SAIIER 2016:Child Protection Service
 Auroville Singing Festival |
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 ESL welcome group for Newcomer children |
| Child Protection Service | ||
Introduction
Entity::Child Protection Service (CPS) wants to achieve general awareness-building, acceptance of gender issues and opening of the eyes towards possible child abuse in Auroville and its surroundings. The particular approach is exercised by us from grass-roots onwards, and aims at protecting our children by creating awareness from young age onwards.
This year we held our programme in the government schools, with four part-time staff, and in the future we are planning to go to non-government schools.
Activities of the year
We promote this education with youths (both genders) and with working women in Auroville.
Every year we reach 175 students in 4 government schools and 3 Auroville outreach schools. We start the class by sharing with the students about human anatomy, and then we ask them how we can protect ourselves. From there we take them through thinking about cleanliness, healthy food, and various other issues related to our body, health and environment.
With children from 8 to 12 years we follow our own method, which is to give a topic and have the students draw pictures and explain their work in groups. The topic can be Protection, Parts of the body (mainly Reproductive System), Child Rights, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Child Labour, and Prevention on Child Abuse.
With children from 10 to 18 years we follow the ‘Unicef’ books and information from the internet. We also use the story-telling method with children aged 6 to 14 years.
This year four staff members joined our team and gave our classes in their village schools.
Outcomes
We distributed posters on child safety (awareness information) to Auroville schools and Auroville outreach schools and to Government schools.
During our class we ask the students to reflect what they have learned from the classes:
- There are safe and unsafe touches. We should be aware of this.
- We will teach this information to others.
- Any abnormal incident about child abuse should be immediately reported to the parents.
- Give respect to the female child.
- Don’t throw female babies away. Families should take care of baby girls.
- Learn the functions of the reproductive organs (for both genders).
- Widows must re-marry.
- We should not treat the children like slaves.
- In all aspects give equal rights to both genders.
Regarding domestic violence the following points came out from the children:
- Parents have to listen to a girl's opinions and suggestions.
- Girls need more freedom to express their ideas and to be independent.
- I will be aware of myself. I will make sure my friends and family are aware of child abuse. I feel our culture protects us from this type of abuse.
- I feel sorry for the children who go through the abuse. I even would request the Government to create an awareness program for the public and for all schools. The disabled children also should be protected.
- I am against child marriage.
