Four Dimensional Interventions
The street based intervention is anchored on the existence of Vidiyal on the Streets. The thrust area in the street based intervention is the PROTECTION of vulnerable children.
Our staff team go on street visits to identify street and working children. Visit to populated joints including the railway station, bus station helps in identifying the uncared street urchins. Through developing street contact points and regular visits staff develop rapport with these children and invite them to the drop in centres. Children’s immediate needs like food, clothing or health care services are provided to them as part of the street intervention. Children also identify our staff as caring adults and share their issues and concerns. Counselling needs in children are identified and attended immediately. The Juvenile aid police and Railway police are part of the street based interventions as they have a legal mandate.
INTERVENTION IN THE CENTRE
Once the child’s confidence is won by our team members they are invited to the Drop in Centre run exclusively for street and working children. In the centre based intervention the thrust area is REHABILITATION of children coming from vulnerable backgrounds.
An Exclusive Centre for street and working children:
This centre was started in the year 2003 exclusively for rehabilitating the street and working children. On an average 30 children make use of the facilities provided at this centre between 9 am and 5 pm. Each child comes according to his convenience and the break he gets from the restaurant he works. Children from other unorganized sectors also drop in during the day. Children enjoy playing indoor games, watching television, a cool shower, wash clothes and sleep in safety. They also speak to the adult facilitator about their issues and concerns. They are also educated about effective way of handling adolescence and protecting themselves from HIV, AIDS and drug abuse. They are part of the Vidiyal Child Rights Movement representing their forum called ‘Vaanavil’ which exactly means the ‘Rainbow’.
Children coming to the centre are attended by specialized staff members and their needs are analyzed in detail. After understanding the varied needs of each child a rehabilitation plan is worked out with informed choices. The following choices are given to the child for making informed decisions.
- Home placement and Reunification with the family
- Residential care in the Reception Home
- Residential care in the Vidiyal Shelter Home
- Residential care in Government run Children’s Home
- Readmission in school and continuation of education
- Pre Vocational training and referral services
Under the umbrella of Vidiyal three shelter homes are run to cater to the needs of different children. In all these homes child care standards are maintained. Children lead a happy life with caring adults around them. The quality of the food is always ensured for the children. A balanced diet is planned for them which include fish, beef, chicken, eggs, pulses, fruits, vegetables and rice. A variety of items are provided with tasty curries which the children like the most. We strongly believe that food is one of the basic rights of every child and children take part in making informed decisions regarding food. The quality and quantity intake is monitored and ensured that the children are under a healthier diet. Children live in dormitories which are properly ventilated. The developmental needs of children are given importance and attended. A protective living environment is ensured in the shelter homes with adequate opportunities for leisure and recreation. A short account of each shelter home is given below.
- Reception home for children in need of care and protection :
In the year 2004 the Government of India, through the Department of Social Defence, recognised Vidiyal as the “fit institution for children of Madurai and Theni districts, who are in need of care and protection” under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2000. This was an honour as well a wonderful opportunity to serve those children coming under the purview of Juvenile Justice Act. Street children, vagabonds, begging children, and abandoned children are brought to us for care and protection. Mentally retarded children who are thrown on the streets and infants with special needs are also admitted for specialised care. The Child Welfare Committee functions in our premises and initiates the process of rehabilitation for the child. We do an assessment of the needs of these children; provide them with basic needs and counselling immediately after admitting them in the home. A probation officer is appointed by the Government who attempts to trace their backgrounds and whereabouts and a rehabilitation plan is made for each child. A few children are reunited with their families whereas some children go into institutional care homes. A few children are handed over to us for permanent care. These children are given extra care since their deprivations haunt them at times. A part time psychologist visits this home twice a week and works with those children who need psychological care. So far we have done 683 home placements and 304 institutional placements. Now there are 2 girls and 24 boys living in this home. - Shelter home for children coming from difficult circumstances :
This is our main shelter home which houses 40 boys from 6 years to 18 years. The number of residents fluctuates based on the number of abandoned children found on the streets or referred by various authorities including the judiciary. The number always strikes between 25 and 40. These children come through our field work on the streets and through referrals from other organizations or individuals. These children go to school and actively involve in the activities of the Vidiyal Child Rights Movement. Dr. Sharmila works very closely with all the children living in our shelter homes and gives them a motherly care. Children who crossed 18 years take responsibilities and care for the younger ones. We are conscious of the limitations of institutionalization and enable children to participate in the community initiatives. The Vidiyal Child Rights Movement provides the space for them to interact with the mainstream society and asset their rights. Thus we call Vidiyal as a big family – a family that has been built on the principles of love. - Short stay home for Girls and Women in crisis :
Girl children and women in difficult circumstances are the residents of this home. On an average 5 girls and women use this facility. Now there are four girls staying in the home for permanent care. They attend school and participate in the programmes of Vidiyal Child Rights Movement. 67 girls have used the shelter home so far. They are provided with counselling services and guidance to establish their future.
INTERVENTION IN THE COMMUNITY
There has been lot of research studies conducted on Street children which proved that the phenomenon of street children is very much associated with urbanisation. The researched data further reveals that predominantly those children from poor socio economic backgrounds only drop out from school and become street children. In our experience we have seen this very much. The community based intervention centres around PREVENTION strategies which takes the major chunk of our work.
Vidiyal had a very simple beginning on the streets of Madurai and began its community intervention with the community living in Melavasal slum which is known as the biggest slum in Madurai. We started Vidiyal in September 1996 just with 20 children who were working or living on the streets. After a month we found refuge in D.M.& R Middle school and effectively used the school premises after school hours. This was our first drop in centre which functioned between 5 pm and 8.30 pm on all week days and from 9 am to 8 pm during weekends. This became a place of safety for children and they developed a kind of belongingness to the centre. It also served to fulfil their security needs to some extent. When we started our work with girl children in June 1997 this centre became the centre for girls. Now the work has been expanded and we reach out to many children through Child Resource Centres located in the closest proximity of slums.
-
The main centre :
This centre was started in August 1997 at Rathinapuram. Earlier it was also served as the shelter home for children who stayed in the nights. Children from Melavasal, Heera Nagar, Aladin Thoppu and Subramaniapuram attend this centre. Though the centre is open from 9.00am many school going children attend the centre between 5 and 8.30 pm. Most of the common programmes and weekend activities are planned and executed here. On an average 75 children attend this centre. -
Thideer Nagar Centre :
This centre was started in the year 1999 which is located in side the Thideer Nagar slum. The community owns the centre and sends their children regularly to the centre. 40 children attend this centre. Our volunteer Arafat looks after this centre and helps children with their study and other basic needs. - Muthupatti centre :
This centre was started in August 2002 and functions with in the premises of our shelter home. Our shelter home is situated inside a village called Muthupatti. There is a Dalit settlement near the shelter home. These children attend the Muthupatti centre regularly. 60 children attend this centre. - Centre at Ambedkar Nagar:
Though we have been interacting with the community at Ambedkar nagar for long time we could establish the drop in centre only in 2006. This slum is located in a remote area close to the main centre. The habitats are originally from Melavasal slum for various reasons they have moved in to this area. 30 children attend this centre regularly. - Centre at Avaniyapuram
This centre was started in June 2008 when the people from Melavasal slum are dislocated to the renovation work undertaken by corporation authorities. A piece of land was given to us for the construction of a centre in the closest proximity. 90 children attend this centre and actively participate in the Vidiyal Child Rights Movement.
A MEANINGFUL ROUTINE IN THE CHILD RESOURCE IN CENTRES
Children are given a meaningful routine which helps in learning boundaries which does not exist in the slum or street life. Children are received with warmness when they arrive at the centre between 5.00 and 5.30 pm. Children are helped to complete their home work and study between 5.30 am and 7.00 pm. Between 7.00 pm and 7.45 pm they have a variety of programmes scheduled for each day. This varies according to the age group of children. This includes singing, general knowledge, watching television, story time, dancing, book reading, and games and learning child rights. Children enjoy this variety programme very much. At 7.45pm they are served with a supplementary meal which they enjoy the most. After that children belonging to a particular forum which is responsible for the cleanliness during a particular month engage in cleaning and make the place tidy. This also inculcates the value of civic sense and responsibility over keeping our surroundings clean.
Every day a supplementary food is provided to children attending our drop in centres except the centre for working children. When we started Vidiyal in 1996 we found that most of the children are malnourished due to lack of nutrients available in their diet. Many street children do not get proper food and for the slum dwellers balanced diet is a dream. Thus at Vidiyal we decided to bridge this gap by providing supplementary food to the children. This takes the major share in our budget. Supplementary food is nothing but a food item that is locally available, seasonal of nature and has a specific nutrient value. Each day the food item varies to give a variety of taste to the children to avoid boredom. It includes pulses, vegetables and fruits of the season, egg, dates, coconut bread, peanuts etc., On Sundays the children who attend the main centre eat a healthy meal with rice, curry made of lentils called ‘sambar’ and proteins like chicken or beef. We do consider this as the right of the child and give careful thinking in ensuring their right to nutritious food and fine health.
Quarterly periodical health check ups are conducted in every Child Resource Centre with qualified medical practitioners. The height and weight of each child is periodically recorded and monitored. Children who are weak or malnourished are given special care and attention. A group of children are trained on first aid and other aspects of medical assistance. This group attends to the needs of the children on a regular basis. We do have a panel of doctors for emergency health care. We admit our children in their hospitals for any major illness. We have special provision for vaccinating our children if they are bitten by dogs. This helps us to protect our children from Rabbis attack.
ENSURING RIGHT TO EDUCATION:
Children who come to the streets in search of livelihood mostly belong to the socially excluded communities. Social exclusion based on caste is rampant in many parts of the country. The caste system subjugated millions of children in India. Our prevention intervention focuses on preventing children from dropping out from school and preventing them from becoming child labourers. To achieve this we partner with excluded communities living in the slums in Madurai. 92 percent of our children come from socially excluded communities who have been denied of right to education for many centuries. Our children need lot of support and encouragement to sustain their interest in accessing education.
The support education offered in the Child Resource Centres enable children to manage the difficulties in each subject and compensate the accumulated deficiencies. A tracking system is in place to ensure regular attendance in schools.
Our staff team goes and visits the schools once a month to interact with the class teachers to assess the progress of our children. The teachers are explained about the situation and background of the children and their co-operation is always won. Since most of our children are first generation school goers much effort is been taken to protect them from all forms of discrimination. Our presence in schools protects our children from corporal punishments and discrimination. Those children who are absent for school are followed up through home visits.
COMPUTER CENTRE
A computer centre functions with in the main centre which provides the basic knowledge and training in computer education. Children enjoy using the computers in the evenings which give them an advantageous position in their schools. Children just play with word art, paint and power point with creativity. Senior children are given classes in Photoshop during weekends which enable them in designing photos with creative skills. The basic idea of having a computer centre is to make technology available for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and to make them feel at ease with the technological development.
TAILORING CENTRE
Vidiyal reaches the community through a tailoring centre which offers a six months tailoring course for women and girls living in the slums. A well qualified teacher imparts skills in tailoring trade with dedication. These women and girls learn to stitch 40 dress items. When they complete the course they are awarded with a certificate and a sewing machine which gives them an occupation at home. Some of them do join a garment manufacturing unit and earn out a living. This income supplements the family’s income and enables the parents to send children to school.
A kindergarten section is functioning at Vidiyal to provide a simulating environment for the tiny tots from socially excluded communities. Children are given participatory learning tools to explore their environment. They stay in the kindergarten for two years and join a primary school of the family’s choice. Children are provided with a caring environment with adequate food. Innovative teaching methodology is followed to kindle the interest in children. On an average 30 children use the nursery.
THE MOTEHRS FORUM
Vidiyal believes in community participation in the development of children and we strongly believe that the family is the basic unit of a society which takes care of the security needs of children. Since 1997 when we had the first interaction with the mothers, it has been a fruitful interaction with the mothers. The mothers are significant care givers in the lives of children. A mother in the slum or street community plays a vital role in the integration of the family and takes care of the basic needs of children. Vidiyal’s efforts in educating them in effective child rearing practices and social issues have been making history. Though these women are uneducated and affected by the brutal reality of the caste structure, they have great hope and colourful dreams for their children.
THE FATHERS FORUM
Though efforts have been made in the initial years, the fathers’ forum has become a reality only in recent times. Efforts have been made to nurture ‘fatherhood’ in men and to promote healthy parental practices in them.
THE COMMUNITY MENTORSHIP
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the role of a mentor as a counseller, trusted adviser, guide, tutor and teacher. It is very clear from the definition that the mentor is a multi faceted personality who cares for the younger ones. Though all of us experienced some kind of ‘mentoring’ which enabled us to grow into wholesome personalities, it was never formalised in the Indian context. Vidiyal aimed at community mentorship because it believes in community participation in bringing a transformation in the society.
In this context of our experience of working with marginalized communities for 11 years we have identified 12 people from Melavasal, Thideer Nagar, Heera Nagar, Surbramania puram, Aladin Thoppu, Ambedkar Nagar and Muthupatti to play the role of a mentor for the children living in these slum communities. No organization by itself can reach out to the complex issues of increasingly varied socially and economically disadvantaged population. This partnership initiative aims at enhancing the growth potential of children in these areas through community participation.
Through the community mentorship programme it is also aimed to study and begin initiative that will promote growth and development at the community by recognizing community leadership, competencies and promoting neighbourhood social network, which would lead to programme focused on youth and children with special emphasis on adolescent girls. Holding programmes at the community itself, with community involvement will help us to reach out to a wider number of youth cliental directly. More number of children will be able to access resources and we will be able to focus on issues relevant to the community on a day to day basis.
Some of the issues emerged in the recent past are ‘ child sexual abuse, children dropping out from school, corporal punishment, physical abuse, drug abuse, substandard education, peer pressure and mental stress etc Through the community mentorship programme these issues will be addressed by the mentors with community participation and support. The children and youth living in the slum communities will have better access to these ombudspersons in solving their issues and resolving some of the conflicts. Thus Vidiyal aims at ensuring sustainability in our development process.
The vision of Vidiyal gives a clear mandate to build a culture of child rights in the larger society. The thrust here is the PROMOTION of Child Rights in every sphere of the society. Vidiyal operates in the larger society with various stake holders to sensitize them for the protection and promotion of child rights. The following are the significant strategic interventions made by Vidiyal in promoting Child Rights.
- Inviting the general public to share their resources to provide and protect children and their rights
- Building solidarity with people’s forums to include children’s agenda into their functioning
- Media advocacy through popular dailies, weekly magazines, FM radios, and Television channels are done periodically.
