EMPHASIZING THE NEED OF HOME FOR EVERY CHILD

HCHW has taken a commendable step in initiating a Shelter Home for these children in Hyderabad. Earlier there were only night shelters available for these children as all other NGO's used to believe that these children do not require any home environment as they have already left their homes.

HCHW was instrumental in advocating the concept of Shelter Home to such an extent over years that it has been now integrated into Juvenile Justice System. HCHW involved in various forums before the enactment of Juvenile Justice Act 2000 in order to ensure it more child friendly and child centered. HCHW has provided consultancy in framing and designing rules for implementation of Juvenile Justice Act 2000 for the Government of Andhra Pradesh with particular reference to institutional care.

MAINSTREAMING CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT

HCHW with its strong determination and courage has proved many wrong that children living on streets cannot be rehabilitated. HCHW further emphasized that they can excel in education if the right opportunity is provided. There was a belief prevailing in society that these children can never be rehabilitative and thinking of mainstreaming them through education is impossible. HCHW has made this impossible thing a very much possible by encouraging the children for education and enrolling them into regular schools through Second Home.

The 100% results secured by children who appeared for X and VII standards during the last academic year and the marks secured by them has again reiterated the firm belief of HCHW that every child has a learning mind and it is the environment that contributes more to the personality of a child.

HCHW had dreamt of a path that leads children from streets to schools. HCHW has realized this dream by encouraging and enrolling the children into regular schools for quality education. HCHW has also supporter and encouraged elder children who have successfully completed Intermediate education to take professional courses like Social Work, Biotechnology, engineering in polytechnics and so on.

Elder children among these are also trained in various vocational skills as means of rehabilitation. HCHW is also designing and conceptualizing an exclusive home for Vocational Rehabilitation. HCHW has planned vocational courses like Screen Printing, Tailoring, Beautician and so on to create livelihood options for these children.

It was indeed considered a major achievement of HCHW when all these children and a number of others who gradually joined the school all through the year completed their first year in school; passed the standards in which they were joined; and promoted to next standard. This small success has over the year multiplied to a great deal in terms of the number of children who have successfully passed SSC and Intermediate and gone for further studies.

The management and team of HCHW tasted the real success when two of its boys joined the College of Social Work to pursue their Bachelors degree in Social Work. These two budding social workers (from the same institutions from where the founders and other professional social workers of HCHW have been the products of) have really provided all at the HCHW a moment of great pride and pleasure.

Mr. Babu Rao, an old beneficiary of HCHW, has successfully completed his Bachelors of Social Work course. Currently, two of the boys are pursuing professional graduation courses. Some of boys have also joined into Kendriya Vidyalaya, Hyderabad and engineering courses at different Government Polytechnics.

REPATRIATION

HCHW firmly believes that family and natural home plays a pivotal role in the development of the child no other institution can substitute the love and affection of parents. Moreover, HCHW realizes that the institutional care can be regarded as the last resort provided until and unless the quality standards are ensured to them. Initially, the staff on developing the contacts, links of the child with the family while the child is under rehabilitation and send him back to his families. And, Repatriation is one of the major components of HCHW.

It is a process where the children are sent back to their families but only if the children are willing to go back and their family is willing to accept them. It involves motivation as well as counseling services through which they are given an opportunity to make a decision about themselves towards shaping their lives in a better way for a bright future. Depending upon the need and situation counseling services are rendered to the family members and relatives too. The rehabilitation process also includes follow up care on a quarterly basis.

EMPOWERING THE WOMEN IN SLUMS TOWARDS BETTER LIFE

Today, HCHW is working with 75 self Help Groups in 17 slums covering a population of more than 1500 families. Depending upon the age of the group, women have access to credit facility for domestic consumption as well as production purposes up to an extent of Rs10,000 By and large HCHW has succeeded in totally eliminating the role of money lenders from these families.

HCHW firmly believes in an old maxim Yathra Naryasthu Poojyanthe… Ramanthe… Thathra Devatha… (Where Women are honoured There resides the Deities). Every opportunity is considered to be the milestone in ones life. Majority of the people deprive of opportunities to grow in life. Women living in urban slums and in other poor conditions normally dearth such opportunities. With the promotion of Self Help Group among urban slums was a major achievement of HCHW. Women who were almost confined to their homes earlier are now participating into mainstream and taking active part in developmental and decision making process.

Women are not hesitant to visit Govt. Department pursuing for their needs and demands.
People have inculcated the habit of savings.
They have learnt banking rules and operations.
They have understood the need and importance of education.
The level of awareness has relatively increased.
They have become confident of themselves and their capacities.
They have understood the exploitative ways of their local leaders.
They have developed their resistance to protest against exploitation and other hostilities.

MAKING THE POLICEMEN CHILD FRIENDLY

There were times when Child Development Centres of HCHW would be ransacked and the elder children taken away by the police officers every time there was a theft or any other anti social activity in the vicinity of locality. This would lead to panic in the centers and especially younger lots were much affected by these raids. It used to be a Herculean task again in getting them back to the Child Development Centres. Hence, instead of getting worried about the situation, Mr. Rafiuddin had designed a program called Police Dost Campaign, another brainchild of HCHW aimed at sensitizing the police personnel on various issues concerning the street children.

HCHW can also take the credit of highlighting the issue of street children in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh. Further, HCHW has been highly successful in bringing the change in the attitude, behaviour and outlook of police towards children living on streets. In the past two years, HCHW has gained much experience in the area of child Rights activism. It has evolved a full fledged training and sensitization programmes for different groups such as police, teachers, health functionaries, etc on the subject. As a result, there has been no such raids in the CDC’s since 1998. The intensity of harassment of children has considerably reduced.