Empower People aims to strengthen the systems at Village and Block levels through P-L-A-Y:
1. Protection- Roll out of the ICPS;
2. Leaning In of Stakeholders- Develop capacities of families, communities and service-providers;
3. Advocacy- Doing evidence-based policy advocacy to support most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied children, child labourers, children living on streets and children of trafficking survivors
4. Yielding visible result - Establish improved reporting and monitoring systems
The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) was launched by the India’s National Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2009.
The intent of the scheme is to build a protective environment for all children in India, with a special focus on those who are the most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied children, child labourers, children living on streets and children affected by HIV.
Community-based protection mechanisms
-
Support formation and strengthening of community based structures at village, block and district level
-
Support the synergy of structures with stakeholders Panchayati Raj Institutions, School Management Committees etc.
-
Building referral linkages with child protection services
-
Develop safe communities
EMPOWER PEOPLE is working alongside the Government in its efforts to prevent child marriage, which includes:
• Law enforcement: Capacity-building on laws,
• Developing support mechanisms at ground level
• Girls’ empowerment: Life skills, protection skills. Connecting with Protection schemes
• Community mobilization: Working with influential community and religious leaders
• Promoting convergence of sectors at all levels, in particular with education and social protection schemes and programmes.
• Promoting Secondary education for adolescents through formation of adolescent collectives life skills programme etc.
Convergence with other programmes to combat child labour and child marriage, and universal access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, is also ensured. In partnership with government, non-governmental organizations, academia, media and the private sector, the programme aims to:
-
Improve equitable access to quality early childhood education
-
Accelerate implementation of the Right to Education Act and child friendly schools
-
Enhance capacities of teachers and pre-school functionaries to deliver quality education
-
Mobilize communities to demand equitable access to quality education
-
Expand access to secondary education for adolescents with a focus on reducing gender and social disparities
Mother-Child Education Program is a home-based early childhood development program designed for preschool children aged 5-6 years of trafficked Brides and their mothers. It seeks to empower mothers by supporting them in their parenting roles and equipping them with the knowledge and the tools necessary for fostering the cognitive development of their children.
