By Chandan Kumar Sahu
BERHAMPUR: Campaign against child labour has been celebrated across Ganjam by the volunteers, children and adolescents in 7 blocks and in 10 slums in Berhampur in Ganjam. Children, government stakeholders like AWW, ASHA, teachers, PRI members and other officials joined hands to campaign against child labour by Youth for Social Development (YSD). Today the whole world is campaign to eradicate and prevent children from become child labour and protect them from all kinds of violence against them. The theme of this year is 2022 Theme: “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”.
This year there is strong call by the global community to invest more and in a systematic approach for effective policies to strengthen social protection systems, education, and decent work opportunities for parents and caregivers to address the conditions that drive child labour.
There are many government social protection schemes for the most vulnerable and poor to prevent them from become child labour. These schemes are essential to fight poverty and vulnerability. Govt of Odisha has food (NFSA and SFSA), livelihood (MGNREGA, OLM) and social security (NSAP, MBPS) schemes for the children and families and for the children there are scholarships, for orphans children there is Ashrivad, PM-CARES and other protection schemes. But it is unfortunate that many eligible people are being left out due to various reasons. During the Covid-19 pandemic the situation become worst and this resulted increased number of families become poor and vulnerability has been increased.
So it is essential that citizen, civil society and government should work together to include the most vulnerable people in the social security net and overcome poverty and this will help us for a better family condition and child able to continue their schooling and education.
In Ganjam we have observed this through rally, campaign, oath taking, sloganeering against chil labour and violence against children in Ganjam, Chatrapur, Rangeilunda, Chikiti, Kukudakhandi, Digapahandi, Khallikote and also in Berhampur city. The child rights team of Youth for Social Development (YSD) has organised the campaign in 14 Gram Panchayats in 7 blocks in Ganjam and 20 slums in Berhampur Municipal Corporation. Led by project coordinator Chandan Kumar Sahu and Purnima Dey, Gitanjali Panigrahi, Madhusmita Mohanty, Lipak Behera, Biplab Behera, Chintathi Pradhan, Basant Mishra, Arghyarupa Nayak, Anita Patra, Mahima Pradhan and Smurti Kumari Sahu joined and successfully conducted the campaign across Ganjam district.
