Project on Child Development Background Child population of India account for more than one-third of the national population.

The population below the age of 18 yrs is about 40% of the total population and it is the worlds largest population. The situation of underprivileged children in India 40% of India's population is below the age of 18 years which at 400 million is the world's largest child population. Less than half of India's children between the age 6 and 14 go to school. A little over one-third of all children who enroll in grade one reach grade eight. One in every ten children is disabled in India. 95 in every 1000 children born in India, do not see their fifth birthday. 70 in every 1000 children born in India, do not see their first birthday. Only 38% of India's children below the age of 2 years are immunized. 74% of India's children below the age of 3 months are anemic. More than one in three women in India and over 60% of children in India are anemic. Acute respiratory infections are leading causes of child mortality (30%) followed by diarrhoea (20%) in India. One in every 100 children in India between age group of 0-14 years suffers from acute respiratory infection. Almost one in every five children in India below the age of 14 suffers from diarrhoea. 30-40% of the India's population, which is largely economically deprived, spends over 70% of their total expenditure on food. Amongst married women in India today, 75% were under age at the time of their marriages. While one in every five adolescent boys is malnourished, one in every two girls in India is undernourished. 23% of India's children are underweight at birth.

58% of India's children below the age of 2 years are not fully vaccinated. And 24% of these children do not receive any form of vaccination. More that 50% of India's children are malnourished. their interests have never been given priority. And their rights have been violated every single day. Situation All problems such as poor health, malnutrition, lack of education, child labor arose from the primary issue of exploitation of the tribal communities by landowners, lack of employment opportunities, less than minimum wages leading to migration for work. Challenge The main issues that needed to be tackled were: non-functional health service institutions, Public Distribution System and consequent food insecurity. Gender discrimination was also prevalent. Defunct government education system, child sexual abuse, high incidence of child labour under exploitative were also major causes of concern. Increasing incidence of privatization of essential services of health care and education made access of essential services even more difficult for the poor. Highlights CWS worked to ensure access for all people to essential government health care and education services by demanding reactivation of govt. schools and conversion of more government schools in to model schools delivering quality education. Ensuring equal opportunities to Dalit, minority and girl children in education. Ensure birth registration of all new born children. Reduction in death rate of children and mothers. Mobilize community to struggle for entitlement to land and promote collective farming. Formation of adolescent groups and orient them about their rights as to facilitate them to take group actions

Results Out of 1374 new born children, 1132 children were registered and birth certificates were issued In 126 95% the age group who of were 0-1 left years, out 88% last children were ante were also immunized immunized care

children

year

pregnant

women

accessed

natal

18 active schools were retained with 16 schools have 100% retention status and 17 villages having retained 100% enrolment status of children 37 children (21 boys and 16 girls), who were involved in cattle grazing were removed from work and linked to education 15 Children's groups and 15 Adolescent groups were formed in 15 villages Background: Children Welfare Society (CWS) was established in 1994 by Mr. A. B. Sha with the aim of working for the children of Ghorawal Tehsil of Sonebhadra district of UP. Responding to complaints from parents of the child labor registered, he came in contact with Jan Jati Vikas Samiti (JJVS) in 1994 and founded CWS. CWS initially addressed the issues of minimum wage and awareness amongst parents. The organization concentrated on mobilizing the children against the atrocities done to them by carpet loom holders by making them aware of their rights. Subsequently, CWS initiated a movement to eradicate child labor and linked the movement with the ownership of common property resources as an alternate livelihood means for the families who were the suppliers of child labor. Mr. A.B. Sha, the project holder of Children Welfare Society (CWS) is a well to do landlord of Sonebhadra district who owns land in 70 villages. He is very popular among the people not only for his feudal lineage but also because he is genuinely passionate about children and their fate in society. CWS is a unique project where the Project Holder is just the legal holder of project and all

programmatic and other functions are looked after by project coordinator, Mr. Rajesh Chowbey, since inception of the organization. Situation:

CWS interventions are spread across 41 villages in Ghorawal block, Sonebhadra district, Uttar Pradesh. The region is mostly inhabited by Kol tribes who are denied access and control over the abundant natural resources available in the area, controlled mostly by the affluent upper caste minority. Economic conditions and local livelihoods of the intervention area have been highly affected by industrialization and the resultant displacement. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has been launched but at the field level, its implementation is marred with irregularities in both the processes, in giving job cards as well as in giving work for 100 days. There is a strong nexus between the dominant sections of the region who are economically well off and the local administration. This nexus blocks entry of the local tribes in the nearby forest land thus preventing them from access to local forest resources and livelihood options resulting therefrom.

Discrimination against children, particularly girl children, is striking. Girl children in particular get deprived of education and they get restricted to their homes. Schools are at a distance and so girls either never go to school or drop out after primary school. Child marriage is quite prevalent. Children are engaged in cattle grazing and their routine life is that they leave for the field (forest) with the cattle early morning and return only late evenings. Education remains a distant dream for them. During monsoon season the accessibility to health services is minimal. In this backdrop, CWS aims to establish an exploitation-free society with the help of democratic empowerment of the people at large.

Objectives:

 To help the marginalized people realize their potential as agents of social change. To help people organize into effective pressure groups, and thereby gain for them a better bargaining capacity in the democratic process of development. To help tribal communities fight for their traditional rights over land and forest. To help women work towards realization of equal rights for themselves. To help evolve collective strategy to fight the menace of injustice and exploitation.

Review:

CWS is engaged in direct action as well as in mobilization of the community for collective action and organizes them into meaningful groups for advocating their rights themselves. The programs have sustainability built in the process that ensures continuity of the changes brought in by the endeavours of the partner. Major achievements include

Out of 1374 new born children, 1132 children were registered and birth certificates were issued. And out of 441 children who were left out (0-1 yr), 393 children In In the the age age received group group of of 0-1 1-5 their years, years birth 88% 84% children children ante certificates. were immunized There has been reduction in the cases of IMR, CMR and MMR. were immunized. natal care.

126 children who were left out last year were also immunized. 95% pregnant women accessed Panchayat Health Committees were activated in 9 Panchayats and increasingly involved in monitoring community health issues and in community awareness building and 17 villages having retained on 100% enrolment status of health. children. 18 active schools were retained with 16 schools have 100% retention status

 Out of 9 NFE centres, children from two centres were mainstreamed and NFEs were removed from work closed and linked to down. education. 37 children (21 boys and 16 girls), who were involved in cattle grazing were Pressure has been mounted on the Zila Panchayat, Block Panchayat and local Panchayat to provide employment to the parents of the child labor and cattle grazing demanding 54 Data people from 9 work were villages has been under allotted land gathered to the patta update land children. scheme. (plot). records. 1418 people got Job cards under the NREGA and people have started

15 groups of adolescent were activated and sustained. In the model village, strong community action was achieved. All 164 eligible families got BPL cards. Out of 73 eligible families, job cards were distributed to 35 families. CWSs credential as an implementing organization is well established in the area.

Plans:

100% birth registration of all new born children and registration of 290 children above All to 1 new year born who children women up were to 5 left out will last be year. immunized. children. Regular data on IMR, CMR and MMR will be collected and updated. years and 5 activated ANMs will be retained and ANMs will provide timely health services 133 left out families and 1804 new identified families will get BPL cards. Children from remote villages, for whom getting access to education is very difficult, will have education facilities through 7 NFE centres run by CWS. Demand 100% for 7 new schools will be will be raised in by the 13 communities. villages. enrolment retained

 2 old and 3 new Panchayat Education Committees will be activated. Involvement of parents and community in monitoring of schools and education will be increased through activation of 2 PTAs. 7 Village Education Committees will be retained in villages where NFEs are running. 28 villages will be retained as child labour free. 130 working children and 30 child labor will be linked with education. All 15 adolescent groups will be retained and will have increased understanding of various child rights and will involve themselves at various platforms. In 5 villages new children groups will be formed.

Budget Summary (January to December 2008) Budget heads Right to Development Right to Survival Right to Protection Right to Participation Administration Total Approved Budget Budget (USD) 19,688 12,238 7,450 1,064 12,771 53,211