Steps are being taken to elevate Ernakulam as a child-friendly district.
District panchayat president Asha Sanil said that the process to develop Ernakulam as one of the best child-friendly districts in the State was already under way. She was speaking after inaugurating a training session organised for child development project officers and supervisors here on Wednesday.
The training programme was organised jointly by the district panchayat and the Child Development Department as a prelude to the declaration of the district as child-friendly.
Suggestions to help in formulation
“Suggestions and recommendations emerging out of Bala Sabhas will be the guiding light in project formulation in the child welfare sector. Preference will be given to projects aimed at the protection and survival of children and ensuring their participation in development programmes. In short, top priority will be given to projects formulated by the children for the children,” Ms. Sanil said.
“The district panchayat has already implemented a couple of children-centric projects. Mini reference library is being allocated to the best performing Kumari Clubs in each panchayat in the district with the aim of inculcating reading habits among children and generating in them the spirit for participating in competitive exams. Besides, stadiometers are being distributed for extending targeted care to children suffering from deficiency in nutrition,” she said.
The district panchayat has also adopted projects such as the construction of anganwadi buildings and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. Geo-mapping of all institutions associated with ICDS, 2,858 anganawadis, 23 ICDS projects and district-level ICDS office had also been undertaken, she added.
District Social Justice Officer Preethy Wilson presided over the meeting. Kerala Institute of Local Administration associate M.G. Kalidasan, and coordinator for child-friendly projects in local self-governance K.K. Joseph were among those who led the training session. ICDS programme officer J. Mayalakshmi and district panchayat secretary Abdullah Rasheed also attended.
