Submitted By:

UDAVUM ULLANGAL

1016C/1, 1St CROSS STREET

KAMARAJNAGAR

PALAYAMKOTTAI

TIRUNELVELI-627-002

Web: uthavumullangal.org

CONCEPT PAPER ON COMPREHENSIVE WELFARE CENTER FOR ORPHANS, SEMI ORPHANS, DESTITUTES AND ABANDONED CHILDREN

  1. BACKGROUND:

Tirunelveli District lies in the southern most part of Tamil Nadu in South connecting to various tourists destinations like Kanyakumari, Courtrallam Falls etc. The District has ahot and humid climate through out the year with very less seasonal rainfall. The climate is dry and arid and agriculture is the predominant occupation of the people with construction, brick kilns being the other major source of income to the people.

The district also has the dubious distinction of being a high HIV prevalent district and migration to various parts of the country. The per capita income is also very less and hence many families are not in a position to provide quality education to their off springs. Due to the HIV factor there are many widows and orphan and semi orphan children.. To provide not only educational but also institutional care there are hardly any organizations providing the required services to the deserving children who need these supportive services to become productive citizens of this country.

Due to illiteracy, lack of knowledge, Employment of parents, Stigma and Discrimination in Educational Institutions to children Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS, Children of Female Sex workers etc, Incurable Diseases like (HIV/AIDS) and mainly due topoverty many parents are forced to abandon their children to the Streets.

Taking all these in to the consideration Udavum Ullangal literally meaning Helping Hearts started the concept of Providing, Educational, Nutritional, Medical and Spiritual Support through Institutional care to these needed children, though there are about 59 children many children are being unable to be provided the required support and services due to financial constraints. The institution has a shelter with a capacity for 100 children, hence if adequate funding is provided more number of children can be benefitted. Hence this concept paper is being developed for your Kind reference and further perusal.

Category of Children already in the Home

SL.NO / CATEGORY / GIRLS / BOYS
1 / Orphans / 9 / 12
2 / Semi – Orphans / 3 / 6
3 / Children of Female Sex Worker / 12 / 5
4 / Tsunami affected Coastal Children / 5 / -
5 / Children affected by HIV/AIDS Parents / 9 / 6
6 / Tribals / 4 / -
7 / Children of Prisoner / - / 2
8 / Children of Alcoholic Parents / - / 3
9 / Children of Gypsies / 2 / -
10 / Children of Below Poverty Line / - / 2
Total / 44 / 36

The Implementing Organization is currently implementing the shelter through funds generated from friends, well wishers and philanthropists, at times these funds are inadequate and irregular causing major hardships in executing the necessary services to these deserving children.Hence the Organization is submitting this Concept note to receive funding to Providing Quality Care and Support for these deserving destitute children.

  1. OBJECTIVES AND GOALS:

Goal

To provide quality Institutional Care for the children coming to the home with Educational, Nutritional and Spiritual Support to enhance their overall quality of the destitute, orphan and semi orphan and abandoned children in the District of Tirunelveli District in the State of Tamilnadu in South India.

Objectives and Activities

The children in the age group of 6- 18 years need more concentration on education, Hence the broad perspective of this concept note isto,

Provide Institutional care for the children coming to the home.

Provide the children, with a childhood that they have never experiencedand help them to become useful members of the society.

Provide basic literacy and other facilities for those who wish to study further.

Provide health, recreational and Supporitive services.

Encourage the children to kindle their potential by providing creativeopportunities by Providing Life Skills Education.

Make available a secure place where the children can play and enjoytheir Stay and Plan for their future Wellbeing.

Create Linkages with educational and Other Social welfare organizations.

With all these broad objectives in mind, this Concept Paper is proposed to continue the existing set up for the children in the home for Providing, Educational, Nutritional, Medical and Spiritual Support to these needed children.

3. RATIONALE OF THE CONCEPT:

It is almost an article of faith with the civilized Nations that children should have opportunities for the fullest development and growth towards maturity through physical, emotional, mental, Educational and spiritual well being. Some of the basic needs of a child are obvious. They may be broadly enumerated as follows.

  1. Institutional and Medical Care
  2. Healthful and nutritional food, comfortable clothing and home that offers protection and safety.
  3. Providing Educational Support and Needs.
  4. Providing needs like love, affection, security, praise and recognition through Institutional Programmes
  5. Needs for Life Skills Education for the Children in the Home.
  6. Opportunities to grow at its own pace without being pushed ahead of its capacity or held back by being biased or over protected.
  7. Liasioning and networking with the Social Welfare and other organizations for the betterment of the Children.

As enumerated in earlier paragraph, the children feel from their homes owing tothe lack of love and security and they are the potential "DELINQUENTS" unless they areproperly groomed and rehabilitated. Much effort in terms of money has been put in action,since independence, through developmental planning for the welfare of these children butmuch remains to be done in view of the acuteness of this problem due to pervasive poverty,dysfunctional families and increased child abuse, Children of sex Workers, Children affected and Infected by HIV/AIDS, Rag Pickers etc. It is precisely, this realization that compelsmore and more Promotional Agencies both National and International to work in complacentto NGO’s, to request funding from other sources. The activities proposed are

  • Institutional care
  • Educational Support
  • Nutritional Support
  • Medical Support
  • Transportation towards Educational Support Services
  • Transportation towards Emergency care and Support Services
  • Picnics and Recreation

4. APPROACH:

In order that we have a healthy Nations and sound adult, it is necessary to provide street, orphans, Semi Orphans, Children of Female Sex Workers, Children of Prisoners, Children Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS/Life Threatening Diseases, etc.

It is proposed to envisage to that every childhood that they have never experienced and help them to become useful members of the society. It is also necessary that they are provided with all basic services for their physical, mental, emotional and intellectual growth. In order to reduce the incidence of juvenile and adult delinquency, we have to provide recreational services and healthy home and environment conducive to child’s emotional growth. Therefore, welfare of the children staying in the home would be taken care of and should have integrated and comprehensive services in health, education, nutrition, recreation, training and deployment designed to meet the needs of these children.

5. FACTORS FOR CHILD CARE UNDER NATIONAL CHILDREN POLICY BUT UNDER OUR IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCES:

A. Availability of shelter and Residential surroundings

B. Adequate nourishment in terms of the provision of the right type of food of good quality in adequate quantity.

C. Presence of affection and love in the family environment.

D. Inadequate clothing support

E. Comprehensive and timely immunization and protection against diseases.

F. Protection from cruelty and exploitation for achieving material gains.

H. Opportunity for growth and development and activity in an atmosphere of freedom and in association with other child companions.

I. Opportunity for indoor and outdoor play

J. Opportunity for training and development of child within home community and institutional environment.

K. Provision of adequate care for the early and immediate treatment of physical, mental, emotional Disorders.

6. ACTIVITIES:

This project is proposed to undertake the following activities

  1. Providing Shelter Support to the Existing Children
  2. Educational Support towards uniforms, School Fees and Educational materials
  3. Providing Nutritional food
  4. Providing Basic Hygienic and Medical Needs

E. Providing Recreational Activities to develop CoreLife Skills

E. Monthly Meetings with Families, and care takers if any, to mainstream child into society.

F.Rehabilitation

  1. SHLTETER SUPPORT

The children already in the shelter will be provided with the necessary facilities like mat, pillows, bed sheets to make the child comfortableafter a hard days work in school and make them to have a comfortable sleep in the night.

  1. Educational Support

The children already in the shelter will be provided with Educational support by the means of transportation to Scholl, Monthly fees, Uniform, Books and Note books etc.

  1. Providing Nutritional food

As providing nutrious food play an very important role in the upkeep of the children, special emphasis will be taken to provide nutrition, with a breakfast, lunch and dinner and tea or coffee and snacks when ever applicable, like Saturdays, Sundays and other national holidays.

  1. Basic Hygienic and Medical Needs

The immediate health needs of a child are addressed after complete medicalexaminations done on a regular basis by a Health Professional or utilizing the Govt. Services. Counseling follows the medical examinations.Most of the children will undergo traumatic experience both mentally and physically in theirlives at theirhome. Hence, counseling plays an important role in their healing process.Individuals, with special medical needs will be referred to other medical centres for care.The children will be given regular immunization and taught good health practices. Awarenessprograms on different health issues like reproductive health, substanceabuse, HIV/AIDS and other relevant topics will be routinely done.

The services of a qualified Medical Professional will be empanelled on contract basis and he will be the authorized medical attendant. The following health norms will be adopted by the home

  • Every child will be medically examined before admission.
  • They should be given preventive inoculation and vaccination against communicable diseases.
  • There will be periodical medical check up by authorized medical attendant.
  • The home should have a first aid kit, which could be operated by one of the staff member exclusively trained for this purpose.
  • All supporting staff of the home should undergo periodical medical examination for any possible contraction of communicable diseases.
  1. RECREATION

Thechildren will be encouraged to participate in the following recreational programs through Life Skills Education by the Module Developed by Family Health International, USAID. The following contents will be followed as part of the Life skills Education

  1. Decision making
  2. Critical Thinking
  3. Knowing My self
  4. Good touch Bad Touch
  5. HIV/AIDS
  6. Sex and Sexuality
  7. Problem Solving
  8. Communication

II Indoor recreation

  1. Children Oriented Television
  2. Story telling
  3. Caroms and Chess
  4. Music and Dancing
  5. Picnics

III. Outdoor recreation

A play ground of 1000 sq. mtrs will be provided with outdoor play equipment like sea saw, swing, toddler tower, low ladder climber, rocking horse, volley ball etc. The children will be encouraged to participate in drama and theatre as one of the best ways for target children to express their feelings and desires is through theatre.

  1. Monthly Meetings with Families, and care takers if any, to mainstream child into society.

Monthly Meetings with families and care takers will be conducted to check on the Progress of the each and every child wherever applicable to mainstream the children in to the general community.

  1. REHABILITATION

Rehabilitation method includes providing parental care, Health educations,vocational training in conducive atmosphere.

- Full care home: for boys and Girls below 18 years of age

  1. Documentation and Reporting

Documentation is a vital basic component of the project. It is inevitable to meticulously update the various activities, registers and records according to the time schedule for each. This will help us to review the project activities regarding the target, time line and impact and improve the gaps found and address the problems in time so that the services to the target groups are delivered as planned.

  1. Monitoring and Evaluation

A monitoring system will be put in place for measuring the progress and the performance of the project. It will also help in identifying the gaps and take remedial measures. The project staff will meet monthly at the organization’s office to review the last month’s performance and to prepare action plans for the coming weeks and months. The Community Advisers will be a part of the Monitoring and Evaluation team.The funding agency is also invited to visit the project at any given time for reviewing of the project activities as Participatory Site Visits.

  1. Staff Structure
  1. Conclusion

Taking into accountant, the relevance of the project and the experience and expertise of Udavum Ullangal in working with Children and implementing Institutional Based programs, Udavum Ullangal is confident that it can implement the project to the complete satisfaction of its donors.