On 16th May, People’s Action for Development (PAD) facilitated a one-day capacity-building training programme for Village Level Child Protection Committees (VLCPCs) at Zilla Parishad, Lakhimpur.
The main resource persons for the training program were Miss Prangana Bora (District Mission Coordinator, Social Welfare Department of Lakhimpur District), Mr Wilfred Topno (Director of PAD) and PAD Deputy Director Mr Philipson Sona.
VLCPC members from 10 tea estates in Lakhimpur district took part in the training alongside PAD staff. The training program was organised by the Education Champion Network to train VLCPC members in adopting safety measures for children.
The major objectives set for the training were as follows:
To improve understanding of child protection
Understand how to create and implement effective systems, policies and practices to identify, prevent and respond to harm and abuse within school communities
Address challenges at the village level as they strive to interpret various cultural attitudes, laws and actions in addressing forms of abuse
To increase awareness of how to create a protective environment
Develop understanding and knowledge on the concept of child-related issues and on safe-guarding policies to protect children.
The program began with a welcome note and felicitation of the guest with traditional Adivasi culture. During the training, there was input shared by the Director Mr. Wilfred Topno, Deputy Director Mr. Philipson Sona and Miss Felicita Marak, Project Coordinator of ECN project.
The resource persons briefed the audience on the following topics:
Update on the ECN project in the tea estates of Lakhimpur District
Introduction to child protection and the integrated child development services scheme
Child-related laws implemented to protect children and the importance of child protection at the community/village level
Implementation plan for child protection in tea estates
After the presentation, there was a round of discussions and questions from the participants. They brought forth various issues faced in their local community, such as issues related to child marriage, early pregnancy, child labour, school dropouts, and access to benefits related to different government schemes. These problems were shared in the open discussion and participants received guidance to tackle the rising problems in their local community and how to have access to different government schemes.
The one-day capacity-building training for the VLCPC members helped members to acquire information regarding child protection and child-related services, learn about the risk and realities of child protection with a special focus on the village context, acquire ideas on how to create a protective environment within their communities and respond to child protective measures through responsive action and remedial action.
The program concluded with a thank you note to the special invitees of the program and refreshments.
In the near future, PAD seeks to work in collaboration with government entities so that people living in the tea garden areas received the maximum benefits from the government sectors and live a life of dignity.