Dhaka Ahsania Mission WELCOME to the Presentation on

Dhaka Ahsania Mission WELCOME to the Presentation on Drop in Centre for Street & Working Children in Dhaka City Project

Project Period : January 2012 to June 2013 Funded by : Comic Relief - UK Supported by : DAM UK Location of Project : Mohammadpur Thana, Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

Background: § § § § § Dhaka City has an influx of immigrants from rural areas who live in slums; Slum dwellers are illiterate which severely limits opportunity for viable employment. Their children engage in high risk and unregulated occupations where, driven by ignorance of rights and a sense of powerlessness, Become victims of exploitation and violence. Families become disintegrated, the children left uncared for and Many of these children have to find streets as their place to live, work and survive. They are excluded from any educational opportunities. Their jobs are often hazardous, These children often become victims of sexual exploitation, human trafficking and drug abuse.

DAM DIC Program DAM implemented a five year project “Urban Community Learning Centers” with the financial support of Comic Relief (UK) from 2006. During selection of learners for UCLC, it was observed that a significant number of children living and working on the street who are known as street working children. DAM made the plan to start with just one DIC as an innovation and a real experiment to gain lessons towards a wide-ranged longer term intervention in future.

CR 18 Months Grants DIC Present Project DAM undertaken this project for 18 months as interim period to continue the DIC activities and learn more lessons. Overall Objective: n 200 street and working children both boys and girls will be supported in regaining family care where possible, acquire the skills to survive and flourish, free from fear, protected from violence and abuse, with access to education, health service, and with the ability to move on confidently equipped with the skill to pursue a stable potential career with regular income. n A family centered awareness on child protection and safety linked with institutional support developed to address broader child rights and protection issues.

Specific Objectives: n n n n 200 working and street children will be protected from indignity sexual and physical abuse Children withdrawn from hazardous job Children will be imparted basic education, life skill and vocational skill training A child safety zone will be established in targeted (200) families and community. Communication and coordination will extended among service providing organizations Community capacity about child protection and safety will be enhanced. Capacity of the organizations working for under privileged children will be enhanced.

Target Group: Street and working children, aged 8 -14 in the target categories using The DIC. Children and youth doing hazardous work n Children employed as domestic workers having risk of exploitation n Street children and youth who are at risk of sexual abuse, exploitation and of the Drop in Centre Major Activitiestrafficking n Three dimensional activity run by DIC n n n Community Outreach Activities Drop in centre base activity Linkage/Advocacy/Networking

Activities of the Drop in Center: Community Outreach Activities n n n n Survey/ Identify Pocket area of street & working Children Collect baseline information of children Raising awareness (Family/ Community/ Service provider) Court Yard Meeting with employers Advocacy meeting with community people Day Observance Drop in center base activity n n n Enrollment in DIC Profile documentation Ensure personal hygiene Food, Cooking facilities Raising awareness (Children/ Family/) Counseling (Individual/ Group/ Family) Multi grade Education Recreation & Cultural Activities Savings Case Study Exposer Visit Advocacy/ Networking n n n n Health Service Vocational Training Job Placement Liaison with different organization for awareness raising activities. Legal Aid Support Liaison with different school for mainstreaming Advocacy/ Networking workshop with Go/NGO

Expected Results n n n CHANGE ONE: Local street children especially girls, will have, immediately, a safe and caring environment and community place to go for support, rest and love, free from abuse and hazards. CHANGE TWO: Children will acquire skills towards non-hazardous employment. CHANGE THREE: Local street and working children's voices are heard and they are active in the local decision-making processes in the DIC, in the community and in their workplaces. CHANGE FOUR: Parents, guardians, employers are more aware of both the hazards and the opportunities facing the children, more supportive and more proactive in removing or reducing the hazards. CHANGE FIVE: The breakthroughs achieved by the DIC for street children will be a key driver in the refinement of DAM's Theory of Change for work with SWC and will inform the development of the wider programmatic approach to work with SWC by DAM.

Staff Strength: Sl. No. Position 01. DIC Manager Number of Position 01 02. Counselor 01 03. Admin & Account Assistant 01 04. Care Giver 01 Tutor 02 06. Service Staff 01 07. Night guard 01 08. Outreach/ Community 09. Function Community Mobilizer 01 Outreach Worker 01 05. Center Function Deputy Director from program division of DAM head office coordinates and Total 10 monitors DIC activities.

Achievement of the Project: Activities Target Achievement Remarks 8 pocket area Collect information about 360 SWCs Community Outreach Activities Find out the place of SWC & collect basic information Family selection & awareness raising 200 239 Among 239 families DIC children comes from 140 families. Courtyard meeting 100 nos. 98 477 participants attended. Familial conflict resolution support / Counseling Need based 125 families Awareness Raising meeting with job provider about child protection of SWC 18 17 Meetin g 272 (average. 16 attended in a meeting)

Achievement of the Project Sl # Activities Target Achievement Remarks Centre based activities 1 200 255 3 Children Enrollment Opening personal file & Individual Development Plan Counseling 4 Prepare Case Study 200 children 255 5 Multi grade education 200 children 204 6 Leadership Life Skill Training for Children 40 children 46 7 Vocational training to Children & parents/family member 60 children 62 Among them 15 nos. parents/family member 8 Guardian Meeting 18 meeting 18 376 (ave. 20 Guardian attend in a meeting) 2 200 children 255 Meeting of the Children group to raise 18 meeting 18 their voice 10 Food service for needy children & Need based 13214 cooking facilities 9 Boy-125, Girl-130 511 A child may receive services more than one time

Achievement of the Project Sl # 1 2 Activities Target Centre based activities Provide First Aid Need based Recreation/ Exposure visit Need based Achievement 1526 250 children Remarks A child may receive services more than one time

Achievement of the Project (continue……) Sl # Activities Target Achievement Remarks Networking/ Linkage 1 Advocacy Social mobilization meeting 2 Mainstreaming to other school 4 4 19 children

Key Lessons & Observations: n n n n Vocational training and job placements are considered the best way to protect the adolescent girls from early marriage and abuse. Most of the children of 8 -14 years aged are found studying in class 1 and 2. Their level of knowledge and literacy skills is very low. 88% children arrived dirty and not aware about personal hygiene. Most children are unable to express themselves. Malnutrition, shyness, and fear about unknown place are common observations of the children. Parents are not aware of many child protection issues and child rights. Mothers are often scared to take decisions about anything (child related or any matter) without the husband’s permission. The majority of children do not have birth registration and parents have no willingness to maintain registration. However. Though DIC through making linkage with Mary Stopes Clinic, but sometimes problem occur suddenly from children as well as from their families. DIC faces difficulties to provide health service to children and solve this kind of problem instantly. Some times the guardian and the employer have shown less importance to receive DIC services rather than involving the children to continue in hazardous work to earn daily income to supplement families.

Strength of DAM Approach to DIC § Strategy and Guideline Document of DAM “Working with Children Living and Working in the street of Metropolitan Cities (2012 -2015). § Theory of Change for the Street and Working Children in Bangladesh is a significant document § DIC emerged as a successful model for safe place as day shelter for the Working and Street children where Street children who showed affiliation and ownership towards the DIC. § DIC has established an excellent working partnership with Community people, employers and parents/guardians who have been involved actively and directly with the DIC. § A number of child focused organization have been involved actively with DIC like INCIDIN, BTS, MS, NM, UPHCP and RSC as networking organization. § Staffs of DIC have specific Job Description. DIC has a very specific operational guideline which helps the staff to implement the project activities smoothly.

Main Weakness: § It become difficult for children to left hazardous work and receive DIC service properly because their income supplements daily family income. Some Opportunities: § Very positive attitude of community about drop in center § Staff are experienced about the work with human rights besides drop in Some Threats: § High mobility of the children § Discontinuity of project support at this moment § Slum eviction and children migration.

Recommendations n n n Need for continuity and scaling up. Family development approach is more effective and sustainable. DIC should have more capacity to increase the number of children Children should have an opportunity to raise their voice to the duty bears through organizing dialogue with different duty bearers including policy makers as well as government officials and people’s representatives. All of the children should have access to the health services. A Community Based Child Protection Mechanism for the entire children can be another aim of the project intervention in future targeting street children. DIC should develop Community Resource Person (CRP) from the youth group & influential.

Out Reach Activities Survey & Information Sharing with SWC Meeting with Community people Courtyard meeting Music teacher provide from community Meeting with employers Market survey

In House Activities Children registration Personal Hygiene Cocking & Food facilities NFE Awareness session Recreation Guardian meeting

Networking/ Linkage Activities Health Service Vocational Training Provide life skill education Job Placement Right based awareness session Art Film show