Child Protection and Child Development

Every child deserves the best chance for a bright future. We are committed to ensuring children not only survive, but thrive. All children can be vulnerable by virtue of their young age and evolving capacities. They can be ‘open to’ harm, injury, violence and abuse. Due to different circumstances or factors, children can also be vulnerable to adverse influences and ‘at risk’ behaviour. Marginalization further exacerbates vulnerability.

In development settings like India, the burden of risk and vulnerability falls disproportionately on children. Impact of child vulnerability and marginalization can be short term or long term depending on the extent, nature and severity and other factors. The damage can also be permanent. The impact can be on the physical, emotional, social, psychological and mental health and well-being of the child.

VEDIC Society has been representing the voice of the deprived, excluded and vulnerable children in Latehar and Palamu districts since 1991, regardless of their race, creed and gender. We work in the remotest locations of these districts through our child centered interventions aiming to influence and bring about lasting changes in the lives of our children. The organization has worked tirelessly to overcome and eliminate the strongest barriers to quality education and helped children realize their right to be healthy, educated, protected and valued.

Efforts to address child protection concerns have led to significant positive changes across the district:

• Increased Awareness: Communities are now more aware of child protection issues and their responsibilities.
• Collaborative Support: Individuals and organizations working on child protection are receiving greater cooperation from stakeholders.
• Shift in Attitudes towards Child Marriage: Earlier, people would overlook child marriage. Now, they are actively choosing not to marry off their children early and are even signing pledge letters to affirm this commitment.
• Religious Leaders Taking a Stand: Priests, maulvis and pastors are publicly pledging not to conduct child marriages and are committed to preventing them.
• Timely Reporting: Information about planned child marriages is now reaching authorities in time, enabling swift action with community support.
• Institutional Involvement: Bodies such as the Child Welfare Committee, Child Protection Officer, Child Development Officer, Child Helpline, local police stations, and other related stakeholders are actively involved in preventing child marriages.
• Community Action: Villagers are now reporting cases of child marriage by calling toll-free numbers like 1098, 100, and 112.
• Rescue from Child Labour: If a child is seen working, people inform the Labour Department. The Labour Superintendent or their representative promptly conducts a rescue operation and files a preliminary report. Such proactive support was not available earlier.
• Regular Rescue Drives: The Labour Department conducts regular campaigns to rescue child labourers.
• Awareness on Child Labour and Trafficking: Awareness around child labour and child trafficking has increased. Railway Protection Force and station managers are now cooperating in such cases. Complaints related to child labour and trafficking are being reported through the 1098 helpline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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