National level NGO Child In Need Institute (CINI) launched a Drowning Prevention Campaign “Freedom from Drowning”, an initiative for the ch...
National level NGO Child In Need Institute (CINI) launched a Drowning Prevention Campaign “Freedom from Drowning”, an initiative for the children of Sundarbans to save them from drowning. CINI also organized an interactive session with the children from Sundarbans at the Kolkata Press Club and highlighted the risk factors and need for more accurate and effective data collection on drowning deaths.
Child Speakers from different Child
Parliaments of Sundarbans were present to share their own perspective regarding
pain of child death, their sufferings and emotions and called on the
Administration to create a child-friendly community to save them from Drowning
and make a national drowning prevention plan to prevent unnecessary and
avoidable deaths at the event. The children also took out a Candle March in
memory of those who died due to drowning in the region.
Every story consists of a background
even before it starts getting scripted. This initiative too has a background to
itself which started around two years back. The river-bank areas of the
Sundarbans and the assorting settlements and villages lying across the areas
had been experiencing child drowning casualties since quite some time which had
been disrupting the environmental balance of the villages from the
socio-economic and psychological perspective as well. CINI had recently
organized a ‘Child Parliament’ initiative in Sundarbans with a Children’s
Rights based approach to promote decision-making processes that are more
collaborative and inclusive for children. It created an enabling environment
for these children to voice their ideas, thoughts and feelings through the
‘Child Parliament’. More than 12 Child Parliaments were organized in different
parts of Sundarbans Region and around 800 children participated and shared
their views like teaching swimming and rescue techniques to prevent child
drowning.
Dr. Samir Chaudhuri, Founder Secretary, Child in Need Institute, said, “Our mission is to ensure that children and adolescents achieve their rights to health, nutrition, education, protection and participation by making duty bearers and communities responsive to their well-being. This Campaign is based in one of our strong preventive approach to ensure child participation.” CINI’s Preventative Approach towards Child Protection in India or preventing harm by intervening before it occurs.
Sujoy Roy, Sr. Advocacy Manager, CINI
said, the most recent data reveals that West Bengal is among the top five
performing states in the country and better performance across all indicators
as compared to all India average. New Natal Mortality rate (15.5 SDG Target 12)
Infant Mortality Rate (22) and under -5 mortality rate (Currant 25.4 SDG Target
25) has also lowered in recent past. Successful implementation of few
government schemes like JSKK, Sishu Sathi played crucial role to avoid such
unnecessary deaths. If we can arrest these avoidable tragic drowning deaths
then it may give a boost to this momentum. We believe, it will show a new, more
effective, ethical and cost-effective way to solving problems of children in
Sundarbans and contribute to achieve SDG3.2.
No comments