Our work acr across the State While working with children living on Streets and in other difficult circumstances towards their rehabilitation as well as reintegration, HCHW was concerned towards the ever-growing number of children on streets and resolved at addressing the same by attacking the root cause of the problem. Referring to the existing data available with us, it is clear that 40-50 percent of the children on streets come from rural areas.

In order to arrest the growing number of children coming on to the streets, HCHW has ventured out into networking 17 districts of Andhra Pradesh, with like minded and proactive NGOs in our programme called Joining Hands Together. Initially, the programme served as an extension of all other programmes we conduct locally at the city level, replicated by our NGO partners at the district level. These programmes were basically promotional in nature and as much helped our Partner NGOs establish their credibility as well as create an identity as NGO working in Child Sector. Subsequently most of them were flooded by various government schemes and programmes. This has not only widen their horizon but also added to the credibility and identity issues. In the meantime the simultaneous capacity building activities taken up by HCHW for its partner NGOs have widened their understanding and exposure. As a result , our Partner NGOs are today looked as resource organization in their respective districts.

In the present phase, the programme entitled Joining Hands Together envisages the goal of making ten selected villages in each district totally child labour free during the project phase through a variety of interventions. The Network Programme of HCHW emerges with the understanding that it will not be a means for fund channelization. Rather this network will give major emphasis to learn the innovative strategies, invaluable experiences and successful models from each other and replicate with necessary changes making it adaptable to local needs and situations.

Secondly, the network also envisages of complimenting the good efforts among the partners and mobilizing consolidated support to each other at state level in terms of common issues of concern in general and protests against the cases of violation of child rights as well as promotion of child friendly policies and programmes among the Government in a nut shell. The network is expected to act as a social watch group (identifying with a microscope the cases of violation of child rights) as well as a pressure groups (advocating for the cause and lobbying for a better world for the children.

Joining Hands Together stresses upon the promotion of Child Rights and work together in a coordinated way towards making Andhra Pradesh a “Child Friendly State.” The programme helps the network partners in rural areas to address the issues of child labour and child rights.

Promotion of Bal Bandhu Committees
Bal Bandhu Committee is a seven member village level committee consisting of the partner NGO, teacher/ representative from the local government schools, a doctor or other representative from the health department, member of Panchayat Raj, an active Self Help Group member, a youth leader or member of the Youth Club and an influential person like the village head.

The committees have been formed in all the ten villages of ten districts each (altogether 100 committees in the 100 villages) and are working effectively towards the total eradication of child labour. The Committee meets regularly every month to check and review the status of child labour in the village and plan on how to stop children from going to work and enroll them in schools for education. Once the child joins school, he/ she is constantly motivated to continue his/her education and prevent dropout. Awareness programmes on child rights are regularly conducted for the school children and the general public of the village to prevent the violation of child rights in form of child labour and child abuse or child trafficking.

Promotion of District Level Network of NGOs
Each NGO partner promotes District Level Network of NGOs so as to share, learn and discuss on common concerns such as promotion of child rights, preventing children coming on to streets as well as eradication of child labour. These networks are enabling more effective outreach and helps in mobilizing the support. They work to strive towards learning and replicating the successful intervention of other NGOs. They are also working as the pressure group to interface and lobby with the government for the policies, programmes and schemes that are best suited for the overall development of the child.

Celebration of International Child Rights Day
We celebrate 20th November as International Child Rights Day all over the state in order to promote the significance of Child Rights. Our partner NGOs have organized rallies, public meetings, sports meets, cultural meets and other campaigns on this day. All these programmes are organized under the banner of “HCHW-Network”.