Elimination of Child Labour and Restoration of Lost Childhood Through Residential School in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu Quarterly Report - April to June 2017

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Elimination of Child Labour and Restoration of Lost Childhood through Residential School in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu Quarterly Report - April to June 2017

Thiruvallur District Collector Ms. Sundaravalli participates in World Day against Child Labour Awareness Programme

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August 2017

Head office : 90A Nasarathpet Village, Little Kanchipuram- 631503, Tamil Nadu. Chennai Office : New No.33, Old No.14, 48th Street, 9th Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai – 600083, Tamil Nadu. Website : www.hihindia.org Facebook : facebook.com/hihindia.org

Origin

Hoist Group and Hand in Hand India (HIH) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project to support elimination of child labour by running Residential Special Training Centre (RSTC) for child labourers and long-time dropouts and to implement Social Mobilisation Program (SMP) in RK Pet, Thiruttani and Pallipet blocks of Thiruvallur District.

Project Objectives

Hoist Group project will focus on the following objectives :

• To run a Residential Special Training Centre (RSTC) for child labourers and long-time dropouts between 6-14 years of age • To ensure that every child is enrolled in school and continues to go to school in the project blocks • To enrol out-of-school children into mainstream or alternate schools • To effectively monitor functioning of local schools • To create awareness within the community on child rights, children’s education and gender equality • To empower the community to participate in protection of child rights and child development through social mobilisation • To strengthen the functioning of government schools with an active participation of community stakeholders like Panchayat presidents and elected representatives

Project Outcomes Report (April –June 2017)

Residential Special Training Center (RSTC)

New Enrolment Details for Kaverirajapuram RSTC during the reporting period :

Sl.No Block No of children newly enrolled 1 Tirutani 16 2 R.K.Pet 1 3 Pallipet 5 4 Cholavaram, Puzhal 15 5 Tiruvalankadu 4 Total 41

New Student Enrolment into RSTC For current Reporng Period - Blockwise Breakup

Tirutani Block 16 R.K.Pet Block

Pallipet Block 15 Cholavaram, Puzhal Block

Tiruvalankadu Block 1 5

Continuing Children at Kaverirajapuram RSTC :

Sl.No Name of the Block No of children continuing

1 Tirutani 7 2 R.K.Pet 3 3 Pallipet 5 4 Cholavaram, Puzhal 5 Total 20

Mainstreamed Children :

Sl.No Name of the Block No of children mainstreamed

1 Tirutani 11 2 R.K.Pet 7 3 Pallipet 12 4 Cholavaram, Puzhal 14 Total 44

Number of Mainstreamed Children For Current Reporng Period - Blockwise Breakup

11 14 Tirutani Block

R.K.Pet Block

Pallipet Block

7 Cholavaram, Puzhal Block

Total Strength of Kaverirajapuram Residential Special Training Centre (RSTC)

Out of the 64 children, 44 children have been mainstreamed into regular Government Schools and 20 children are continuing in RSTC. From 44 children, 26 students (Boys–11, Girls–15) were enrolled into schools proximal to their homes, while 18 others hailing from

families belonging to very poor socio-economic conditions were enlisted into Government- run free Hostels. The CLEP field staff regularly track the performance of the mainstreamed students and interact with their teachers at recurring intervals to gauge their scholastic progress. Owing to the effective Social Mobilization Programme strategy at Tiruvallur, the field staff is well aware of the student’s family circumstances and socio economic status.

Group Motivation Meetings – for New Enrolments into RSTC:

Group Motivation Meetings are an unique Hand in Hand India intervention wherein the target group children who have been identified in the community by HiH India staff are invited for a conversation along with key stakeholders – their parents, school teacher(s), Child Rights Protection Committee (CRPC) Members and community elders.

At these Outreaches, the children are encouraged in various ways – motivated to envision their life in the long run with education, given career-counseling - informed of schemes and benefits, courses, career options, tie-ups and guidelines. Positive role models are also invited to interact with them from their community – their peers who are now gainfully employed after successfully resuming their education via Transit Schools.

Group Motivation Meetings were conducted for all the RSTC dropout students in Thiruvallur District to encourage and motivate the children to enrol into the RSTC. HiH India staff visited their home and interacted with their parents to support their children and persuade them

to complete their basic education. Children were given the opportunity to share their opinions and were also explained about all the benefits they have by completing their basic education.

Medical Camp and Health Awareness:

As part of regular health monitoring of the children, the monthly medical camp was held at Kaverirajapuram RSTC on 11th April, 2017 to ensure good health of every student and staff member in the campus. The medical camp is one of the key initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall health of the students. A General health check-up was conducted by doctors and those detected with health issues were referred to local hospitals. Medicines and special attention was given to those who were unwell. Overall, 75 students benefitted from this medical intervention.

Annual Day Celebrations and Parents’ Meeting:

The Annual Day Celebrations of Kaverirajapuram RSTC was held on 24th April 2017. This event has a singular focus: to encourage students and build their interest in education.

The Chief Guest for the programme was Ms. Sangeetha (DCPO). Other attendees included CWC members, parents and HiH India staff. New clothes & gifts were given to all the students and sweets were distributed at the end of the programme. 150 individuals participated and were benefitted by the programme.

Parents present were exhorted to continue supporting their children in their academic pursuits. The academic progress and holistic development opportunities of the students - their education, grooming, manners, extra-curricular activities among others was also expounded to the parents to enable them to motivate their children towards education.

Pictures below >>

International Yoga Day

Yoga has proven health benefits including both physical and mental development, stress reduction and overall well- being. ‘International Yoga Day’ was consequently commemorated on 21st June 2017 in Kaverirajapuram RSTC to promote the art of practicing yoga and for physical fitness. Several asanas were performed during the session and the children enthusiastically participated in the programme. 53 children benefitted from this programme.

Block level Child Protection Committee Meetings

Block level Child Protection Committee Meetings were held on 11th April, 2017 in three blocks namely Thiruthani, R K Pettai and Pallipat. In these meetings, awareness on Child Marriage was discussed in all the three blocks. Mr. Senthil (DCPO) was the Chief Guest for the programmes. Other distinguished members who were part of this programme were BDOs, AEOs, SWD members, SSA Supervisors and HiH India staff. Overall 87 of them were benefitted from these programmes.

Gram Sabha Meetings

The Gram Sabha which is the foundational self-governance unit of the Panchayati Raj system as envisioned under the Constitution of India, comprises of elected members, typically formed in villages or groups of villages with a population that is at least/ exceeding 1500 persons. Gram Sabha Meetings are mandatory to be organised at the village level at periodic intervals. These are significant meetings that are attended by the entire village

community where development aspects, various concerns of their village are discussed and plans are drawn up. In 5 blocks, HiH India staff members and volunteers seized the opportunity to actively participate in 5 Gram Sabha Meetings reaching out to atleast 3,281 Gram Sabha members and shared insights creating awareness on topics such as

• Right to Education • Drop out students’ school enrolment • Retention of ‘child labour free’ status of panchayats • Transit school enrolment and • Regular Enrolment into Govt. Schools Head office : 90A Nasarathpet Village, Little Kanchipuram- 631503, Tamil Nadu. Chennai Office : New No.33, Old No.14, 48th Street, 9th Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai – 600083, Tamil Nadu. Website : www.hihindia.org Facebook : facebook.com/hihindia.org

12th June 2017 onwards - ‘World Day against Child Labour’ Week of Programmes:

In commemoration of ‘World Day Against Child Labour’, Hand in Hand India, Child Labour Elimination Programme (CLEP) organised a series of programmes on June 12th, ‘World Day against Child Labour’ (WDACL). This year, it was commemorated as one week of Programmes in all the Project Blocks. It included Awareness Rallies, Oaths,

Photo Collage of various programmes that took place during WDACL Head office : 90A Nasarathpet Village, Little Kanchipuram- 631503, Tamil Nadu. Chennai Office : New No.33, Old No.14, 48th Street, 9th Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai – 600083, Tamil Nadu. Website : www.hihindia.org Facebook : facebook.com/hihindia.org

Signature Campaigns, Distribution of pamphlets and use of mid-media such as Cultural Awareness Programmes and Street Plays.

District Collectors, District Judges, Labour Department Officials, District Child Protection Units, National Child Labour Project Officials and other Government Representatives jointly took part in the WDACL Programme along with HiH India. Overall 9 programmes were conducted and a conservative estimate of 3,712 participants were sensitised.

Thiruvallur District Collector Ms. Sundaravalli participating in the Awareness Programme

Additional Enrolments into Regular Schools at the Project Area

Enrolments were facilitated across the various Project Areas through School children Rallies, Village Meetings, School Management Committee Meetings/ Village Education Committee Meetings and the various Group Motivation Meetings.

Enrolments Rkpet Tirutani Pallipet Total AGE 5+ INTO PRIMARY SCHOOL Boys 65 60 51 176 Girls 50 50 64 164 PRIMARY – SECONDARY SCHOOL ENROLMENT Boys 120 110 64 294 Girls 105 100 66 271 DROPOUT STUDENTS ENROLMENT Boys 1 1 1 3 Girls 1 1 1 3 Grand Total No. of Boys 186 171 116 473 No. of Girls 156 151 131 438 Total 342 322 247 911

We are glad to share that apart from the new enrolments into the RSTC, a total of 911 children have been enrolled – including primary school level students, secondary grade students as well as dropout children into Government Schools across Project Areas:

1000

900

800

700 473 600 Total Boys enrolled 500 Total Girls enrolled 400

300 186 171 438 200 116 100 156 151 131 0 RK Pet Tirutani Pallipet Total

911 Children enrolled into schools across Project Areas

In conclusion, please find below an Overview of the Awareness Programmes during the current reporting period:

Awareness Programmes Overview

87 3 Block Level CPC Meengs 75 336 150 352 32 CRPC Meengs 308 Medical Camp and Medical 378 Awareness 630 Annual Day and Parents Meeng

5 Gramsabha Meengs 170 53 9 WDACL Programmes

Internaonal Yoga Day

8 VEC/ SMC meengs

20 Village Meengs

73 Group Movaon Meengs 3712 5 School Children Rallies

Total Total # Programme Programmes Participants* 1 Block Level Child Protection Committee Mtgs 3 87 2 Medical Camp and Medical Awareness 1 75 3 Annual Day Celebrations and Parents’ Meeting 1 150 4 Participation/ Leading the Gramsabha Meetings 5 378 5 WDACL Programmes 9 3712 6 International Yoga Day Commemoration 1 53 7 CRPC Meetings 32 352 Village Education Committees/ School Management 8 Committees 8 170 9 Village level Awareness Meetings 20 630 10 Group Motivations 73 308 11 School Children Rallies 5 336 Total 158 6251

*- refers to community members and others who actively participated. e,g, school students in the School children Rally.

The Reach of all the various awareness activities is the Entire Population of the

Project Communities in the three areas.