DON BOSCO NAVAJEEVAN

The City of Warangal

Warangal is the second largest city of Telangana after Hyderabad. The city was previously known as Orugallu. ‘Oru’ means one and ‘Kallu’ means stone, hence referring to a city carved out of a single rock. The city was also known as Ekashila Nagaram’ in the past. Besides being a culturally rich place with temples, monuments and forts, Warangal is poised for development in various sectors. Amidst various development initiatives undertaken, it is also crucial to take on-board the youngest residents of the city while creating a child-friendly environment for their holistic development. Recognizing the importance of prioritizing childrens needs and rights, the initiative to build Warangal as a Child Friendly City (CFC) aims to ensure that every child in the city enjoys a safe, healthy and nurturing environment to grow, to learn and to thrive.

Child Friendly City

“When children are protected from all forms of abuse and exploitation, given ample scope to enjoy all

their rights – education, play, food, freedom and that their opinions are heard, be a part of the decision-making process or at least be aware of the local affairs and are better informed to decide at an appropriate age,” then one may say that it as a Child Friendly City. The journey begins with every ward (child friendly wards) and when all the wards of the city Municipal Corporation are traveling towards ‘Child Friendly Wards’, then the city is deemed to be traveling towards a Child Friendly City.

Strategies to build a Child Friendly City

To journey towards creating a ‘Child Friendly Warangal’ includes the below strategic approach which leads to a balanced development and protection system for children.

• Enumerating every individual child’s information to customize project’s approach to track and monitor the accessibility of children to their rights and share.

• Ensuring better health standards for children that include vaccinations, continuous support both medical and nutrition, for terminally ill children.

• Ensuring medical aid for long-term adult illnesses is essential as it directly impacts childre’s well-being and development.

• Enrolling children in Anganwadi centers and schools guarantees their right to education, safeguarding them from various vulnerabilities. Alternative education options, like open schooling, are vital for children facing specific challenges like long-term dropout or leading child-headed families.

• Empowering children aged 12-18 as Bala Panchayat members enables them to identify and address their own issues, fostering positive change within their communities. Children’s voices are invaluable and should be facilitated through platforms like Bala Panchayat, as mandated by Article 15 of UNCRC as they act as change makers.

• Teaching children about shared gender roles from an early age helps challenge traditional norms, promoting gender equality and fostering inclusive environments. Non-discrimination, a fundamental principle of UNCRC, requires actions to be gender-sensitive.

The Role of Adults, Civil Society and Government

• Forming and animating adult supported community structures need to be made functional viz., Ward Child Welfare and Protection Committee, School Management Committee, Mother’s Committee, Gender Committee, etc. These child related committees should play a fair role in protecting and promoting childrens’ rights in their jurisdiction. They need to be sensitized on how to deal with all the issues of the children and they should be familiar with the standard operating procedures on every particular issue of children. Community care and protection need to be inculcated among people through their influence in the ward.

• The specific need for care and protection of childrens’ cases is required to be identified and produced before the District Child Welfare Committee and housed in a safe shelter for further accessing their rights. These committees play a dynamic role in promoting empowered people in the ward who cater the best support to the children. Convergence should be promoted through an effective plan of action between the ground level child related officers viz., Anganwadi, ANM, Mahila Police, etc., and the community.

• A comprehensive ward level plan should be drafted, adopted and practiced by the child related committees. To gain consensus and solidarity among all the people and key stakeholders continuous advocacy events need to organized with ward-relevant key messages. Preventive measures need to be prescribed so that all the families protect their children. The members of all the committees should play a vigilant role 24/7 regarding the protection issues of the children.

• Access to improved livelihood options is crucial for securing children’s’ rights within every family. Childrens’ rights are interconnected and indivisible, meaning that deficiencies in one area can lead to violations of other rights, putting children at risk. Enhancing the earning capacity of families is essential in this regard. By linking families to income-generating or livelihood programs, we can bolster their financial stability and, consequently, their ability to fulfill children’s rights. Moreover, prioritizing skill-building initiatives further strengthens families income potential, thus contributing to the overall well-being of children.

The long-term key objectives for the Child Friendly Warangal

• The basic needs of every child are met qualitatively.

• All the children who are eligible beneficiaries access schemes and programs.

• Zero child rights violations with effective vigilance for prevention.

Performance Indicators

Resources are vital in implementing various measures among the communities and achieving the envisaged objectives. So, step by step process can be adopted to promote Warangal as a Child Friendly City. For a three-year time period, the indicators given below are prescribed.

• 100% of Bala Panchayaths in all the wards of Warangal Corporation are functional.

• 100% of Child Welfare and Protection Committees in all the wards of Warangal Corporation are functional.

• A city Task Force comprising key stakeholders of GOs and NGOs is formed, strengthened, and functional.

• All the identified Children who are CNCP are produced 100% before the CWC and ensured proper rehabilitation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the journey towards making Warangal a child-friendly city is a collective effort that requires dedication, collaboration and sustained commitment from all stakeholders. By prioritizing children’s rights, fostering awareness, implementing comprehensive action plans, and promoting active participation, Warangal can truly become a city where every child thrives and flourishes. We can be assured that no child is left behind and that their voices are heard and valued.