Holistic Child Development India : Our Programs : Child Focused Community Development Programme, Residential Child Care, Vocational Training, Emergency response, Disaster Management

Programs at Holistic Child Development India

Child Focused Community Development Programme (CFCDP)

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Rationale

HCDI has designed an innovative approach to the community-based development programme with the child at its centre in the hope that equitable and sustainable development interventions around the child, its family and community would eventually percolate and lead to the holistic development of the child. Since the concept was novel it was open ended for any possible refinements with the passage of time through the gaining of experiences gathered from various geographical regions and people groups/tribes/clans with whom HCDI works through its partners spread out in various parts of India. This refinement would ensure that when the programme is phased out it would be owned by the community so that the process of development is carried forward unhindered.

From the beginning HCDI has been very clear that success of CFCD projects will be determined both quantitatively and qualitatively. Development will be determined using not merely the indicators pertaining to visible and physical development. Transformation in motivation, abilities, behavior, social relationships, team work, linkages and the economic enhancement of the people will be of equal importance as these aspects are very crucial for the functioning of community organizations after the phasing out of the external support.

Key Components of CFCDP’s

The major four Key areas of intervention in the CFCDP are – Education – both early childhood care and regular schooling support, Health and nutrition, Livelihood and Community organization.

HCDI does not advocate a welfare program to transfer funds or make available resources so that immediate needs of the poor are met. A four pronged strategy has been adopted by HCDI to achieve its objectives – (1) participation of the children, their families and community in the development process; (2) promotion of interests, rights and dignity of children; (3) strengthening the capacities of the children and their families; and (4) mobilization of maximum resources from within the community.

Initially the role of the women in the entire development program was visualized more from the point of view of their role as mothers. But then raising awareness amongst the mothers for improved health and educational status of children was considered necessary, since mother is the most powerful influence in the universe of a child.

In the last five years HCDI has added another dimension to its many activities of rural development i.e. forming women’s groups and enabling them to address their issues on a common platform. The concept of Mahila Mandal was initially introduced to organize women; but this was only restricted to the mothers of children who visited the balwadis. Because it was a large group it was difficult to sustain the interest of the members. Based on the exposures and proven models elsewhere, it was decided to transform the mandals into self help groups thereby entering into the area of women’s empowerment through implementation of the SHG program.

HCDI does not implement one single program across different socio-cultural and geographical regions. From land development program to income generation or from health care education to self-sustenance, HCDI today touches the totality of life of the marginalized people across age, gender, caste and creed. At the centre of all development efforts of HCDI is the vision that the next generation lives in an environment bereft of hunger, poverty, deprivation and darkness and over the years become self-reliant and responsible as citizens.
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Children at High Risk (CAHR)

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The Children at High Risk department looks at the rehabilitation, empowerment and advocating for the rights of children who come under five broad categories:

		Children below poverty line.
		The Girl Child.
		Children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
		Children who are trafficked or whose mothers are trafficked and are into sex work.
		Street and working children.
		Differently abled children.

The department monitors and supports various projects around India that specifically cater to the needs of the children in the above categories.

Over the years however, there has been a growing awareness to look at a shift from just rehabilitation to issues of child rights advocacy.

More essentially in India our concern is with GLOBALIZATION and its impact on our children. Whether it is privatization of education or the excessive usage of our waters by multinationals and of course man made disasters such as riots, terror attacks and environmental degradation, it is the powerless children and women who suffer. Our mission is to reach out to the children and protect their rights in the face of WTO’s triumphs and the ever engulfing global phenomenon of the hegemony of the rich and the powerful over the weaker sections.

The department has been advocating against child labour, trafficking of children and women and the
children's parliaments.

It also supports the movement for safe childhood through action research and documentation.

We believe that the inclusion of children disadvantaged children into the mainstream is our prime duty and responsibility.

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Residential Child Care (RCC)

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Holistic Child Development India supports 37 RCC Programmes covering more than 4000 children spread out in 16 states of India through its partner churches.

The main aims & objectives of RCC Programmes are:

1)		To provide opportunities to the deprives, disadvantaged and needy children for
		good care, welfare and development, irrespective of caste, colour, creed and sex

2)		To ensure overall development by meeting all the basic essential needs and
		creating an atmosphere conducive for the survival, growth and development of the children

3)		To integrate the children, through an holistic approach in the process of child
		development in the homely environment, into the socio-economic and cultural milieu of society as responsible and productive citizens

The Holistic Approach followed in the development of the Child through RCC Programmes includes:

A.		Physical development

B.		Mental development

C.		Emotional & Social development

D.		Spiritual development

E.		Orientation for life

F.		After Care Programme
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Vocational & Technical Educational/Training

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HCDI comes across children who are unable to tread the formal path of education of completing schooling, graduation and then be equipped for a job. Such children tend to be school drop-outs and have the least interest for studying further. If left in this condition, it leads them to frustration and instability due to lack of employable skills. They end up doing petty odd jobs which does not provide them a basic livelihood. Further, due to poverty and family backwardness, they become a burden on their parents.

HCDI caters to such children through vocational and technical training centres that equip them with skills and tools and provide them with an excellent learning and living environment for total integrated development.

HCDI in partnership with Churches / Christian Organizations has been supporting three Technical Institutes namely :-

		St. Peter’s Vocational Training Centre,
		Baruipur, Kolkata, West Bengal

		St. Stephen’s Vocational Training Centre,
		Dum Dum, Kolkata, West Bengal

		Methodist Technical Home, Baroda, Gujarat

The trades offered through the above Institutes are:-

Institutes	Course / Training	Course duration (in years)	No. of Children currently covered
St. Peter’s Vocational Training Centre, Baruipur, Kolkata, West Bengal (22763)	Carpentry	2	23
	Motor Mechanic	2	37
		Total	60
St. Stephen’s Vocational Training Centre, Dum Dum, Kolkata, West Bengal (22764)	Fitter	2	37
	Fitter cum Welder	2	8
	Welder/Turner	2	7
	Tailoring	2	11
	Radio / TV	2	6
	Electrician	2	11
		Total	80
Methodist Technical Home, Baroda, Gujarat (22352)	CAM Drafting	2	20
	Press Dia Maker	2	17
	Computer aided Mechanics	2	7
	DTP	1	2
	Electrician	2	23
	Auto Engine Mechanic	2	2
	Fitter	2	34
	Fitter cum Welder	2	3
	Turner	2	12
		Total	120

Emergency response & disaster management

Any disaster, whether it is natural or man-made, disrupts both ecological and psychological factors which exceed the coping capacity of the community. The community faces deaths, suffering from injuries, destruction of property, loss of their belongings including cattle, displacement of people, migration and above all, psychological traumas.

Though the Holistic Child Development India is basically a Child Focused Development Organization, in the event of any disaster in any part of our country we quickly respond. We all know that those who are affected the most are the socially and economically disadvantaged groups who face enormous hardships, specially children, women, the elderly

and the disabled. Children are particularly vulnerable as unfortunately they are unable to protect themselves from the violations they face as we know that in every disaster children are kidnapped, sold and abused. In some cases parents voluntarily send them to work as child labourers. Both physical devastation and the emotional trauma caused by the disaster leave lasting scars on their psyche; therefore children are the ones who deserve the first attention from any humanitarian organization that is engaged in any disaster relief work. The second are the women. These two groups are the most vulnerable and tend to be most affected by any disasters. The mobility of women during disasters is usually restricted or affected due to cultural and social constraints.

HCDI has responded in the past to Earthquakes in Latur, Gujarat and Kashmir, Super-cyclone in Orissa, Tsunami in the Andaman Islands and Floods in Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and in Karnataka. We have initiated “Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development” (LRRD), a long term development project in Bihar.

The primary aim of disaster response is to:

		To provide immediate relief to those affected
		To build capacity of the community to reduce risk
		and vulnerability
		To prepare the community with measures to cope
		with any emergencies arising from disasters
		Support communities in their efforts for rehabilitation

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Advocacy & Lobbying measures

Advocacy denotes change which we need to see and quantify in five important areas of society viz: government, private sector politics and culture, civil society and the individual.

The process of advocacy involves identifying issues for policy action developing solutions, building support, bringing issues, solutions and political will together for policy action and evaluating policy action.

HCDI provides input to its partners on the above steps in its three important programs of child focused community development projects, the children at high risk projects and the residential child care projects across North India, parts of Karnataka and in the Andaman Islands.

The thrust areas of HCDI advocacy plan is promotion of child rights, prevention of violations of child rights and protest of violations of child rights.

HCDI holds periodic consultations on diverse issues from trafficking to climate change.

Besides inviting scholars and experts to address issues of child rights, HCDI holds periodic trainings in child rights awareness. All capacity building trainings of the 3 programs of HCDI focus on child rights awareness and issues relating to Child Sexual abuse, child labour, child marriage and trafficking.

One of the pioneering steps undertaken in the area of the child’s right to participation has been the initiating of the Children’s Parliaments across 17 states of North India, Karnataka and the Andaman Islands.

The children’s parliament is a unique experiment in grass root governance where children of neighborhoods play a pivotal role in society transformation.

Besides, HCDI also takes up research in the area of child rights through its action research projects that focus on topical problems that will highlight the issues of child rights violation and offers interventions to address the same.

On a macro level, HCDI who has been co-partnering with KNH Germany for several years had made its voice heard in several international forums through the promotion campaigns of KNH.

Advocacy related events for 2011-2012

The projects funded by HCDI will conduct the following seminars in 2011

1.		Seminar on preventing influx of children on Pune railway stations.

2.		Counseling skills and vocational guidance for children of women in prostitution.

3.		HIV and the girl child.

4.		Child Sexual Abuse Act and the differently abled child.

Child Rights Campaigns are planned involving children from both the CFCD Projects and Residential Child care Projects in key areas of Northern States to sensitize the civil society at large to consciously provide space for children to exercise their rights.

Disadvantaged children from a HCDI preoject in a Meeting with Chief Miniter of Delhi

Disadvantaged children from a HCDI preoject(ADF,Delhi)in a Meeting with Chief Miniter of Delhi, giving her a memorandum for the protection of their right to education and health

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