Making Child Right a Reality in Mining Areas of Dholpur

1. About the Project Area:

The project is being implemented in 90 villages in 3 boock of Dholpur District in Rajasthan. A total of 24 gram panchayats are covered under the project with an estimated population of 58300 and 8546 families. The project area of 90 villages are located near to the red mines sites and the involvement of the children in these mines is very high along with their family members. The engagement of the children is in two forms I) actively working on the mines sites along with the parents and 2) looking after the younger siblings at home. In the mines' areas certain issues are directly affecting the children and some are indirectly affecting the natural growth of the child.

Details of Beneficiaries:

 II. Long term Objective: To create an enabling environment wherein a child enjoy all developmental opportunities, particularly children living at sites' of Dholpur Sand Stone Mines who are direct or indirect victims of the inhuman conditions of stone quarries.

 Ill. Direct objective: To provide development opportunities (education, health, nutrition, recreation and participation) to children associated with mining processes in the project area and promoting enabling environment through promotion of systems and institutions for child rights protection and advocacy processes at various levels.

 IV. Areas of Intervention:

 A. direct Support: This part will address the immediate health, educational, nutritional and recreational needs of the children living in and around the mines sites:

 B. Community Organization & Group Formation: This section would focus on building and strengthening community based groups and children's forums for protection of child rights and child participation.

 C. Capacity Building: This pm1 would focus on building the capacities the various role holders in the process of child rights protection and child participation.

 D. Networking. & Advocacy: This would basically focus on raising the issue of child right on a wider forum for necessary policy level interventions through collective.

E. Research & Documentation: This section would playa role in developing better understanding of the larger section of the society on child rights and would consolidate & present best practices of child rights protection to the larger community.

V. Core Strategies:

O  Meetings the immediate need of the target group through direct support to them

O Creating and strengthening systems and structures for child rights protection

O Building capacities of the affected communities

O Raising issues of children and child right at various forums

O Knowledge generation and dissemination on child right

VI. Activities in each Intervention Areas

A. Child Development:

Proposed Result:

1. The fundamental right to education is addressed and education is being used as a means to protect and strengthen child rights. State educational system is developing educational curriculum that is child focused IEC materials.

2. The children in the mines are leading a disease free life with hundred percent routine immunization and health services.

Indicators:

· Number of alternate schools running in the project are and number of children from the project area attending the classes on a regular basis.

· Number of children identified by the community members to enroll in the schools · Increase in the learning level of the children in the schools · Number of children enrolled in the government schools.

· Number of patients identified with tuberculosis and other respiratory tract infections · Number of people received medical treatment.

Activities to achieve above mentioned results:

1. Alternate schools

Outcome:

O   35 out of school children in difficult circumstances are getting opportunity to attend school.

O  The message on importance or education in the villages is spread and right to education of the children is protected.

11. Mobile Health Unit

Outcome:

O 498 chronic respiratory tract infection infected people have been identified and facilitated for treatment from the government system.

O  There· is an increase in the awareness level of the community' on tuberculosis and its adverse affect on the health of the children.

O The message on importance of health in the villages is spread and right to health of the children is protected.

 lll. Crèche centers

 Outcome:

 O 14 children are directly availing the benefits of the crèche centers and their health and nutritional aspects are taken care of.

O Mothers of these 14 children are getting better working environment due to availability of the crèche facilities.

O People are becoming aware about the available government scheme of crèche centers in villages for the working mothers.

 B. Child Participation:

 Proposed Result:

 1. The community systems and structures for protection and improvement of the circumstances and of the rights of children are in place and strengthened

 Indicators:

 · Number of children regularly attending the meetings of the Bal Manch

· Issues discussed in the meetings of the Bal Manch

· Level of involvement of the parents in the children's activities

· Action plan prepared by the children

 Activities to achieve above mentioned results:

 I. Formation and strengthening of Bal Manch:

11. Formation of Children's Network

 Outcome:

 O 96 Bal Manch are in place and functioning in their respective villages

O Regular meetings of the Bal Manch are taking place and discussing on issues affecting their life and rights

O Bal Manch members have started understanding the importance of Bal Manch and enjoying being in it.

O Action plan prepared by them and initiation of process of implementation

O Process of network formation has been initiated

 C. Child Protection:

 Proposed Result:

 1. The community systems and structures for protection and improvement of the circumstances and of the rights of children are in place and strengthened

lndicators:

· Number of out of school children identified for alternate schools

· Number of respiratory tract infected children and people in the region

· Number of members regularly attending the BAM meetings

· Nature of the issues discussed in BAM meetings

· Focus of the action plan developed by the community groups.

Activities to achieve above mentioned results:

i. Bal Adhikar Mancil (Community Groups)

Outcome:

O 96 Bal Adhikar Manch has been formed

O Parents in these BAM have started showing interest on children's rights issues

D. Capacity Building & Capacity Support:

Proposed Result:

1. Developed a clear understanding on various forms and dimensions of violation of child rights in the mines through a process of situation analysis.

2. The community systems and structures for protection and improvement of the circumstances and of the rights of children are in place and strengthened.

Activities to achieve above mentioned results:

i. Project team's Induction Training

Outcome:

· The team could develop better understanding on project objectives, strategies, activities, and process of implementing each and every activity.

· The team could develop a better understanding on child right3 and its various forms, violation of various child rights in the region and underlying causes responsible for it.

· The project team could develop roles and responsibilities for all the team as well as for other stakeholders involved in it.

· A set of programmes monitoring indicators was developed in this process.

ll. Teacher's training

Outcome:

· A team of II teachers has been trained on various techniques of teaching and handling children in different groups.

· The teachers are equipped with the locally prepared teaching and learning aid to be used in the schools.

lll. Training of Hal Adhikar Manch members on Child Rights:

Outcome:

. The Bal Adhikar Manch Members could develop a better understanding on various aspects of child rights and its process of violation.

· Participants could develop better understanding on their own role and responsibilities being as BAM members in protecting child rights.

. An action plan of the Bal Adhikar Manch for the cluster to work on the child rights Issues.

iv. Training of the Hal Manch (Children's group) members on Child Rights:

Outcome:

O The members of the Bal Manch got an exposure to their various rights.

O The participants could develop understanding about their own roles and responsibilities being in the Bal Manch.

O The participants come up with a collective action plan for the cluster, which each group would facilitate, in their respective villages.

v. Training of Staff Members

Outcome:

O  The team members developed a better understanding on various types of documentation required.

O  The participants could developed a better understanding on technical aspects of reporting

vi. Staff monthly meetings

Outcome:

O Refinement in the approach and strategies of project implementation process

O Timely addressing issues and problems in the field

O Regularity of the inputs to the team members

vii. Monthly meetings of teachers

Outcome:

O Promotion of mutual sharing process o Better quality of TLM

O Regularity in receiving inputs

O Timely addressing the issues and concerns

E. Advocacy and Networking

Proposed Results:

1.  A protective and enabling environment for child rights & positive working environment in mines for adult workers with labour welfare schemes.

2. The community systems and structures for protection and improvement of the circumstances and of the rights of children are in place and strengthened.

Indicators:

· Number of people attended the events related to child rights

· Number of members regularly attending the task force meetings .

· Number of departments putting efforts on child rights issues

· Number of visits made by the health department with the project functionaries

· Number of children enrolled in the government schools

Activities to achieve above mentioned results:

i. Workshop with District Administration

outcome:

O  Message on child rights issues have been spread in all the district level departments and top level officials working in it, who are the prime implementer of the policies and schemes elated to child rights.

O  All department heads are sensitized towards the issue of child rights.

O  A task force is formed at district level under the chairmanship of District Magistrate to ensure rights of the children are protected and monitor the availability of the essential facilities to the children. .

ii. Workshop with Panchayat Raj Institute (PRI) representatives

Outcome:

O  The Panchayat representatives from the project area have been conveyed the message on child rights issues and its various dimensions.

O  All the Panchayati raj members have been sensitized towards the issue of child rights.

O  An action plan for the Panchayat representatives have been developed to incorporate child rights issues in their Gram Panchayat planning process.

Ill. Workshop with Civil Society members

Outcome:

O  The Civil Society members working on the issue of child rights or having concern on child rights have been oriented about the various forms of child rights violation in the region and underlying causes contributing to this process.

O  All the Civil Society members have been sensitized towards the issue of child rights.

O  An action plan for the civil society members have been developed to incorporate child rights issues and child rights programming in their respective programmes.

O  A district forum of civil society members has been formed to ensure protection of child rights in the region.

iv. Mass mobilization and awareness on Child Rights

Outcome:

O The message on child rights and various forms of child rights violation in the region and underlying causes contributing to this process have been shared with the community.

O  Community is aware and mobilized towards the issues of child rights through collective actions.

O  The community members have become aware about the importance of health and education for the children.

F. Research and Documentation:

Proposed Results:

O  Developed a clear understanding on various forms and dimensions of violation of child rights in the mines through a process of situation analysis.

Activities to achieve above mentioned results:

i. Situation analysis study

Outcome:

O A better understanding of the issues related to child rights and its various forms

O Developed understanding on various forms of violation of child rights in the project area and underlying cases responsible for it.

O Strengthening in the working approach on the issue and modification in the project implementation strategies on each and every activity.

ii. Baseline Survey

Outcome:

O  A strong and clear base line information of the project area and status on child rights in the area.

VII. Impact:

The project "Making child right a reality in the mining areas of Dholpur" is six months old only. In these six months the major focus of the project was on building community rapport and mobilizing them towards the issues of child rights. In these six months the project could achieve following changes in the project area:

At community level:

In the project villages the community members are organized and sensitized towards the issue of child rights, its various forms and processes of violation of child rights. The community members have united themselves in the form of Bal Adhikar Manch to playa proactive role for protection of child rights in the region. The issues of children's right have created a space in the day to day discussion and meetings of the community members. There is a remarkable change in people's perspective towards looking at child rights, in fact earlier they were not aware about the concept of child rights but after the project initiatives they have started looking things on these lines and the views of the children are given attention

In the region the children had never heard any concept about child rights and never got any adequate attention from the elderly people. In their homes they are guided by the elderly

 Members and in schools teachers guide them and take decisions on behalf of them. In this period when first time their views were given due attention they were in a stage of wonder and shock.

Now over a period gradually they have started sharing their views and opinions and now after six months the children in the villages especially the Bal Manch Members and other children in their influence freely share their views and demand for their rights. The children in Bal Manch are proactively following the action plan developed by them during the training programmes.

 At district and administrative level:

 In the process of project implementation various mass mobilization and sensitization activities has brought the child rights issues in the priority list of all the departments involved in any of the activities related to children i.e. education, health, ICDS departments etc. Apart from the government officials the Panchayati Raj members have also become aware about various issues of children in the region and violation of their rights. In this period they have also developed their action plan to incorporate child rights issues in gram panchayat plans. The government health department people have started attending the health camps organized by the project team to control tuberculosis and other respiratory tract infections. The civil society members in the district who are working on issues of children or concerned for children have come together and formed a district civil societies forum to work on the issue with the facilitation of Prayatn.

 VIII. Some of the community initiatives:

 · To solve the problem of potable water in the school, group members from three villages presented memorandum to the Panchayat and after regular follow-up and action the problem was solved.

 · In village Khor ka Pura BAM members collected contribution from the village to repair the hand pump in school premises and it was repaired and children are getting safe drinking water.

 · Members of the BAM have started visiting all the schools for monitoring the Mid Day meal quality and distribution pattern.

 · Contribution by parents in the alternative schools in the form of labour to construct school place.

 · Members of BAM have decided that they will stop beating their children, and will influence others too.

 · Members of Bal Adhikar Manch have taken oath to protect children from maltreatment in the community and also not to practice maltreatment at own level.