In Kolkata

Street and Working Children in Kolkata(ICDS)

In Kolkata City the population of the pavement dwellers is between 5 and 8 lakh. Most of them live in a very difficult circumstances in respect of habitat, poverty, malnutrition, sanitation & health and shelter. Integrated Street Children Development Programme covers the abandoned children, dwellers of Jhupris, unauthorised bastis beside railway stations and pavements, by the side of railway tracks, market, by the bank of water-bodies etc. This is relevant to note here that as per the instruction and order from the Ministry of Womwn & Child Development, Government of India, the major thrust is given on the children not on the family. A large number of street and working children have enrolled their names, who are not staying in the family but they occasionally visit their respective families. There is utter lack of parental supervision. Cases of child abandonment are very common.
Children in pain at Tapsia, Kolkata

Economic pressure of the poverty-stricken families compel them to force their children to take up laborious and often hazardous jobs for long hours with low pay. Child Development Programme intends to take care of and help the street children in and outside their home. It covers the entire spectrum of services for children, e.g. preventive, curative, rehabilitative, restorative etc. The approach is giving emphasis on their entitlement of right to childhood and providing opportunities of basic elementary education, health check-up, medical treatment, growth, nutrition, recreation, rehabilitation, gainful vocational training, self employment etc., all of which are related to fulfillment of their basic needs. Street and Working Children should have the right to childhood. They are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Girl children are more vulnerable and they face sexual abuses very often. Rights of the child include freedom from all forms of exploitation, abuse and inhuman treatment. Every child has the right to childhood by translating his/her life into a meaningful reality in the right manner and a fruitful way. Since 1994, LAMP has been running the Integrated Street Children Integrated Programme, now converted in the name of ICDSwith the kind assistance of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India and the Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal
LOCATION OF THE STREET AND WORKING CHILDREN EDUCATION CENTRES, RUN BY LAMP
Sr. No. Location of the centre No of children enroled as on
1. Srijani Sishu Mukta Vidyalaya, C/O Taltala Sangha, 10-A Road , Santoshpur, Ward-103, Kolkata – 75. 65
2. Ankur Sishu Vidyalaya, C/O Shati Sangha, 48/C, Beni Banerjee Avenue , Dhakuria, Ward-92, Kolkata-31. 78
3. Kishalaya Sishu Path Bhavan, C/O Bandhu Sammilani club, 48A, A.T.Chatterjee Road , Ballygunge, Ward-92, Kolkata-31. 69
4. Mukul Vidya Bhavan, C/O Ramkrishna Sraddha Sangha Adarshnagar Khalpar, West Tiljala , Ward-108, Kolkata-39. 63
5. Nabadiganta Sishu Vidya Niketan, Park Circus Railway Station, Ward-59, Kolkata-46. 68
6. Shristi Sishu Mukta Vidyalaya, C/O Indira Club, P-5/1/1, Strand Road , Ward-21, Kolkata-6 77
7. Naba Disha Sishu Niketan, C/O Javashri Unnayan Club, 28, Deshapran Sasmal Rd, Ward-81, Kolkata-33. 63
8. Naba Asha Sishu Niketan, 22, Panchanantala Road , Ward-20 , Kolkata-29. 74
Total 557

LAMP has also been running three education centers for the children of commercial sex workers (CSWs). In three red light areas of South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts 151 children of commecial sex workers are regularly getting non-formal value added education through these centers. Special School for Child Labour:
Besides, LAMP has been running a fulltime education and rehabilitation centre for child labourers at 4/1 B, Mathur Babu Lane, Kolkata – 700 015, with the financial support of Kolkata Child Labor Rehabilitation-cum-Welfare Society, Govt. of West Bengal and Ministry of Labor, Govt. of India.

Impact of the Project :
1. Parents group of the target children have become motivated and realized the need of care and protection of their children.
2. They took the risk of financial loss due to withdrawal of their children from work place and hazardous occupation.
3. The target children are enrolled in the bridge course education centers.
4. Children have gain access to education health and nutritional care, vocational training for livelihood development.
5. The children have acquired knowledge on basic and social education, life skill education and they gain the ability in reading, writing simple words and sentences, numerical calculations. However they are in need of continuation of education for mainstreaming.
6. Gradually they have been adopting the skills on incense stick making, chalk pencil making, needlework, tailoring, jute handicrafts etc.
Welfare of Working Children in Need, Care and Protection:

Millions of children worldwide are engaged in work with different hazardous and non-hazardous industries during the time of their childhood that is hindering their education, development and future livelihoods and also cause of irreversible physical or psychological damage. This situation represents an intolerable violation of the rights of individual children, it perpetuates poverty and it compromises economic growth and equitable development. This problem is a burning issue of the State of India.
Since 2006, LAMP has been running two Composite Education Centers for 115 Working Children in in Siliguri Town of Darjeeling District of West Bengal State with the support of Deptt. of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare, Govt, of West Bengal and Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India .
During these centers, 115 working children are regularly providing Educational support, counseling services, medical support with general health care, nutritional support, Vocational Training, recreation and mainstreaming activities.