Project Sundarban Social Development Centre

Campaign Story

About the project

The communities who live in the southernmost Sundarban island region are typically identified as socio-economically backward, owing to their remoteness and isolation. SSDC has been in partnership with Save the Children (Bal Raksha Bharat) in implementing the “Protecting Children through Capacitated Workforce” project. Working at the confluence of public awareness, community ownership, and policy implementation, SSDC endeavors to protect children from risks and harmful practices – including but not limited to child labor, child marriage and trafficking. The project covers 162 villages in total.

This Project is fully funded by the Oak foundation.

Making a difference

There are myriad essential inputs that ensure a functional Child Protection Workforce. Among these are a thorough comprehension of child rights and child-protection issues, technical proficiency in identification and monitoring of vulnerable children, case intervention practices, and a mission-driven attitude toward coordination with varied stakeholders. Along these lines, the project promotes development of village, block, Gram Panchayat, and district-level child protection committees. SSDC’s holistic approach to programming engages parents, children, school officials, and local governments on child-protection issues, and leverages public safety-net and poverty-alleviation resources to the benefit of low-income families.

The Way Forward

● Form 162 Village-Level Child Protection Committees (VLCPCs) and 10 Gram Panchayat Child Protection Committees (GPCPCs)
● Training of 20 VLCPCs and GPCPCs on categorization and monitoring of child protection cases and identification of vulnerable families.
● Register, categorize and develop intervention plans for 200 child protection cases.
● Organize 4 meetings among VLCPCs, BLCPCs and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), to strengthen rapport with officials and coordinate resolution of child protection cases.
● Ensure participation of children in 3 special day celebrations, and 4 interactive forums with government stakeholders.
● Organize 6 regular elementary bridge school courses for vulnerable children.
● Hold two consultation workshops with block- and district-level officials to streamline linkages of qualifying households with social safety-net programs.

The way forward

● Strengthen and promote community ownership of village-, block-, and district-level child protection mechanisms by fostering Community Cadres trained on child protection policy
● Complete capacity building of 105 VLCPC and BLCPC members and organize 30 coordination meetings with VLCPC, BLCPC and DCPU.
● Resolve 25 high-risk juvenile justice cases
● Conduct vulnerability assessment across 20 Gram Panchayats to assess the post-COVID status of child marriage, child trafficking and child labor
● Organize 240 child-rights awareness sessions with parents across 20 villages
● Produce evidence by documenting a minimum of 100 child protection cases electronically and 25 case studies as reference/resource material

Project Impact

468

VLCPC members trained on child rights, child protection issues, and social safety-net programs

470

Parents’ meetings organized covering parenting without violence, sexual abuse, early marriage, substance abuse, smartphone addictions.

614

Meetings were held with 140 children’s groups covering early marriage, child rights, child labor, substance abuse, and laws related to child protection.

15

Child marriage cases were identified, of which 9 were halted.

36

Dropout students re-enrolled

2

Children rescued from child-trafficking

290

Vulnerable families linked with social security schemes

Last Year’s Grant Disbursed: $47,700

Current Year’s Approved Grant – $53,392

Project Story

17-year-old Laxmi is from south 24 Parganas, where she lives with her parents and one younger brother. Her father’s decorating business provides for a stable, middle-class household, and she and her brother had been attending school regularly.

Suddenly one day, Laxmi’s mother started noticing something disturbing in her attitude and behavior. She became increasingly quiet and indifferent. She started reacting angrily every now and then, locking herself in her room and keeping occupied with her smartphone for extended periods. Her mother’s well-meaning concern was met with hostility: She threatened to elope if her mother didn’t leave her alone.

Two months later, Laxmi turned up missing. Her parents attested that she left her home in the morning to attend school, but never returned. Days later, herfather received a call and a few photos from Laxmi, who informed him that she had gone to Pune, with a woman who promised her a good job. Laxmi’s father soon found out that she had been moving from one hotel to another as a receptionist, leaving him suspicious and fearful for her well-being. He immediately informed the VLCPC, whose members helped him in contacting the India-wide CHILDLINE. With the help of a few community volunteers trained by SSDC, he lodged an FIR at the local police station.

Law enforcement tracked Laxmi’s location, and with the help of Pune police, West Bengal police rescued Laxmi. She was returned to her village safely, and after a stay at a rehabilitative home, she will return to her family. Laxmi’s father said ”when I came to know about Laxmi’s situation in Pune, I feared the worst. But with the help of the VLCPC of my village, SSDC and CHILDLINE and most importantly with the police department’s active support, I am happy that Laxmi has returned.”

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