Every year, with almost dismal regularity, children at the Government Observation Home for Boys in Madiwala try to escape. Lack of adequate staff and the traumatic past that almost all these young adolescents have had are hurdles that officials, social workers and Juvenile Justice Boards face when working on rehabilitation.
In an effort to address the issues of these children, who are mainly in the 10 to 18 age group, the District Child Protection Unit has launched the Maanasa Wellness Centre, which will be overseen by the Karnataka High Committee on Juvenile Justice.
The centre, which was inaugurated on July 20, has been set up with CSR funding and will operate through State, community and civil society partnerships. Doctors, counsellors, psychiatrists, social workers, teachers and coaches have offered to work voluntarily with the children.
To ensure privacy, there are separate rooms for counselling and healthcare services. Children at the observation home now have access to an indoor basketball court, computers, motivational videos, musical instruments, psychoeducation material and a mini library with 600 books in different languages.
“We will also offer counselling and support services for their family members so that they are better prepared to accept their children when they return home,” said Kalpana Purushothaman, psychologist and member of Juvenile Justice Board.
Most of the children are victims of poverty, abuse or have faced violence and parental neglect. Others are battling problems with drug abuse and alcoholism.
“As a result, children suffer from a range of psychosocial and behavioural problems, which are often the real cause for their coming into conflict with the law. There are provisions to provide such services for children in conflict with the law under JJ Act, and this initiative is a step forward in the right direction,” Ms. Purushothaman added.
In addition to this, the District Child Protection Unit also aims to provide vocational and career opportunities for older teenagers once they leave the home, which will be run through DOST (Development of Opportunities for Social Transformation).
“Every child we meet is traumatised and see their time in the observation home as a ‘jail term’ especially in the backdrop of the police escorting them. We need to change this perception and make the home a safe place for a child to grow into a productive citizen,” said Usha, District Child Protection Officer.
Officials admit that they have an uphill task ahead of them and given the lack of full-time experienced and professionally trained staff, they have roped in professional volunteers, in all fields, ranging from mental health to education and sports.
Children at the observation home have been without a teacher for one year after the last person retired. There has been no counsellor for over a year. Most of the boys, out of embarrassment, don’t open up to a paediatrician from the health department who visits the centre since the person is a woman.
A de-addiction programme is also on the cards. The State is now hoping to address these issues through this team of competent and compassionate professional volunteers.
“We cannot forget that these children most often come from backgrounds of neglect, impoverishment and unstable families,with little or no education and a range of health and psychosocial problems. What they need is social support, education, and access to healthcare. And for this, justice has to include healing, compassion and a humane approach. Real justice and social progress cannot leave vulnerable children behind,” said Ms. Purushothaman.
