Progress Report Drop in centre for children living or working at Azimgamj Railway Junction, Murshidabad, West Bengal January 2008 - July 2008 (interim report)

CINI's drop in centre is open five days a week and children can drop in at any time of the day. The centre provides protection, education, health care, nutrition and recreational activities that attract these children to the centre, and wean them away from work. In addition to basic primary education, three part-time teachers instruct the children about good social skills and hygiene practices (e.g. brushing teeth).

Project aim To reach out to deprived children, living or working on the railway, and provide health care, education, nutrition and protection, with the aim of mainstreaming them into local schools. Objectives Ensure the enrolment of children who have dropped out of school, and also the retention of mainstreamed children in school Create a child-friendly environment at the station and its adjacent areas Ensure health care and nutrition of children at the drop in centre Address the issue of child trafficking

• Protection: As many children spend the night on the platform, the centre is providing children with a safe space where they are able to access basic facilities, such as washing facilities.
  
• Education: Regular classes providing basic education focused on primary knowledge, including reading and writing. Children have been taught social skills and good behaviour. The majority of children are interested in attending school or vocational training. They have received intensive coaching support through CINI's 'bridge course', in order to mainstream them into local schools in their age appropriate classes. Their interest in education has gradually increased. The children have been divided into groups of four with a group monitor, who encourages regular group attendance of their 'team'.
  
• Recreation: Long working hours and a continual sense of insecurity affect the children's social lives. Recreational activities are important for their healthy development. The children are being encouraged to play and use drawing to express themselves. Many have made their own greeting cards. In addition, children have been encouraged to meditate.
  
• Physical exercise: Children have been encouraged to exercise regularly, as it is important for their physical and mental development.
  
• Nutrition: Most children are malnourished and are therefore prone to physical ailments. CINI has provided them with nutritious snacks at the centre.
  
• Heath care: Because many children work long hours, which is hazardous to their physical and mental health, regular health check-ups and medical treatment facilities have been provided.
  
• Counselling: As many of the children lack guidance, they have benefited from regular individual and group counselling. Key issues that have arisen have been that some children felt neglected by their families; and all children indicated that they wanted to learn to read, write and play with other children, and not work, but felt pressured by their families to earn a wage.
  
• Training: In May, children were taught about child protection and were informed about their rights. In June, children were taught basic life skills education. Topics included self-awareness, self-respect, decision-making power, emotional control, and HIV/AIDS.

Activities of particular interest

• Children mainstreamed into local schools: In May, six children who had received support from the drop in centre were mainstreamed into a local school. CINI will stay in regular contact with the school to monitor the wellbeing and progress of these children.

Children not attending the centre

There are approximately 10 other children, living or working on the railway, who do not attend the centre. These children, age 14-16 years, are primarily engaged in work and earn very low wages (on some days, nothing at all). They indicated that they would like to attend school, but feel duty bound to help support their families. CINI plans to help these children receive vocational training, as well as to continue to provide the educational support that is already available.

Activities outside the centre

• In an effort to address the issue of child trafficking , CINI has raised the awareness of trafficking within the local community via parent and community meetings. CINI is also in regular contact with the local government representatives, the Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police.
  
• Meetings with community members are being organised periodically, in order to receive feedback from the community about children living or working on the railway and child protection issues. They are also an opportunity to educate community members about the hardship these children face.
  
• 12 meetings with parents have been held, enabling parents to understand the benefits of the centre. Most parents now allow their children to regularly attend the centre. In addition, project staff have regularly visited the children's homes to meet with their parents.
  
• CINI is in regular contact with children previously mainstreamed into local schools, and has conducted periodic follow up visits to schools to monitor if the mainstreamed children are still attending school.

Challenges faced

• The work in progress to build a new platform beside platform four has caused concern, as many loaded trucks use the same road the children use to attend the centre. Parents have asked CINI's teachers to be mindful of this and pay particular attention to the children's safety.
  
• Many children were required to work at home and care for their siblings, affecting their attendance.

Future plan

• Regular classes to provide children with basic education and coaching support to mainstreamed children will continue.
  
• Children who go to school will be tested to gain understanding of their level of knowledge and understanding.
  
• Children not going to school will also be tested to see how they are improving, to assess whether or not they are ready to be mainstreamed into local schools.

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