CHILD PARTICIPATION PROGRAM IN MUMBAI

Four children from the community that Asha-Kiran works with in Hadapsar went to Mumbai for a child participation program organised by Yuva, a Mumbai-based organisation. The objective of the on-going program is to make children from all over India aware about child rights and child abuse, and build their self-confidence so that they can address an audience.

Firstly, the children were introduced to the definition of a child, child rights, child abuse, and the future planning of the program. Separate groups of children were made To discuss all the issues. It was a three-day consultation which the children not only enjoyed but where they also learned various issues to apply at home, their school and their community in their own capacity.

The main thrust of the program was to help children stand up for their rights and make informed decisions concerning their own lives. They also made a lot of friends from different parts of India while learning and teaching each other the languages spoken in their home states.

A THOUSAND DAYS LEFT

In the year 2000, 150 countries around the world made a commitment to deliver the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Last April 5th 2013 marked 1,000 days left to make these objectives happen.

Save the Children’s report Ending Poverty in Our Generation outlines the steps to take in order to build a new MDG framework that will impel progress towards achieving the development targets. The recommendations include a transparent new framework that addresses inequalities and develops a global mechanism where citizens can hold their governments accountable. Save the Children asks that high burden countries include a focus on reaching the poorest children, incorporate indirect interventions from other actors, and include a strong monitoring framework and regular review processes with inputs from civil society.

The report also highlights the goal we have made the least progress on: “A Global Partnership for Development”. Working together across sectors should be the lynchpin of the Post-2015 framework, which will need to include a leading role for the private sector to develop alliances with local governments in order build on momentum and pursue the targets of the MDGs.

Although it is conceivable that we could end preventable child deaths, eradicate hunger and rid the world of absolute poverty, getting there will require a resolute focus not only on the targets we want to reach, but on how we can make these aims deliver for the poorest.

Whether or not we can reach these goals depends on how we use the next 1,000 days.

Source: savethechildren

GLOBAL HEALTH AT YASHODHARA

As we usually do at the beginning of every school year, a blood check-up camp was set up in Yashodhara Shelter Home to see if any children were suffering from anemia. When any cases are found, the doctor prescribes special nutrition and medication to counteract their iron deficiency. Towards the end of the year, the tests are repeated to see the impact of the nutrition provided and check whether the child has improved or not.

The camp was conducted by a lab technician from a government hospital. All of the 178 children at Yashodhara were tested for hemoglobin count and their blood group. Most of the children had their HB count up to 10, which is very good sign, while only one girl’s was below 9.

We believe it is essential to look after the physical health of children so that their mental, emotional and social development can also blossom.

DEAR MOM

Indubai, mother of two children who live at Yashodhara Shelter -Hrthik and Rohan- was a caring and working woman until her joy faded away due to a mental disorder that made her plunge into a deep depression. With only her own mother’s support, and unable to work or care for their children, she saw Yashodhara as a Home that would offer her two sons the attention that she could not provide.

In the last four years, her children have matured and enjoyed their stay at Yashodhara, excelling so much in their studies that they have received several scholarships, all the while staying in touch with their mother and grandmother, and always wishing for Indubai’s recovery.

Thanks to her medical treatment, Indubai has regained her will to live. She understands that the best place for the children is still Yashodhara, but now she can smile broadly at her children when she comes to visit them.