Empowering Children – Empowerment
The convention of child rights, and the laws of child protection are vital factors of any nation and UN agencies have highlighted the importance of safe living of the children worldwide, but in reality it is notable that the situation of a segment of children is not falling under the convention.
The problems faced by children
In line with the UN Convention, RAHAMA within it’s operational area in Sri Lanka could start series of activities to secure the rights of children since their living had affected negatively due to several root causes. Most of the families complain about the inadequacy of income that affect the children, despite the fact that varied NGOs, and government agencies had taken conspicuous effort to improve the conditions of the low income families.
Out of several reasons affecting school drop outs, one issue is the eagerness of children to go for income earning avenues without continuing education. Reasons affected therein are partly due to the demand for labour and partly because of the income poverty. These kind of labour involvement is also bringing other dangers too, such as possible exposure for ADAT.
In this article RAHAMA attempts to state in brief it’s involvement on several actions initiated with the intervention of Government authorities and the civil society agencies in the Northern districts on the right based approach for the betterment of children.
When the standard of Pre school education added with ECD is concerned, the relevant Departments had taken steady actions within the post-war setting to implement preschools. Still certain pre schools in rural areas are either not functioning or operating with lesser number of kids limited facilities, moderate academic skills of pre school teachers, insufficient involvement of parents’ societies are some of the problems affecting for meagre level of operation. RAHAMA has launched series of solutions with the intervention of DSs, Provincial councils, Civil Army, Institution of Higher education and the Parental societies, as stated below.
- Provision of moderate levels of services to build or to renovate PS buildings, with equipment, electricity supply, Formation of self help groups of mothers to assists PS teachers and to recommence non-functional pre schools.
- To arrange certificate causes on ECD for teachers of Pre schools, through the Deportment of Higher education and the authority of child protection.
- To guide children to be away from the menace of ADAT, while enhancing their access for sports and entertainments.
- Assist children to establish Children’s Co-operatives, in collaboration with school principles and the staff of the district Co-operatives.
- Organize annual events of ‘World Children’s Day celebrations.
- Action initiated with Government officials enabled 175 School dropouts to recommence education ensuring regular attendance Revitalization of parents, teachers and school development associations was one other outcome.
- Endeavoured community strength so as to formulate Child Resource Development Centres (CRDC) in villages as models with the membership of 803 children. Child Rights action groups are formed in few areas to enable children to spend their time after schools in a protective and useful manner. At least one mobile library could be started in one location to facilitate improved reading habits of children.
Children /kids and parents are highly praiseworthy and admired on the financial and other assistance made available by RAHAMA, and the Institutes of Government, from several Norwegian schools, NORAD and FORUT to proceed with above actions.