(ANS – New Delhi) – With 430 million children, India accounts for one out of every five children in the world. 53% of the children are victims of sexual abuse of one kind or the other, as they grow up into adulthood. In order to confront this reality, Salesians have promoted and taken part in various initiatives, such as “Surakshita campaign”, in the Province of Hyderabad, and the “Campaign on Prevention of Child Abuse”, in the Province of Tiruchy.

“Surakshita,” a campaign to prevent Sexual Abuse and Trafficking of Adolescent girls was flagged off on 13 November 2014 - the Day of Disadvantaged Children, by Dr Tripurana Venkatratnam, Chairperson of the Women’s Commission of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana States.

The occasion marked the commencement of Child Rights Week being celebrated by People’s Action For Rural Awakening (PARA) as one of the many events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of Child Rights Convention.

Surakshita was started by “Social Action Initiative” of Don Bosco Ravulapalem and it addresses the problem by creating awareness among adolescent girls through workshops with multimedia and interactive sessions. This workshop helps the girls to understand sexuality and pre-empt the attempts of sex predators. It also gives them information regarding the laws and policies that protect them and redress their grievances.

As part of the campaign posters regarding sexual abuse, trafficking, ragging, and a handbook for ready reference were released. One of the highlights of the programme was the impressive presence of the tribal students from the human rights clubs in Paderu, who enthralled the gathering with Dhimsa dances.

After the inaugural function, the participants numbering around 350 school children and college students, led a candle-light procession to the Town Centre headed by Dr Venkatratnam.

The human rights clubs being set up in schools will anchor this awareness campaign with the members making arrangements for the workshops in their respective schools. With these clubs, community vigilance groups and Balika Sanghams (girls’ clubs) in villages, Salesians intend to walk the distance.

Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, boys and girls from Don Bosco Anbu Illam and Marialaya staged street plays in 33 public places in the district, including major bus stands in connection with a Week long “Campaign on Prevention of Child Abuse”. The awareness campaign was inaugurated by Archana Patnaik the Coimbatore District Collector, at Coimbatore railway station on 14 November 2014.

Awareness banners were placed and drawing and essay competitions were conducted in 61 Corporation Schools to highlight this issue and to help children protect themselves. On 20 November nearly 1200 Self Help Group (SHG) members gathered for a mega event carrying home these ideas.

The Awareness Campaign is a joint effort by Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Marialaya and a few other like-minded NGOs, the District Collector and some government offices.

Published 21/11/2014