KEY AREAS OF INTERVENTION
Child labour elimination
Elimination of child labour is prime focus area of SEEDS since its inception. It has implemented various projects in Davanagere and Bellary districts to rescue children from workplaces and rehabilitate them. Hundreds of children were benefited by the intervention of SEEDS. The rehabilitated children are now employed or self employed and leading a dignified life. SEEDS promoted community based Task Force Committees in each Gram Panchayat to rescue and rehabilitate child labour. It motivated the Gram Panchayats to make child labour one of the agenda in its meetings. Enlightened GPs have ensured that the children remained out of school and child workers are enrolled to school. SEEDS staffs followed them up and counselled their parents about the significance of education and ensured that they continued in the school.
Child education
Chiguru Rehabilitation Centre, established by SEEDS was one of the strategies of the organisation to educate children who are out of school. The children rescued from the workplaces like cotton farms, hotels, garages, homes, tea shops, puffed rice factories, and brick kilns are placed in Chiguru. Trained teachers and staffs have taken care of the children's education, and physical and emotional growth. After their basic education in Chiguru, they were admitted to the regular school to pursue their education. However, all of them were continuously monitored till their Pre University Course. So far, 000 children were rehabilitated through the centre. SEEDS is thankful to Tere des Hommes, Germany, an international child rights organisation in setting up Chiguru.
Child protection
Protection of children from difficult circumstances and distress is a key area for SEEDS. The children who are in need of carer and protection have been rescued and given protection to pursue their education. In the mining areas of Sandur taluk of Bellary district, the intervention of SEEDS has benefited hundreds of young children. The tent schools set up in the mining area by the organisation have helped the hard working miner parents in continuing their work with ease. The tent schools have prevented children depriving of their education and falling back to labour. They were given basic education and food during the mining season. Their mental and emotional ability, protection, awareness of child rights and motivation to pursue their education are the major inputs for each child in the tent school. After the seasonal work, while the labour families go back to their native villages with children, they would be able to continue their children's education in their respective schools. The tent schools have been able to create a bridge the gap of their education.
Women empowerment
Empowerment of women and gender justice is a major area of the organisation. Women have been organised into Self Help Groups (SHGs) or thrift groups in Davanagere and Bellary districts with a view to make them economically and socially empowered. So far, 220 SHGs have been formed with 3080 women members. They have been given inputs on SHG management, importance of savings, awareness on rights of women, dangers of child labour, child marriage and child trafficking, legal provisions for women, property rights of women, domestic violence, sexual harassment, untouchability, marriage age for boys and girls, Income Generation Activities, etc. Each SHG has saved a minimum of Rs.1 lakh. The women members have developed capacity to manage the SHG, loan repayment, bank accounts, household, children's education etc. The loan facility available in their own SHG has helped them take loan for livelihood options like petty shop, house repair or construction, children's education or healthcare. More than 180 SHGs have vowed to provide education to their girl children and not to marry them before attaining 18 years of age.
Environment education
School based activities have been taken up to create awareness among the young generation on environment education. With the involvement of the officials of department of forests and Pollution Control Board, awareness programs have been organised for school children. Eco clubs have been formed in various schools to create awareness among them on their ecological rights. The purpose of this program is to inculcate a culture of participation of children in environment protection. World Environment Day, Earth Day, and Water Day are observed in the schools. Moreover, children are taken to various eco centres to expose them to sensitive environmental issues. Topics like biodiversity conservation, consequences of plastics, importance of sanitation and hygiene, dangers of air, water and noise pollution, protection of eco systems and water bodies, consequences of mining, and need of afforestation are discussed with them in various occasions. Environment Day has been observed with the children every year.
Health awareness
Healthcare of the public is a focus area of activity. Awareness on Health and hygiene, immunization, sanitation, safe drinking water, Reproductive Child Health in the villages and across the communities has been taken up in the project area. Women, children and the community members have been addressed on the critical health issues. Some of the chronic health cases were referred to the hospitals and got them cured. Children and adolescents have been found lacunae of sufficient nutrition. It is a problem cutting across all the communities in the project areas. Hence SEEDS has taken up awareness on nutrition to children. It has also strengthened the existing system of healthcare delivery. Capacity building of the ASHA workers and other staffs, advocacy with the higher officials in the department of health and family welfare was taken up in various occasions. De-addiction camps also are conducted for youth as the new generation is addicted to alcohol and drugs. The health awareness camps in the villages have benefited many people who were suffering from respiratory problems, arthritis and other infections.
Skill training for adolescents
Skill development for adolescents and youth is another key area of SEEDS. Vocational skills like Desk Top Publishing, screen printing, mechanical work, driving, beautician, tailoring, carpentry etc are provided to them with a view to make them stand on their own feet. A large number of adolescents and youth have got benefited by this program. They have been trained on life skills. It has instilled confidence among them as they were capable of taking up any job and make an earning.
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