Slumdog achievers make neighbourhoods safer for kids in MumbaiBy Gaurav Saini(With pix)Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) Fifteen-year-old Sandhya KamleshSahu is a persuasive communicator and she has put this skillto use for turning things around in Shivaji Nagar, a slum withdark, narrow lanes and open grounds - hotspots for sexualharassment and substance abuse.
The Class 9 student has her hands clasped behind her backwhen she shows people around. Almost like a professional, shemethodically throws light on issues the children in the areaare grappling with. And, it is not too long that you realisethe girl is even a better doer.
Sahu is part of the "Safe Communities for Mumbaiproject", a programme by UNICEF India for protecting childrenin the most disadvantaged areas of the city.
UNICEF has partnered with NGOs in Mumbai to implement theproject.
Sahu has been working with one of the NGOs, CommittedCommunities Development Trust (CCDT) since she was 9.
Standing in a lane, Sahu and her friends, aged between 9and 16, engage in an animated discussion about alcohol anddrug abuse among adolescents, the need for clean toilets withlatches and well-lit roads. Their 'didis' (projectcoordinators) pitch in and share ideas to make theirneighbourhood more child-friendly.
"It's been six years with the CCTD... My friends and Ihave resolved to make everyone ... at least here ... aware ofchild labour, sexual harassment, their rights and drug abuse.
We try to convince families that education is the mostimportant thing for the development of their children," shesays.
"With the help of didis, we have made rapid strides inmaking the area safer for children, with focus on removingdisparities in education and opportunities," she says.
According to Sahu, her group of 5-6 girls had a year agoconducted a mapping exercise to identify public places whereadolescents and adults take drugs and alcohol.
"Girls and women faced harassment at the hands of suchmen... We carried out the exercise and approached the localcorporator, who helped in setting up a police beat chowki.
Policemen patrol the area now," she says.
Sahu and her friends turned a "hotspot for alcohol anddrug addicts" into a playing ground, residents of the areasay.
The ground, as big as a football field, has a kabaddiarena and a basketball court.
The girls identified safe and unsafe zones and pinnedthem on maps, which were put up at several places for thepublic to see.
Sahu and her friends, project coordinators Prajakta andKalpana claim, stopped marriages of two children in thelocality.
Asked how she joined the effort, she says, "Thecorporators cannot visit every area, so people have to dotheir bit and local authorities listen to children. We aregetting our voices heard.""Who will fight for the rights of children if theythemselves do not," she asks.
Sahu, who is also part of a community child protectioncommunity (CCPC), comprising adults and representatives ofchildren, says community-based action is essential forachieving desired results.
"Two such communities have been formed to create aprotective environment for children in Shivaji Nagar. Membersof the CCPC provide training on a range of issues includingchild rights, sexual abuse, and related laws," said AnilMavlankar and Saroj Thakur, who are part of one such group.
Gulabsha (17), a Class 10 student, is spearheading thecampaign in a slum in Aarey Colony of Goregaon.
The girl and her mother, Tahira Khan, lives in a tinyrented house which can barely accommodate another person. Thelandlord has asked them to move out of the property by the endof the year.
While the deadline for finding another house is weighingheavily on the mother's mind, the teenager is more worriedabout the "safety of girls her age in the neighbourhood".
"Down and out, I had dropped out of school. I had givenup. But when I joined NGO Pratyek, I realised there are largerissues," Gulabsha says.
Pratyek is one of the NGOs leading the "Nine Is Mine"campaign, which calls on the government to spend 9 per cent ofthe gross domestic product on health and education to meet theUnited Nations sustainable development goals.
The NGO provides training to children on their rights anda forum for them to engage with policymakers on relatedissues.
As part of one such effort, Gulabsha met Indian-originCanadian YouTube star Lilly Singh, who was in July appointedUNICEF's newest Global Goodwill Ambassador, in New Delhi.
"My friends and I discussed with Lilly Singh findings ofa survey conducted in Maharashtra on child safety, childlabour, girl education and domestic violence.
"We are working together to ensure every child gets basichealth care and quality education as their non-negotiableright," she says.
Asked what would she do first if she becomes Maharashtrachief minister for one day, Gulabsha says she will give herall to ensure 9 per cent of the state domestic product isspent on health and education of children.
"I will work to remove disparities among children inurban areas and make big cities like Mumbai liveable and safefor them," she says.
A UNICEF statement said in the run-up to Children's Day,"children from around the world will be taking over key rolesin media, politics, business, sports, and entertainment tovoice their support for millions of their peers who areunschooled, unprotected and uprooted". PTI GVS ZMNABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.