A new residential bridge programme for young women from orphanages and shelter homes in Chennai got out of the blocks in the city recently. An initiative of Kantar India Foundation and WeLive Foundation, it addresses the needs of “care leavers” who step out of child care institutions (CCIs) at the age of 18.
The programme is being implemented at a centre in Iyyappatangal which currently accommodates seven girls, and has the capacity to accommodate 25.
Here, girls live as a community meeting various expectations from the programme that include managing chores at the centre, attending English classes, getting guidance in financial management and seeking counselling support.
“Finding them a job or helping them find one is one of the key objectives of the programme. Towards this end, they are provided skill training,” says Ramya Sundararajan, CEO, WeLive Foundation.
A three-month course in nursing assistant by ICICI Academy for Skills and another in retail management by Dr Reddy’s Foundation are among skilling programmes that are currently on.
According to a report by Make a Difference, an NGO working with CCIs, there are approximately 35 million children classified under the Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) category. In many cases, the child welfare committee could have rescued the child due to poverty, abuse, from the streets, and put them in a child care centre.
The Juvenile Justice Act governs them until the age of 18 after which they have to fend for themselves.
“These are young people who have experienced considerable rejection in life. At 18, it can be overwhelming to take care of oneself and that is where we pitch in by building their capacity for an independent future,” says Ramya.
The beneficiaries of these programmes come from a wide range of backgrounds. They include those with limited educational exposure and also those pursuing graduation. The duration of programmes ranges from one to three years.
“They come to these centres voluntarily and leave as per their choice, but we want them to stay for at least a year so that they can benefit from one or more skilling programmes and become financially independent,” says Ramya.
Since 2019, WeLive Foundation has worked with more than 120 care leavers through the residential and non-residential programmes run in Chennai and Bengaluru.
The newly-launched centre in Chennai aims to accommodate young women from various locations including Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana, offering them educational support and job placement opportunities.
