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Programmes

STRENGTHENING OF CHILDREN THROUGH CHILDREN’S PARLIAMENT, ASSAM AND MANIPUR

STRENGTHENING OF CHILDREN THROUGH CHILDREN’S PARLIAMENT, ASSAM AND MANIPUR

Project Goal: Empowerment of children through children’s parliament’ is to create an environment where child’s voice is heard, appreciated and exercise their rights to influence in decision making in 16 villages of Manipur and Assam through Children’s Parliaments.

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED

  • Daily Classes.
  • Motivational home visits.
  • Village level sensitization program
  • Village level sensitization on child rights and evils of child labour was conducted in all the project villages. The objectives of the program was to bring awareness among the villagers that child labour should be stop and child rights should be promoted and uphold in their villages.
  • Independence Day celebration.
  • Independence Day was celebrated in all the centre by the children in small groups. Local leaders were invited for Flag hoisting and children performed dance and poems were recited on various topics. In some places competition were conducted and prize were given for the winners. The celebration brought unity and friendship among the children and mostly the spirit of unity in diversity which is uphold in our constitution uphold.
  • Observation of Gandhi Jyanti Day
  • Gandhi Jyanti was observed by children in most of the project villages. To mark the occasion children took up cleanliness drive in their own localities. Local leaders were involved in cleanliness drive. Talk on Non-violence were delivered for the children. Children learnt to keep their surrounding clean and also leant about non-violence during the celebration.
  • Distribution of learning materials
  • Learning materials were distributed to all the centres during the staff monthly review meeting held at NEDSSS. The materials includes; pencils, erasers, skipping robe, chees board, football, volley ball etc.
  • Furnishing of tuition centres
  • With the community contribution Amchong Tea Estate tutition centre was renovated. Likewise in other project villages too black board and other necessary items were provided based on the needs of the centre.
  • Monthly staff Review meeting
  • Monthly review meeting was conducted for all the project animators in Imphal as well as in Guwahati. During monthly review meeting activities were updated by the animators and feedback on the same was given. Action plans for the upcoming months were planned. Monthly staff review meeting helped the staff to plan for better implementation of the project activities.

Celebration of Children’s Day

  • Children’s Day was celebrated in all tuition centres. As part of the celebration children performed dance and singing and peoms were recited. The project animator explained to them the importance of Children’s Day. Sweets were distributed among the children.

Human Rights Day observation

Human rights day was observed in collaboration with peace project at NEDSSS, Mr. Abinash Narzary was the resource person for the day. The objective of the celebration was to impart the basic knowledge of human rights to the parents and children so that violations of rights can be reduce to some extend.

Two day residential leadership camp.

Two days residential leadership camp was conducted from 5-9 November, 2021 at DSSS, Imphal. 40 students from 8 villages took part in the camp. The objective of the training was to create a platform where children express themselves freely, to help the children become leaders, to impart the knowledge of children’s parliament to the children. During the 2 days camp the children were engaged in public speaking skills, dancing skills, group works mapping their own villages etc. The 2 days training helped the children to be more confident, learnt the leadership skills, learnt to have good attitude towards self, towards peer group and neighbor. As a whole they learnt the concept of children’s parliament.

Monitoring visits to Imphal

Field visit was conducted from 11 – 16 November, 2021 to all the 8 project villages located at Manipur under DSSS, Imphal. During the monitoring visits the project coordinator interacted with village leaders, panchayat members, parents, animators and children.  The following were the main observations:

  • Due to covid-19 lockdown/restrictions children are not able to attend their daily classes in all the villages.
  • Our project tuition centers has become a place where children come to learn in daily basis.
  • Animators managed to keep the children occupied even during the lockdown.
  • Village leaders and Panchayat members are very happy about our project.
  • Children’s parliaments elections are over and swearing in ceremony had to be conducted.
  • Overall covid-19 has affected the lives of children in a big way especially regards to their studies. 

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Daily classes for 1312 children through 16 tuition centers in Assam and Manipur
  • Weekly motivational home visits motivated the parents and children especially during the pandemic
  • Celebration of various importance days brought among the children understanding of the specialist each celebrations.
  • Amchong Tea estate renovated with local contributions
  • Training on Children’s Parliament helped the animators to understand the concept of Children’s Parliament. Learnt the Sociocratic method of election, how to conduct meeting of Children’s Parliament.
  • Resource mapping helped children to know what resources are available in their villages.
  • Online Staff meeting gives overall situation of the Pandemic in the villages and accordingly planned for future course of action
  • Webinar with village leaders helped the staff to know more about the village leaders and decision taken in the village related to our project activities.
  • During the Pandemic monitoring was done through Social Media platforms. It helped the staff how to go about with regards to activities even during the Pandemic.

Daily Classes

All the 16 centres are having their regular classes. Along with the regular classes the concept of Children’s Parliament are taught to the children. Games and sports were also organized once in a week. During the Pandemic Animators are teaching the children in their home. Since gathering of people are restricted door to door tuition was encouraged.  In some villages special permission was required from the village headman or GoanBurain order to conduct classes.

Motivational home visits:

Home visits by animators have become very important during the Pandemic. Home visits are scheduled every week by the teachers. The teachers visited the home of students and parents to discuss issues related to their children’s education. Since last year the Pandemic has been hitting hard on the village people. Children are not able to go to school. They are left at home without proper guidance. Online classes for most of the children are not possible due to non-availability of mobile phone in the family. It is during this time that our animators go around and encouraged the children to study in their home even if they don’t have classes. In the last 3 months animators also share awareness on the importance of vaccination. Many people in the village are not willing to take vaccine for various reasons. They motivated the parents to take vaccine when their turn comes.

Independence Day celebration:

Independence Day was celebrated in all the project villages.

Amchong Teaestate centre under renovation: With the people’s contribution Amchong Teaestate centre is under renovation. 

Training on Children’s Parliament

On 8-9 February, training on Children’s Parliament was conducted for the animators at Imphal. The two day training helped the animators to understand the concept of Children’s Parliament. Learnt the Sociocratic method of election, how to conduct meeting of Children’s Parliament.

Resource Mapping by Children.

As an exercise towards formation of a Children’s Parliament. Children conducted resource mapping in the villages. It helped the children to know what resources are available in their villages.

Earth Day Celebration

Earth was celebrated in all the 16 centres in Assam and Manipur. Children planted tree saplings to mark the occasion.

Online Staff meeting

On 6th April a webinar for the staff organized. The objectives of the meeting was to review the project activities in the 8 villages of Manipur. Animators shared their activities also updated situations in their own villages. The teachers informed the project coordinator that daily tuitions are not possible due to the covid-19 restrictions. Some of the villages have covid-19 patients and no one is allow to come out except for essential items. The project coordinator told the members that they should try to have tuition in a small group since many children are not able to attend online classes in the village. He also told them that they should work together with their respective village headman or leaders. While conducting classes they should strictly follow covid-19 appropriate behavior. During the meeting it was decided that Project supervisor should arrange online meeting with the village leaders to discuss the possibilities of having classes for the children. The meeting was fixed on 6th June, 2021, Sunday.

Online meeting with village leaders in Manipur

On 6th June, an online meeting was organized with the village leaders to discuss the issues pertaining children’s tuition in the villages.  The meeting was attended by leaders from different villages. Mr. Simon Maring the project supervisor welcomed the village leaders and Project Supervisor Mr. N. Tennyson from Guwahati. After which he informed the leaders to share about their village and the problems faced due to Covid-19 Pandemic. From Kharam village Mr. Philip Rangla Secretary of the village informed that due to covid-19 movement of people in the village is restricted no one is allowed to go outside the village nor come inside the village. However classes for children can be conducted in small group in the village. The headman of Purum Chumbang village also said that the situation is the same in their village as well.  Tuition for children can be conducted following covid-19 appropriate behavior. Mr. N Tennyson the project coordinator also explained to the leaders the importance of vaccination. He requested the village leaders to get vaccinated and that they should encouraged their villagers to take vaccine and not to believe in any rumours. He also spoke about the concept of children’s Parliament to the leaders present for online meeting.  The meeting ended with a vote of thanks from project Supervisor.

Project monitoring visits

From 11-16 November, 2021 the project coordinator Mr. Tennyson Shaiphu along Mr. Simon Maring the project supervisor made a monitoring visits to eight project villages located in Imphal west, Kangpokpi and Chandel districts in Manipur. During the field visits the project coordinator interacted with village leaders, Panchayat president, Animators, parents and children of the villages. It was observed that due to lockdown schools are closed, children are not able to go to school to attend their daily classes. Some children turn on to online classes but not all the children. During the interactions with village leaders they informed us that the project is running well and that they are really grateful of the project activities. They thanked NEDSSS and our project team for their wonderful work of bringing the children together every day if not many children would gone astray from their studies and resort to other social evils. Though the government of Manipur have not officially declare the school opened but our tuition centres in the villages are already conducting their daily classes.  Apart from the daily classes it was observed that children are being trained on the concept of Children’s Parliament. Elections of members of children’s parliament are completed and training on how to conduct meetings are on the process. Identity cards are yet to issue to the children. We were told that they will soon give the IDs and swearing in ceremony will be conducted for the children’s Parliament members. The village leaders are very cooperative and they are willing to work together to make the project a success. The project coordinator insist on teaching the children on the concept of children’s parliament. He also told the animators to give orientation to the parents and village leaders on the same.