Under the child-friendly panchayat mission, Childline will undertake a comprehensive survey in Perumanna grama panchayat to prepare a detailed record of children between the age of five to 18 and their educational status. The survey will commence in two weeks and ward-level child protection committees will be formed thereafter.
Perumanna is the first grama panchayat in the district to be selected for implementing the child-friendly panchayat concept. Under the initiative, the academic and health status of all children will be recoded categorically for field-level effective intervention.
According to Childline project coordinators, the project is being implemented here on an experimental basis with the support of the grama panchayat authorities. It will strive to equip all children to fight various atrocities against them and report it on time to the authorities concerned.
Teen clubs will be formed to strengthen students’ activities and guide their companions. A major area of attention under the scheme is the 100 per cent immunization of all children. Anganwadis will have a greater role to play in this regard and their support will be utilised fully to check the current status.
With the support of school managements, the panchayat will ensure a child-friendly ambience in schools offering all basic amenities and services. The list of dropouts will be prepared separately to help them resume studies.
Pilot scheme
“As it is a pilot scheme, the panchayat will spend a special fund from its budget to complete the campaign. We hope to declare the panchayat child-friendly by March 2014,”says Mohammed Ali, coordinator of Childline in the city.
He adds that the Legal Service Cell in the district too will offer their support in the scheme to educate parents and teachers on the concept.
The project, which was conceptualized by the KILA, will be expanded to more grama panchayats after the experimental stage. Currently, one panchayat has been selected from each district to begin the programme.
“Through the scheme, we plan to publicise the fact that child protection is everybody's responsibility", says Mr. Mohammed Ali.
In the new drive, we have proper support from the grama panchayat and its president A.P. Peethambaran, he said.
