Vignesh – In need of Help

Vignesh is a IX^th standard student, bright in studies but suffering from asthma and impeded from going to school regularly for the past 2 years.  His family is very poor as his father is half blind and unhealthy to do hard work.  In the last medical checkup it was diagnosed that Vignesh has mild heart problems too.  The Doctors prescribed some costly medicines for gradual improvement and instructed them to conduct scan and echo test every six months to confirm improvements in his sickness.   The father of Vignesh is incapable of bearing the cost of his son’s medicines and scanning costs as they are very poor

   They came to know about CHILDLINE and approached us to request for medical aid.  After studying the case details and making inquiries our team accompanied Vignesh for the echo test and scan and provided medical and financial help for his treatment. 

There are many poor and deserving children in our society in need of medical help. More resources are required to meet their growing needs. The rich and those who have surplus need to share to protect and help the needy for a just and humane society.

Stop Child Labour – Educate Every Child!

A call came to our emergency helpline from Vithura, Trivandrum exhorting to rescue three child labourers. The informant said that all three children were made to work in an electrical shop. Our team rushed to the spot. The children were Nitheesh, Amal, and Anu from a neighbouring village. We enquired about their family back ground.   These children had completed their high school education and were waiting for the results.  In one family, the father was very sick and in bed because of which it was very difficult to maintain the family without any earnings.  Hence the boy child was asked to work to support the family. Another child was worried about his drunken father, who was not giving anything for the family. So to help his mother, he too started working. The third boy was being looked after by his mother, as his father deserted the family and his mother has to look after him and his siblings.  Under these circumstances all the three had to stop their study mid way and with it shattered their dreams of higher education. Besides Higher Secondary education required higher fees which they were unable to afford.

Our team enquired whether they wanted to continue their education if we found support for their education expenses. Only Nitheesh preferred to continue education with our help. Our team visited his house and convinced the parents about the importance of education for a brighter future and they agreed to send their son for higher education.  So with the help of a local person who was willing to support his education, we bought educational materials, uniform and paid fee to help Niteesh to continue his education.

There are many children in our so called financially secure Kerala State who are unable to afford education after high school due to escalating costs of living and increased school education fees. Free and compulsory education needs to be extended up to 18 years in Kerala so that we can abolish child labour and provide opportunity to the less privileged children also to fulfill their dreams to study higher and earn a better living for the family. The Trivandrum Don Bosco Veedu Society has been lobbying with the Government to achieve the same.

A Stitch in Time

Lakshmi has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (ama vatham) for the past seven years. It takes her 10 painful minutes to walk 10 feet. Husband left her many years ago and she has a son named Asvin  who is now studying in plus one. They do not have any other relatives to take care of them. Asvin is the cook at home after school. He is also the bread winner when he is off his school hours. Lakshmi is helped by a neighbor auto driver to travel for begging, the only job she is able to do, the money from which is insufficient to meet the daily needs and send Asvin to school. When Asvin stopped schooling and started accompanying his mother for begging, some neighbours informed CHILDLINE about the plight of the child.

Now with the generosity of some socially responsible citizens we are helping Asvin to get back to School and his mother is extremely happy that her son is back to school again. Aswin is only one of the three whom our friends from the neighbourhood

We at Don Bosco Nivas identify children like Asvin and network with socially responsible people like you to provide them support to restructure their lives which otherwise would be nipped in the bud and end meaninglessly. Help for education is helping such children to stand on their feet and it in turn can save a whole family from the clutches of poverty. A stitch in time can save the whole shirt!

               “Minnamini - 2013” Summer Camp Inaugurated at Don Bosco Veedu

Summer camp, “Minnamini” 2013 was inaugurated at Don Bosco Centre, Manacaud at 11 am, on 11^th April, 2013.  The function started with a prayer song by camp kids.  There are 65 poor slum children from Karimadom colony participating in the camp. Fr. Thomas P.D welcomed all the guests and participants of ‘minnamini-2013’. He appreciated the magnanimity of Mr. Kumarakam   Reghunath, Mr. Ambarish; Cine, Serial Artists in coming over for the inaugural ceremony.

Shri. Kumarakam Reghunath, Mr. Ambarish, Fr. Stephen, Fr.Thomas.PD and baby Rakhi, a camp participant lighted the lamp and inaugurated “Minnamini”.  

The inaugural address was rendered by Shri. Kumarakam Reghunath. In his speech he mentioned that all artists are able to understand the problems of Society and they can reach to the people who need support and care. He also mentioned about his personal experience in childhood. He did not have sufficient opportunity to study as there was no facilities at Kumarakom. He urged students to set goals and put in efforts to achieve them. Constant efforts can definitely make you to attain the goals. He inaugurated and wished all success for “Minnamini” 2013.

In the presidential address Fr. Stephen Mukkatil, told a story to the children through which he communicated the message that it is always better to choose goodness over evil. He wished that this camp help all kids to choose goodness over evil in every action in their life.

Serial/Cinema artist Mr. Ambarish felicitated the gathering. In his talk, he quoted an example of a bird who escaped from hunters using intelligence. He told the children not to forget Don Bosco which give them guidance during their childhood days. He also told the children to be like fireflies providing light wherever they go so that they can help other children to overcome darkness in their lives. He also handed over the flags to all the four teams. He distributed sweets to all the children.

Finally Mr. Emmanuel Silas (Camp Chief) delivered the vote of thanks and programme ended with the national anthem. 

Asylum for the Abused

A 10^th Standard Student studying in a neighbouring School contacted us through one of her teachers about her father and Aunt planning to marry her off immediately against her will. The teacher directed her to the CHILDLINE office for further follow up and refuge for the girl. She did not want to go back home. Our team immediately contacted her father and asked him to come over. The father of the girl and her aunt came over to Don Bosco and after long talk with them we came to know that there was lot of inconsistency in the accounts of the father and aunt with that of the girl. After producing her before the CWC, she was further counseled and she revealed that a person named Shaji together with another man and a woman had abducted her in a car while walking on the road. She was taken to a lonely place and where she was sexually abused and the act was videoed by the woman.

The police was contacted immediately and they took the statement of the girl and filed an FIR. The girl was sent for medical examination and she was found to be abused sexually and physically. We intervened with the top police officials against the accused persons. The Police instantly started a probe into the matter. The girl was given shelter at Nirbhaya Shelter home. She was counseled to overcome the trauma and all arrangements were done to make her write her matriculation examinations which were due immediately. Now she is happy to have overcome the ordeal and wants to stay on in the shelter home.

The state of Kerala is witnessing an alarming rise in sexual crimes against children, and in 2012, 455 children were raped in the state, according to the State Crime Records Bureau. Ninety five per cent abusers are the dear and near ones of children; their parents, siblings, uncles and teachers, says a study by Sarva Sikha Abhiyan and Mahila Samakhya Society. Trivandrum CHILDLINE itself has dealt with more than 15 cases of child sexual abuses in the past year.

The children who face such abuse are helpless and develop serious issues regarding interpersonal relationship as people in trust themselves are the perpetrators. They can develop into anti-socials and abusers unless proper care and counseling is not made available to them. Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a life time.

Stringent measures to implement the laws and fast track courts to deal with cases awarding tough punishments, awareness to children from family and schools to thwart advances, vigilant dealings from School teachers and mothers of the family towards the children are only some of the measures that can be taken to overcome this menace.

Dogs - The only Friends of Chinnu!

The ring came at 4.50 pm, on 3^rd March 2013, on the toll free number of CHILDLINE – 1098. A three year old girl needs to be made human again as she has only dogs as friends. The heart-rending seen unfolded when our team reached the spot. The child is playing, eating and sleeping with dogs! Little Chinnu’s (Given name) father had deserted the family and had settled with another woman. Her mother goes to work every day leaving the child with her mother who is a mental patient and unable to look after little Chinnu. The rescue of the girl was saddening only to the dogs which lost a friend for eating together and playing together! It is no exaggeration as the child was crying in the same night asking for her dogs and the dogs refrained from eating food on the same day!

We involved the police; the neighbours and the local ward counselor to act in favour of Chinnu. They brought her mother to CHILDLINE center.  We inquired into the matter and found that Chinnu’s father was required to pay maintenance for his wife which was pending for months. The local MLA too promised help for the family. The grandfather of Chinnu was also roped in and after days of networking, the mother was given ample support to stop work and take care of Chinnu. The child who was removed from the custody of the mother was restored to her and Chinnu become a child again and has humans as friends!