relevance for interventions under CREAM. Baseline survey was initiated in July 2013, with a predesigned questionnaire disseminated to the project districts. The data collection was carried out in 9 of the project districts. Since CREAM had not taken off at Ramnagara, the survey was not conducted in this district. Post data collection, the CREAM staff were instructed on data entry on a programmed excel file during the training programme at BREADS Bangalore in September 2013. The findings of this survey have proven the scope and relevance of CREAM activities. BREADS will conduct impact assessment survey in 2015. The findings of the study would be positioned in a way to advocatefor replication in collaboration with the Karnataka Government.
Cream School Assessment Exercise By Children In The Crcs
continually engaging with the district teams to evaluate strategies
CRC members in 199 schools had
and guide further discourse
shared about the status of their schools,
Consistent programmes organised to bring all three levels on the same page and facilitate mutual sharing of experiences have also served in mentoring the district teams periodically. In order to keep track of the result and progress indicators, a comprehensive reporting system has been created. The process documentation formats guide the local staff to record programmes, impacts and attitudinal changes in the communities. More so, the staff have exclaimed that documenting children’s responses/queries during different programmes and actions planned by the groups initiated by CREAM like the CRCs, task forces, etc, has added value to their role in implementing the project. 20
Cream Baseline Survey
cream
beginning with their perception of the size of the building till the kind of facilities they look forward to, to enhance their experience of education. Interestingly, children had also categorically voiced the need for specific facilities – ranging from adequate toilets to computer lab and libraries.This exercise also provided the CRC members a stock taking of their schools’ status, giving room for further actions to be taken.
cream
21
Fresh acknowledgement from anchoring mdg consultations in Karnataka BREADS Bangalore was invited by Wada Na Todo
and with the vulnerable children in Karnataka, made sure
Abhiyan to anchor the regional consultations on
that children participated in all the three consultations.
Millennium Development Goals during May – July 2013.
Recognizing their right to participation, it was critical to
The opportunity also gave us space to expose our CRC
learn from them their priorities and the areas where the
members to a large crowd, with people present from all
society at large has failed them.
sectors.
The consultations were facilitated in such a manner to
“Listening to the People” was the theme of the regional
encourage the participants to recognize and articulate their
consultations organized by BREADS Bangalore to provide
priorities that have to be addressed in the new framework
a platform for people from different walks, allowing them
being developed by world leaders. Concerns expressed
to reflect on the existing development approaches against
by the participants reflected that poor governance had
the framework of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
multifarious ramifications that had affected every section
The consultations were organized as under:
of the population in different ways, specifically, children.
• Children: Governance and Equity, Bangalore
Children were able to articulate their concerns very
• Children and Education, Davangere
specifically, be it lack of facilities in the primary health
• Children and Health, Raichur
centres or the divide between students from government and private schools. Lamenting on the disturbing scene
Participants from different realms were brought together
of child protection issues, they saw families and schools
under one roof to discuss and debate the relevance of a
as primarily responsible for their safety. The quality of
development framework, the challenges and gaps in the
services provided by the government was a unanimous
present set up and the aspirations for a renewed, well
concern expressed by participants from all the three
defined and rights based framework. BREADS, working for
consultations.
22
cream
ands m e d f ro Charte dren hil from c
etween inate b im r c is st not d ate mu rivate & 1. St ing in p y d u t itiate s n must in ; childre ls o o ch ment s quality govern e same h t e e r u with th o ens hools, steps t c s ll a s. ation in facilitie of educ nities & u t r o p e op requisit ling ns dea stitutio in in s hools, thoritie ren (sc d 2. Au il h c , with rtment directly d e depa c li o p , be chil ls ) must c t hospita e , s e the n’s Hom , giving Childre chable a o r p p heir and a press t friendly n to ex e r e d il h ns. Car for c hensio space e r p p a be ns and s must concer abuser n r u t erely. o v wh nd se a ly takers e t edia ed imm punish health ide free v o r p t s t ate mu withou 3. St for all, s e ty ic v r e quali care se e on th is or m o r mp an area any co ral/urb u r in ) ions ; er it is institut (wheth e t a iv r o ment/p ccess t govern itable a u q ban e e r nsu nforce must e r and e e t a w g and rinking , drinkin g clean d in k o m s like s on vice use. nce ab substa
cream
23
24
cream
Glimpses of CREAM Impact (Jan 2013 to March 2014)
CRC: • 29 out of school children, 12 child labourers and 3 siblings of a CRC member admitted to school • Children from different CRCs took initiative to write letters to authorities complaining on the issue of lack of drinking water, toilet facilities, construction of speed breakers to slow down speeding vehicles in front of the school, absence of PT / Hindi teachers, school infrastructure facilities, scholarships they are entitled to, etc. Many cases have been solved – cleaning/repairing of water tanks in schools, repair of leaking roofs, sanctioning the construction of 2 toilets, completed construction of 6 toilets, new gates for two schools with a heightened compound wall, issue of new black boards, construction of a 3 new kitchens for mid day meals (checking adulteration in food served to children), construction of pipeline for water supply, distribution of books and uniforms, new plates for serving MDM, new benches, supply of solar lamps. Class room in the school granted for evening tuition classes, construction of a new play ground, new library, budget provisioning for the solar lamps by Gram Panchayat, etc. • In cases that could not be addressed by the school management, the Head Masters have written to the BEO (drinking water); and where BEO needed further influence, they had written to the local MLA (drinking water, kitchen shed) • Demanded for a separate room, by writing letters to TalukPanchayat and School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC), for serving mid day meals accepted by the local government and construction has begun.
• CRC members went on a strike for one full day demanding the supply of clean drinking water in their school. • CRC members sent a letter to BEO asking for a complete school compound and to address the shortage of teachers in that school – BEO has promised to do so. In one of the schools, the compound wall was constructed through NREGA. • CRC member nominated to be a member of SDMC. • SDMC meetings regularised in 7 schools. • CRC members planned and organised Independence day, Teachers’ day and Children’s day celebrations in their schools. • Children brought to the notice of SDMC and teachers problem of water for toilets, drinking water and dilapidated roof. It is decided they will write to BEO and if there is no response then the case will be escalated to KSCPCR. • CRC children decided to write a letter to Child Rights Commission in the state on unavailability of school uniforms. However, the head master intervened and arranged uniforms for all the children in the school through a donor. • CRC members discussed the appointment of a staff to teach computers in their school, where the lab was not used at all. • CRC members gathered details of 12 drop outs in their school and plan for home visits. 2 drop out girls readmitted.
cream
25
• On children’s question of drop out situation in the school, the concerned teacher agreed to submit the details in the next CRC meeting. • On request by CRC members, SDMC and Panchayat
• 3 drop outs admitted by CRC children are being followed up by the children themselves. • A HM (from Bellary) gave a list of 20 school drop outs, lamenting his inability to bring them back to schools
members act to level a pond near the school that was
and requested CREAM team to help. CRC members took
filled with dirty water, breeding mosquitoes.
up this issue and the said 20 children are back in school.
• Children solved the issue of drinking water facility by writing petition to the Panchayat from the Child Rights Club. • 59 dropouts are readmitted into schools by the CRC members (staff facilitation in some and school teachers’ in others). • 3550 calls from children on 1098; 28 cases registered by children on childline. • CRC children in Bangalore intervened in the case of 3 drop out children from hostel. • CRC children have gathered information on 4 child marriages, of which 2 were stopped and 2 child labourers; interventions under planning. 1 engagement was stopped with information from children on 1098. 2 more child marriages stopped by CRC members (with the help of SHG women). • By the intervention of Child Rights Clubs, the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) meetings are regularized.
Task Forces: • One gram Panchayat (local government) has displayed the list of task force members on its notice board. • 404 children rescued by task force members in railway station and bus stand, 12 admitted to a shelter home. • Members facilitated the admission of an abandoned child at the transit home. • Gram Panchayat members from a village in Mysore have agreed to listen to children’s opinions during meetings. • 55 cases referred by police personnel. 17 unaccompanied children reported by Railway Police Force. • 3 dropouts were readmitted after the intervention of headmaster himself with the SA (home visits) • Panchayat members shared details of 50 school dropouts.
• Children had informed about child labour in rag picking,
• SHG members being active in reporting cases of school
garages, etc – a list of 33 children was prepared and
drop outs and enquiring more about child marriages
sent to CWC, but only 6 could be rescued during the raid
(legal aspects); promise to promptly report cases of
in December 2013.
child rights violation.
26
cream
• 5 challenged children (physically and mentally) given pensions facilitated by task force members. • Funds meant for the families with malnourished children released to 10 families. • 3 drop outs readmitted by SHG women; 4 more
• 1 girl child guided for scholarships. • 50 child labourers rescued in a raid in Yadgiri. • 2 child labourers rescued by tuition teachers. Six boys below the age of 14, who were selling newspapers at the Bus Stand Area were rescued and rehabilitated in
abandoned children rescued and admitted to vocational
collaboration with the Labour Department and other
training programmes.
allied systems.
• Task force members in Gopalapura Gram Panchayat (Mysore) pushed for the suspension of school’s HM and 2 teachers on charges of adulteration in food. • Task force members more active in organising
• 5 rescue operations in Bangalore, rescuing 102 child labourers. • Two year old abandoned female baby, a one day old baby boy and a one day old female baby were rescued.
cleanliness drive in villages and schools, facilitating
A three year old baby girl was rescued from street
the construction of toilets in some schools, providing
circus.
permanent drinking water supply, etc. • Information provided by a member of Task Force alerted a family to avert a forced girl child marriage.
Rescue of Vulnerable Children: • 1 HIV positive girl child, 2 begging girls and 2 girls sleeping on the street rescued and rehabilitated. 4 street children and 2 devadasi children rescued. • 3 missing/trafficked children repatriated with families; 14 more girls rescued. • 11 children regularly attendedde-addiction training. • 23 children rescued by peer group members, of which 12 were admitted to vocational courses.
• A 11 years old girl was rescued from sexual assault. The offender was put behind bars and legal procedures were ensued. • 3 students (boys) who ran from school out of fear of corporal punishment rescued and sent to school. 5 drop out and 3 malnourished children identified during the trainings. • 26 orphan children from the community identified and produced to Child Welfare Committee. • 12 orphan children guided for scholarships; 13 more sent to short stay homes. • 82 abandoned girls rescued; 13 boys rescued and sent to hostels; 7 more girls (some begging) rescued from railway stations.
cream
27
• 3 children living under the care of elderly grandparents facilitated to receive social assistance from DCPU. • 6 rag pickers rescued, 2 of them in mainstream schools now. The other given elementary education through evening tuition centres. • 1 girl from West Bengal rescued at the bus stand and sent back home. • As there were several deaths of abandoned infants reported at the Gulbarga Govt. Hospital, an appeal for enquiry was given to the CEO of Gulbarga. An immediate enquiry was conducted from DWCD Bangalore and they assured that action would be taken against those responsible and better quality medical care would be given to infants in the future.
Children’s Gram Sabhas: • In Davangere district, the CEO has passed an order to all Panchayats – asking them to conduct Children’s Gram Sabhas in all the villages with CREAM team. • Information on 10 malnourished children collected and presented in the Gram Sabha meetings. • During Gram Sabha, CRC members and teachers were guided to present their concern on the bus route past their school (fast moving vehicles constantly on transit and dust). • New teachers have been appointed by the Gram Panchayat after the shortage was brought to their notice during the Gram Sabha.
General: • A devadasi woman, influenced by the training and community outreach programmes decided not to send her 2 daughters for temple prostitution. • 46 child marriages and 2 mass marriages prevented. In one of the villages, the local government has given exclusive slot to discuss the issue on a regular basis. Received information on 1 child marriage from children. • A 10 year old girl’s child marriage was executed and the girl restrained from attending school. On intervention of social activist, the child is now allowed to go to school. • In the incidence of child marriage of a 12 year old girl, the social activist was attacked by community members. Repeated home visits and interactions have convinced the parents to send the girl to school for one hour every day. • 17 child labourers rescued and admitted in schools; 34 more rescued. Received information on 5 cases of child labour from children; 5 more rescued and admitted in homes. • 11 children from BPL families in Gulbarga re- enrolled in schools • 43 school enrolment campaigns to promote awareness on the Right to Education Act. • On intervention of SA, participation of children in SDMC meetings has been regularized in 12 schools. • SDMC President attends the CRC meetings in a school in Bangalore
28
cream
• Uniforms arranged for children in an unaided school;
• A teacher from a Corporation school behind Shivaji
computer classes initiated in a school where computer
Nagar police station has come forward to write a letter
lab was unused for years.
to the Corporation and MLS regarding the need for
• 2 Fact finding studies initiated by CREAM staff – one on disabled children and the other on child labourers in brick kiln industries in HariharaTaluk, Davangere. • 26 physically and mentally challenged children were
water facilities in toilets and for drinking. • Details of 30 vulnerable gathered and given to Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) • 1 challenged (deaf and dumb) boy has been admitted to
rescued and 11 children got pension. 04 Children
school, by helping his grandfather take care of himself.
were also provided with wheel chair and Bicycle. 3
1 mentally challenged boy admitted to school and
malnourished children referred to a hospital.
tuition centre to help him catch up with the syllabus. 1
• 64 children admitted to school through 25% reservation under RTE. • 2 girls and 2 boys obtained transfer certificates and 2 more admitted by a tuition teacher without the transfer certificate. 1 more child was helped in obtaining the birth certificate. • 1 child labourer and 9 drop outs readmitted to school by tuition teachers. 2 more child labourers are now
polio affected boy was given cycle for commuting to school, his scholarship is being facilitated. Scholarships arranged for 1 HIV positive girl. • 5 students whose attendance were on rolls but worked during school hours – now regular in school.
Actions by Children: • 11 Public campaigns creating mass awareness on child
regular in tuition centres. They will soon be admitted in
rights issues, presented mechanisms to protect children
mainstream schools.
from vulnerabilities and the roles multiple stake holders
• Tuition teachers had taken up case study of 2 malnourished children. • School management was requested to have class for children with disability in the ground floor instead of 3rd
can play in protecting and promoting child rights. • 2 Press Conferences organised with children commenting on the issues concerning them and demanding necessary actions to be initiated.
floor. • 90 drop outs and 2 out of school children readmitted to schools.
cream
29
Director’s Page
The project aims to promote children’s participation,
possible opportunity to help them realise their right to
protection of children’s rights, advocacy actions, support
participation.
for networking and children’s representation in formal constituencies where children can raise their problems and exercise their competencies. The project has also embarked on a large scale capacity building in the communities that can ensure sustainability of the action and results. High level of child involvement has been planned in all project activities through formation and strengthening of various forums for children and the representation of these forums in the formal constituencies. The campaigns against child marriage and school drop outs that are slated for this year, to be planned and implemented by the children themselves is the first concrete action taken up by the State Network of CRCs
This scoping report is our next step in establishing an identity to the forums created by CREAM and inviting likeminded institutions/individuals who have been a strong source of support for us. We wish that the networks initiated through CREAM grow further, with the capacity to optimise all opportunities in the way to promote and protect child rights! We acknowledge our Funding Partners, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Germany and Don Bosco Mondo for their contribution to this project. In the best interest of children.
under CREAM. More surprises and more learnings to come by. We await. The journey of CREAM has been eventful and inspiring for all of us. Every day, the children’s enthusiasm and keen participation to correct all odds against their growth and
Fr. Joy Nedumparambil sdb
development has been encouraging us. Awestruck by
Executive Director
their articulation of their rights, we are all exploring every 30
cream
BREADS Bangalore
The Indian Constitutions has a framework
BREADS’ work with the children has reached a
within which ample provisions exist for the
new landmark through project CREAM. Children
protection, development and welfare of children.
being trained about their rights, they articulating
What CREAM is engaged in is to make children
their concerns and also initiating actions
aware of these provisions in order that they may
at school/community level has been very
themselves be the more effective guardians of
impressive. KSCPCR wishes to acknowledge
their rights! Congrats on the surprisingly great
the reach and impact of CREAM. I wish BREADS
impact made in the lives of hundreds of children
& CREAM the best in their endeavours.
in the very brief period of 18 months! Mr. H.R. Umesh Aradhya Dr. Thomas Anchukandam SDB
Chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for
Provincial, Don Bosco Bangalore
Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR)
CREAM project by BREADS Bangalore has
CREAM, a dream project of BREADS, ear-
done marvelous work in a short span of time.
marked for care, protection, education,
I learnt that children are made aware of their
empowerment, personality development, an all
rights and are able to articulate the same.
round development of children, is contributing to
It is so encouraging to see that children are
achieve and realize national policy programme
able to raise their voices when their rights
on welfare of children set for millennium goal. As
are violated. Best wishes for the remainder of
‘CREAM’ always raises to the top, sure ‘CREAM’
CREAM Project.
the dream project of BREADS will also rise to the top to achieve all round development of children.
Ms. Sashikala Shetty Project Director, Integrated Child Protection
Mr. Chandrashekhar Hungund
Scheme (ICPS), Department of Women and Child
Member, Karnataka State
Development, Karnataka
Human Rights Commission (KSHRC), Bangalore
BREADS
Bangalore Rural Educational And Development Society
BREADS
Bangalore Rural Educational And Development Society
Don Bosco, 75 North Road, Bangalore - 560084, Ph: +91 80 25463476 info@breadsbangalore.org, www.breadsbangalore.org Design & Print: Don Bosco IMAGE / +91 9544449990 / info@donboscoimage.com