Thursday, December 14, 2017

Rich tributes were paid to nationalist poet Subramania Bharathi on his 135th birth anniversary in SEVAI Natesan School in Mettumarudur.

paying rich tributes for Subramaniya Bharathi.
Mrs.Kaliammal,Head Mistress,teachers and pupils of SEVAI Natesan school in Mettumarudur paid rich tributes at the revolutionary poet's statue situated  in the School premises of Subramaniya Bharathi (1882-1921.. The Head MistressKaliammal mentioned,that  Subramaniya Bharathi, the great Tamil genius –poet who emphasized equally on national liberation and radical social reforms. has contributed appreciably in Tamil Nadu the face of women liberation, social equality as well as patriotism.Bharathi is known prominently in Tamil Nadu not only for his patriotic songs but also for his fearless expressions on issues of Jati  and women’s liberation. The Head Mistress further mentioned, “Chinnaswami Subramania Bharati, also known as Bharathiyar was aTamil writer, poet and journalist, and Indian independence activist and social reformer from Tamil Nadu. He is known to have said, "Even if Indians are divided, they are children of one Mother, where is the need for foreigners to interfere?" In the period 1910–1920, he wrote about a new and free India where there are no castes. He talks of building up India's defense, her ships sailing the high seas, success in manufacturing and universal education. He calls for sharing amongst states with wonderful imagery like the diversion of excess water of the Bengal delta to needy regions and a bridge to Sri Lanka.  Bharati also wanted to abolish starvation. He sang, "Thani oru manithanakku unavu illayenil intha jagaththinai azhithiduvom"translated as " If one single man suffers from starvation, we will destroy the entire world".
Bharati is considered the first to have advocated and campaigned for women's
Subramaniya Bharathi statue
participation in politics. He advocated greater rights for women and their education. He visualised a modern Indian woman at the vanguard of society. He was of the strong opinion that the world will prosper in knowledge and intellect if both men and women are deemed equal. He condemned the Shashtras, the procedures formulated by some orthodox Hindus and weren't held as holy by most Hindus, that suppressed women's rights. Most of his views are considered contemporary even in modern times
. He is known to have said, "Even if Indians are divided, they are children of one Mother, where is the need for foreigners to interfere?" In the period 1910–1920, he wrote about a new and free India where there are no castes. He talks of building up India's defense, her ships sailing the high seas, success in manufacturing and universal education. He calls for sharing amongst states with wonderful imagery like the diversion of excess water of the Bengal delta to needy regions and a bridge to Sri Lanka.  

Bharati also wanted to abolish starvation. He sang, "Thani oru manithanakku unavu illayenil intha jagaththinai azhithiduvom"translated as " If one single man suffers from starvation, we will destroy the entire world". The new age women will learn many intellectual texts. They will set the base for many scientific discoveries that facilitate human life. They will expunge all backward superstitions in the society. They will present all achievements of mankind as a tribute to God. They will be cherished by the men. It was on another 11 September, that of 1921, that Subramaniya Bharathi became immortal. -Kris

Monday, December 11, 2017

Trichy will soon be ODF District- Dt.Collector;K.Rajamani


Trichy NYK District youth convention 10th Dec 2017

The Trichy District Youth convention was conducted 10th December 2017. In his presidential address SEVAI. K.Govindarajan mentioned, "District Youth Convention:This programme aims at introducing and highlighting issues of social and national importance which needs to be taken up jointly with the spirit of volunteerism and addressed in a time bound manner. The platform will also be used for disseminating information and orientation on existing and newly introduced programmes and schemes of NYKS as well as other departments and also to evolve strategies for effective partnership of youth in development process To provide opportunity and platform to rural youth leaders to express themselves, share experiences and suggest best practiced programmes for youth empowerment.
Strategies and activities
·         to organize mass Yoga practice/ Demonstration as per Common Yoga Protocol on 21st June, 2017.
·          In the remaining 345 districts, the Convention should be organized in the 3rd quarter of the financial year.
·         Orient the youth, share experiences and deliberate on issues relating to social and national concerns
·         Prepare the youth to disseminate the acquired knowledge among people in general and youths in particular
·         Participation of a minimum of 500 youth may be ensured.
·         Following areas and subjects should also be discussed as a part of the District Youth Convention and their outcome be documented:
I. Yoga – Yoga for Harmony and Peace and Yoga for Body & Beyond
·         Yoga not only develop a person's body but also the mind as well as it is key for coordination
·         Yoga and its importance and usefulness in treatment of ailments --Lectures by experts and discussion
II. Prime Minister Financial and Social Inclusion Schemes - Jan Dhan Yojana, Betti Bachao – Betti Padhao Yojana, Prime Minister Surksha Beema Yojana, Prime Minister Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana and other schemes.
III. Start up India, Skill India
IV. Cleanliness drives, Statue Cleaning, Indradhanush for vaccination, Tree Plantation, Water Conservation and Harvesting and Football Promotion
V. Demonstration on Downloading and uploading processes of Narendra Modi Mobile Application for giving ideas, suggestion and providing action photographs so that maximum people can get benefit from the schemes.
VI. What schemes and programmes of New Government have reached to the youth and whether they are useful /beneficial to them?
VII. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
VIII. Today's Education System - Areas where improvement is needed and what are your suggestions.
IX. Youth personal physical and sports development – Suggestions on how to develop interest among youth and benefits of Yoga in conflict management.
X. Skill development – Opinion of youth that which skill is important and which type of skill training they wish to undertake.
XI. Any other subjects, the youth wish to undertake.
·         The Ministry is responsible for co-ordination of all skill development efforts across the country, removal of disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, building the vocational and technical training framework, skill up-gradation, building of new skills, and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created.
·         BY 2020 INDIA WILL HAVE A SHARE OF ABOUT 18% OF THE WORLD’S SKILLED MANPOWER AND HENCE HAS TO DEVELOP THE SKILLED MANPOWER STRENGTH TO 47 MILLION TO ADDRESS THE WORLD’S MANPOWER SHORTAGE OF 56.7 MILLION.
·         Skill Development and Entrepreneurship development efforts across the country have been highly fragmented so far. Though India enjoys the demographic advantage of having the youngest workforce with an average age of 29 years in comparison with the advanced economies, as opposed to the developed countries, where the percentage of skilled workforce is between 60% and 90% of the total workforce, India records a low 5% of workforce (20-24 years) with formal employability skills.
·         With the present education and skill levels of those already in the labour force being very low, it would be a major challenge for India to reap its demographic advantage.
·         This challenge becomes enormous as the recent studies indicate that employers found just about 25% of Indian graduates are ‘employable’ in the organized sector. The informal sector which comprises 93% of the workforce has no skilling mechanism, as the skill development takes place on the job.
·         So, there is a need for quick reorganization of the skill development ecosystem and the promotion of which is necessary to suit to the needs of the industry to ensure enhancement of life of the population. India would surely rise to be the Human Resource Capital of the world by appropriately skilling its youth bulge and convert its advantage into a dividend.
·         Skill development initiatives will help actualize the inert potential, for which development and articulation of a national policy on skill development is already in progress.
·         As India moves progressively towards becoming a global knowledge economy, it must meet the rising aspirations of its youth. This can be partially achieved through focus on advancement of skills that are relevant to the emerging economic environment. The challenge pertains not only to a huge quantitative expansion in skill training for the youth, but also to the much more important task of raising their quality. With a goal to create opportunities, space and scope for the development of the talents of the Indian youth and to enhance their technical expertise, ICT Academy focuses on Youth Skill Development as one of its pillars"KRIS.


Thursday, December 7, 2017

Child Protection Policy-SEVAI

Joyful children
Background: Children are always among the most vulnerable in an emergency. When lives are uprooted, the systems working to keep children safe – in their homes, schools and communities – may be undermined or damaged. Children have specific protection needs that are not met by other humanitarian sectors. Child protection in emergencies is defined specifically as the prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children during and after disasters, conflicts and other crises. It involves interconnected activities by a range of actors, whether national or community-based and/or by humanitarian staff supporting local capacities. Society for Education, Village Action & improvement (SEVAI) has a comprehensive child protection policy, specifically designed to give children their rights and fulfill its vision and goal of a world where children can live and be safe. 
Child rights:
All children are born with fundamental rights such as Right to Survival – to life, health, nutrition, name, nationality, Right to Development – to education, care, leisure, recreation, cultural activities, Right to Protection – from exploitation, abuse, neglect, Right to Participation – to expression, information, thought, religion. Core principles of the Act in relation to child protection are: The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount, The preferred way of ensuring a child's welfare is through support of the child's family, Intervention is not to exceed the level necessary to protect the child, Family participation in planning and decision making for children, Children and families have a right to information, Services are to be culturally appropriate, Coordination, consultation and collaboration with families, other professionals, agencies and the community and Accountability. SEVAI recognizes the importance of families to children and promote caring attitudes and responses towards children among families and all sections of the community so that the need for appropriate nurture and care and protection (including protection of the child’s cultural identity) is understood, risks to a child’s well-being are quickly identified and any necessary support, protection or care is to be promptly provided.
Children at Risk.
SEVAI recognizes three types of abuse such as Sexual, Physical and Emotional. A child is considered to be at risk if there is a significant chance they will suffer serious harm to their physical, psychological or emotional well-being and they do not have proper protection. This risk may be as a result of abuse, neglect or the inability of a parent to care for and protect a child or to exercise supervision and control over the child. In making an assessment about whether a child is at significant risk or has been abused or neglected attention must be had not only to the current circumstances of the child’s care but also to the history of the child’s care and the likely cumulative effect on the child of that history.

Run away children:

A large number of children run away each year and stay with strangers just met, putting them at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. SEVAI programme aims to focuses on identifying and supporting vulnerable children who use the transport system to escape their problems and to reach them before abusers can. We work closely with professionals, officials   and the policymakers to ensure systems are in place to protect and support vulnerable children.

Compliances with Government Acts and norms

SEVAI adheres to Regulatory compliance pertaining to child protection and fundamental rights such as laws, regulations, guidelines and specifications relevant Child protection policy. 
SEVAI comes into contact with children for safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that every child, regardless of their age, gender, religion or ethnicity, can be protected from harm.SEVAI protects children from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence in the target area. Children experience poverty differently than adults do because of their vulnerability and lack of legal and economic status in society. How children are doing, in all aspects of their lives, reflects the overall health and development of the family, community and society they live in. A thriving society values all children, especially the most vulnerable, and upholds their human rights. Children are especially vulnerable to shocks, trauma and poverty. The most important figures in children’s lives – their parents and caregivers are often disempowered, poor and illiterate, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Breaking this cycle of intergenerational poverty requires a fresh approach to Child protection and development.
Key areas of Child protection of SEVAI:
·         SEVAI’s programs focus on the most vulnerable children while aiming for the safety and well-being of all children. Working with governments, Donors and local community partners, SEVAI strives to create lasting change with improvements in services that protect children whether in a natural disaster, conflict, or development setting.
·         SEVAI child protection program activities include creating Child Friendly Spaces in emergencies, reunifying separated and unaccompanied children with their families in emergencies, developing public awareness campaigns against child trafficking, training programs for social workers to provide supportive care to families and children and advocating for more effective national protection policies and child welfare reform.
·         SEVAI Works with parents to help raise awareness about the importance to emergency preparedness and child protection.  An important part of all of SEVAI's child protection work, however, is the participation and leadership of the children themselves. To this end, we actively support child clubs and other child-led activities that educate children on how to protect themselves, and empower them to call for action in their communities.
·         SEVAI child protection policy provides a framework of principles, standards and guidelines on which to base individual and organizational practice in relation to such areas as: Recognizing and Responding to abuse, Safe recruitment of staff, Training, Responsibility and Accountability effective communication and working with other agencies, appropriate behavior and attitude.
·         Sphere standards will be followed to enable SEVAI team to access the information required quickly and easily to facilitate positive action in the protection of children through the development Child Protection Policy, highlighting the areas that need covering and providing statements.
·         Additional policy statements will need to be included to ensure that the policy is comprehensive. SEVAI is to help identify what additional policy statements will need to be developed to suit the individual.
·         SEVAI schools are significant personal and social environment in the lives of its students. A child-friendly school ensures every child an environment that is physically safe, emotionally secure and psychologically enabling. Teachers are the single most important factor in creating an effective and inclusive classroom.
·         SEVAI has developed Schools that are characterized as "inclusive, healthy and protective for all children, effective with children, and involved with families and communities - and children”.
·         SEVAI Schools are significant personal and social environment in the lives of its students. SEVAI child-friendly schools ensure every child an environment that is physically safe, emotionally secure and psychologically enabling.
·         Teachers are the single most important factor in creating an effective and inclusive classroom. Children are natural learners, but this capacity to learn can be undermined and sometimes destroyed. A child-friendly school recognizes, encourages and supports children's growing capacities as learners by providing a school culture, teaching behaviours and curriculum content that are focused on learning and the learner.
·         The ability of a school to be and to call itself child-friendly is directly linked to the support, participation and collaboration it receives from families.
·         SEVAI .Child-friendly schools aim to develop a learning environment in which children are motivated and able to learn. Staff members are friendly and welcoming to children and attend to all their health and safety needs.
·         We, at SEVAI, have a comprehensive child protection policy, specifically designed to give children their rights and fulfill our vision and goal of a world where children can live and be safe. Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility.
·         A fundamental responsibility of SEVAI is to safeguard Children and SEVAI follows successfully requires a firm commitment from school leaders and all other school stakeholders. The school environment is unique, so knowing and understanding specific threats and hazards is the first step to a comprehensive student protection program. 
SEVAI Schools Children protection:

Key components include: 

1. Robust physical security (i.e. fences, gates and locks.) 

2. Access control policies and procedures (who is allowed unsupervised access to students?) 

3. Vigorous pre-employment screening for all personnel who have unsupervised access to students. This includes not just teachers and administrators, but also contractors, service personnel, and temporary and volunteer staff. 

4. Social/Emotional Curriculum where students learn about predatory behavior and how to speak up with confidence against harm. These topics should be taught in order to offer students the best defense of all: knowledge. 

5. Training for teachers and staff so they can recognize offender traits and behaviors, as well as signs of at-risk children and the appropriate actions to take. 

Even though SEVAI schools may have a proactive child protection program they should also be prepared to handle allegations of abuse, should they arise. Establishing and maintaining policies and procedures for reporting suspicions and anomalies regarding inappropriate or unsuitable behavior will also be required. These include a prompt response, investigation and the archived documentation of incidents and reports. Initiating and maintaining a relationship with the responsible local authorities before an incident is also critically important. 

In order to be prepared, these policies and procedures must be widely known and well-rehearsed. SEVAI and professionals who work with children are required to ensure that their policies and practices reflect this responsibility.  Child protection policy provides guidelines for organizations and their staff to create safe environments for children. It is a tool that protects both children and staff by clearly defining what action is required in order to keep children safe, and ensuring a consistency of behavior so that all staff follow the same process. 
A child protection policy also demonstrates SEVAI’s commitment to children and ensures public confidence in its safe practices.
SEVAI  organization’s child protection policy:
·         Clearly defined requirements to keep children and staff safe.
  • Clear ways of identifying concerns.
  • Appropriate procedures should a concern arise.
  • Guidelines for reporting and recording concerns.
  • Recruitment guidelines including screening and vetting procedures for both paid and unpaid staff.
  • Safe working practices and agreed staff behaviours.
  • Child protection training for all adults working with children.
·         A child protection policy provides a framework of principles, standards and guidelines on which to base individual and organisational practice in relation to such areas as:

•    Recognising and Responding to abuse
•    Safe recruitment of staff
•    Training
•    Responsibility and Accountability
•    Guidelines for effective communication and working with other agencies
•    Guidelines for appropriate behaviour and attitude.
·         It provides a structure of responsibility and identifies the action that staff should take if they have concerns. It is a source of information that staff can refer to and be reassured by - protecting both children and staff.

The  child protection policy also demonstrates SEVAI’s commitment to children and ensures public confidence in its safe practices.
While statistics indicate that the closed walls of a domestic environment are most conducive for child sexual abuse, institutional abuse is an entirely different arena as the two recent high-profile cases. At least in schools and other institutions where children are engaged, we can enforce guidelines to prevent the possibility of child sexual abuse. The first step towards providing a safe environment for students would be for schools to have a child protection policy.
Providing an environment conducive to holistic growth of children into responsible adults was the underlying tone of a consultative session on the ‘Role of Schools in Child Protection’ 
The role of schools in child protection is crucial “because a great portion of the day is spent in schools. There is a need for having at least one male and one female counselor in every school.
‘Child protection’ to refer to preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse against children – including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labour and harmful traditional practices, such as child marriage. child protection programmes also target children who are uniquely vulnerable to these abuses, such as when living without parental care, in conflict with the law and in armed conflict. Violations of the child’s right to protection take place in every country and are massive, under-recognized and under-reported barriers to child survival and development, in addition to being human rights violations.
Children subjected to violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect are at risk of death, poor physical and mental health, HIV/AIDS infection, educational problems, displacement, homelessness, vagrancy and poor parenting skills later in life.
Preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse is essential to ensuring children’s rights to survival, development and well-being. It is  to create a protective environment, where girls and boys are free from violence, exploitation, and unnecessary separation from family; and where laws, services, behaviours and practices minimize children’s vulnerability, address known risk factors, and strengthen children’s own resilience. This approach is human rights-based, and emphasizes prevention as well as the accountability of governments. This protective environment rests in 2 strategic pillars: strengthening of national systems and social change, which translate into the following 8 key strategies:
Attitudes, traditions, customs, behaviour and practices: includes social norms and traditions that condemn injurious practices and support those that are protective.
Open discussion, including the engagement of media and civil society: acknowledges silence as a major impediment to securing government commitment, supporting positive practices and ensuring the involvement of children and families.
Children’s life skills, knowledge and participation: includes children, both girls and boys, as actors in their own protection through use of knowledge of their protection rights and ways of avoiding and responding to risks. Capacity of those in contact with the child: includes the knowledge, motivation and support needed by families and by community members, teachers, health and social workers and police, in order to protect children.
 Basic and Targeted Services: includes the basic social services, health and education to which children have the right, without discrimination, and also specific services that help to prevent violence and exploitation, and provide care, support and reintegration assistance in situations of violence, abuse and separation. Monitoring and oversight: includes effective systems of monitoring such as data collection, and oversight of trends and The goal of the programme is to prevent violence against children and to strengthen protection services for children in vulnerable situations.

The government should work hard to a reduction of child labour by strengthening child protection structures to adequately protect children against exploitation and abuse, improving the quality of education to increase enrolment and retention, raising awareness and empowering families and communities so that they take collective action against child labour, and addressing exclusion of vulnerable families to service provision and social protection schemes.
·         Child victims of sexual abuse/exploitation
·         Child victims of neglect or abuse
·         Child victims of trafficking
·         Children with disabilities
·         Children in a situation of migration
·         Unaccompanied children in a situation of migration
·         Children without parental care/in alternative care
·         Children in police custody or detention
·         Street children
·         Children of parents in prison or custody
·         Children in judicial proceedings
·         Children in or at risk of poverty
·         Missing children (e.g. runaways, abducted children, unaccompanied children going missing)
·         Children affected by custody disputes, including parental child abduction
·         Children left behind (by parents who move to another EU country for work)
·         Child victims of female genital mutilation or forced marriage
·         Children who are not in compulsory education or training or working children below the legal age for work.
 Executive summary of SEVAI’s Child protection policy:

Strengthening child protection systems is one of the most effective ways to build resilience and promote sustainable development. Experience shows that when children are protected in an effective and holistic manner, other humanitarian efforts are more successful. It is important to raise awareness on child protection concerns targeting beneficiaries, the wider population, parents, and communities Promote behavioral change and implement activities to develop life skills for children and their families and promotion of Activities to build resilience and enable better prevention and response to child protection concerns. It is important that SEVAIO provides structured social activities for children, facilitated by adults from their own community. This may include child friendly spaces and other psychosocial support activities. Child friendly spaces are environments in which children can access free and structured play, recreation, leisure and learning activities. Other psychosocial support activities that child protection actors may deliver, in collaboration with the wider humanitarian community, include mass communication about positive coping methods, the activation of social networks and psychological first aid.

Friday, December 1, 2017

NGOs get together-discussions with officials in Trichy


World Aids Day 2017 on the theme ‘Right to health’ observed in SEVAI- NGO in Trichy, Tamilnadu.

The World Aids Day 2017 on the theme ‘Right to health’ observed in SEVAI- NGO in Trichy, Tamilnadu.The Founder/Director of SEVAI Dr.K.Govindaraju spoke on the occasion to HIV/AIDS reduction workers of SEVAI, “World AIDS Day is a day dedicated to raise awareness about AIDS and the global spread of the HIV virus. The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988 after health ministers from around the world met in London, England and agreed to such a day as a way of highlighting the enormity of the AIDS pandemic and nations’ responsibility to ensure universal treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS. 
Everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live, has a right to health, which is also dependent on adequate sanitation and housing, nutritious food, healthy working conditions and access to justice ‘Ending AIDS as a public health threat can only happen if this right are placed at the centre of global health, so that quality health care is available and accessible for everyone and leaves no one behind. ‘This year’s World AIDS Day campaign focuses on the right to health.’ 
In 2015, global leaders signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030. The UHC framework now lays at the centre of all health programmes.To complement the global World AIDS Day 2017 campaign which promotes the theme "Right
street play on HIV/AIDS Reduction
to health"
, the World Health Organization will highlight the need for all 36.7 million people living with HIV and those who are vulnerable and affected by the epidemic, to reach the goal of universal health coverage for access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines, including medicines, diagnostics and other health commodities as well as health care services for all people in need, while also ensuring that they are protected against financial risks.
 Key messages to achieve universal health coverage is Leave no one behind,HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis services are integrated, High-quality services are available for those with HIV,People living with HIV have access to affordable care and the HIV response is robust and leads to stronger health systems. HIV means one is more likely to live in poverty, and more likely to have poor mental health. But we need a new burst of energy to end stigma, end HIV transmission and end the isolation experienced by people living with HIV, for good”.-Kris