An Appeal for the Special Needs of Children Affected by Disaster

FCW has received a request from the Child Rights Trust [CRT] to channel its appeal for funding its flood relief and rehabilitation efforts following the severe floods in the northern part of the state of Karnataka, India.

In their own words:

“In addition to our normal developmental focus on child rights, we are now in the midst of the severe emergency needs of children affected by the floods in northern part of our state, Karnataka. While several NGOs and the Government are working on the overall relief and rehabilitation of the affected families, we are paying our attention to children. Not only are they sometimes orphaned, but even if their families are intact, they suffer from trauma and do not revive even with nutritious food; unless they are given counselling and cajoled to laugh and play again, their health, nutrition and their very childhood is at risk. The school-age ones among them also need some school supplies as when their own or make-shift schools do reopen, they can be ready to rejoin. These crucial aspects are not recognised in the general relief efforts and hence children continue to suffer. This can have a damaging effect on their long-term development. We are noticing these problems even after a month has passed since the floods.

Please see the attached appeal for information on our response to the disaster”.*

We hope you will respond generously to this appeal. If you would prefer to donate to our general fund that covers needs world-wide, you are welcome to do so. As before, you can donate by check to FCW or by credit card at http://www.f4cw.org/ , and FCW will forward the donations to CRT, and your IRS exemption certificate to you. Please mention if the donation is a general one or specifically meant for the N. Karnataka flood relief fund.

*http://www.childrightstrust.org

Thank you for your interest.

Casa Materna Project Update - June 09

FCW's first tranche of funds [$ 1,000] in end 2006 to Casa Materna was used for the food component in the package of Basic Services tor rural high-risk and pregnant mothers. who have to come ahead and/or stay 1-3 days after the birth of their child.

The next tranche of $ 3000 in end 2007 covered most of the costs of major rewiring of the entire Casa, a r ather large building as the provision of Basic Services was threatened by rodents having eaten away at the wires and protective coverings of the Casa's building.


Total Grant as of June 2009 - $ 4,000

Child Rights Trust

FCW received a proposal from Child Rights Trust (CRT), Bangalore, India, for support for embarking on a systematic production and translation of its key documents. The proposal was approved in end 2008 for two year period with a total budget of Indian Rs. 604,000 [about 12,000 $ approximately].

CRT has been working on children's issues or over six years. Its slogan is “Every Right for every child”. Conceived as an advocacy, training, research, and monitoring child rights implementation as well as violations of these rights in India, it focuses its intensive activities in its home state of Karnataka, while it participates in regional and national efforts on many child rights issues. As the southern chapter of the India Alliance for Child Rights [IACR], iy also coordinates the southern network.

CRT uses individual discussions, training and sensitisation courses, campaigns, inputs into the media, and production and dissemination of materials for its advocacy efforts. As part of these strategies, it has been producing publications to advocate and disseminate Child Rights concepts, guides to implementation, and documentation of its research and monitoring. Many of these have been, from the very start, very popular with NGOS, Government and the public. There was a crying need to go ahead on many fronts with these and some other documents/materials for wider circulation within Karnataka as also support to NGOs, academics and Governments in other states.

The materials are mostly in Kannada, the local language. These it had not been able to disseminate widely as needed due to financial constraints for printing and for translating materials into other Indian languages and/or English [from Kannada]. A few are in English, and these needed both printing in larger quantities for use in other states and translation and printing in Kannada for wider use in Karnataka.

The publications are of three types. Some are targeted at children, some at trainers from NGOs, government and training institutions, and some others at the general public. Some of the items are priced at Rs.10/- each, which makes them easily affordable by most people. The more detailed documents [training manuals or reports of key projects or meetings] can run up to Rs.250/-. The sale proceeds of these items were planned to be ploughed back into financing further editions after the project period is over.

Earlier in 2008, FCW supported CRT's fund-raising efforts at AKKA's [Association of Kannada Kootas in America] world conference in Chicago, providing the booth space at the venue. Donations were funnelled through FCW.

Please see http:www.childrightstrust.org for details of CRT and its activities.

Total Grant so far: $ 3,500

Goodwill International - update 2008-09

Summary of report for 2008-09.
Goodwill continues to provide literacy classes in its Neelasandra Centre for around 26 children, both boys and girls, coming mostly from nearby slums. The classes are held five days a week.
The children learn various subjects like English, Kannada, Mathematics, etc. Notebooks, pencil, slate and everyday lunch is provided to all, while some children are given an opportunity to learn computers, so that they may get attracted to attend their classes regularly. Gradually the other children will also be introduced to computers.
The staff work very hard to teach the students, but the students do not come regularly to the classes. The two teachers check out on all the students and convince them to come to class everyday, but the parents are the main drawback because they do not encourage their children. The reasons are – one, Most parents are working as manual labourers, maids, daily wage construction workers etc., and their jobs demand their being at the workplace quite early in the morning. Because of this there is no one to wake up the children, give them proper breakfast etc. 2.T here are at least four or five children in many families, in which case the older siblings have to take care of the younger ones.

The children are very happy once they come into the centre. After the classes, they do not like to go to their homes. The only problem is to bring them to the classes. Still the organisation has managed to keep around 20 students who attend classes regularly. The curriculum includes arts and crafts, games and outings to parks.

Nearby schools are requested to admit these children into the mainstream education. There is a positive response, so long as there is written parental consent and GIA’s request, also in writing.

Some of the parents are hesitant to send their children especially girls to a place far away from home. So, the organization is trying to rent a small place in the slums itself, so as to encourage such parents to send their children to school. There is readiness among some of the slum residents to help find a place.

Total Grant so far: $ 8,500