Child Rights Programme

Programmes and Impact

Child Rights and Child Protection

Gram Sathi is committed to safeguarding the rights, protection, and overall development of children and adolescents. We believe that every child has the right to live with dignity, safety, equality, and freedom from all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation, and discrimination.

Gram Sathi works towards creating a child-friendly environment by strengthening community-based child protection systems and collaborating with children, families, communities, government departments, schools, and other stakeholders. Our approach focuses on prevention, protection, rehabilitation, and empowerment of children, especially those who are vulnerable and at risk.

Gram Sathi has been working in collaboration with Just Rights for Children (JRC) to strengthen child protection systems and address some of the most pressing issues affecting children and adolescents at the grassroots level.

Child Rights Programme 1
Child Rights Programme 2
Our Key Areas of Work

What We Do for Children

Our approach focuses on prevention, protection, identification, rehabilitation, and access to entitlements.

1. Prevention and Protection of Children from Violence and Exploitation

Gram Sathi works to prevent and address various forms of violence and exploitation against children, including:

  • Child Marriage: Creating awareness among children, families, and communities about the harmful impact of child marriage and supporting prevention efforts through community engagement and coordination with relevant authorities.
  • Child Trafficking: Identifying children at risk of trafficking, creating awareness, strengthening community vigilance, and facilitating protection and support services for affected children.
  • Child Sexual Abuse (CSA): Promoting awareness on child safety, prevention of sexual abuse, and ensuring appropriate support and referral services for children who experience abuse.
  • Online Sexual Abuse and Online Safety: Creating awareness among children, parents, and communities regarding online risks, digital safety, cyber exploitation, and responsible use of digital platforms.

2. Identification and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Children

  • Identifying vulnerable children, including school dropouts, out-of-school children, children at risk of exploitation, and children requiring care and protection.
  • Supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of children through education, counselling, skill development, and linkages with available support services.
  • Working with families to create a safe and supportive environment for children's growth and development.

3. Education and Mainstreaming of Dropout Children

  • Conducting community-level identification of children who have dropped out of school or are not accessing education.
  • Supporting their re-enrolment and integration into formal education systems.
  • Working with parents, schools, and local stakeholders to ensure children continue their education.

4. Linking Children and Families with Government Schemes and Services

Gram Sathi supports vulnerable children and families by facilitating access to various government schemes and services, including:

  • Social security schemes
  • Educational support schemes
  • Health and nutrition services
  • Identity and documentation support
  • Child protection and welfare services

The organization works closely with government departments and local institutions to ensure eligible children and families receive their entitled benefits.

5. Adolescent Empowerment and Adolescent Groups

  • Formation and strengthening of Adolescent Groups to create safe spaces for adolescents.
  • Conducting sessions on child rights, life skills, health and hygiene, gender equality, safety, leadership, and decision-making.
  • Encouraging adolescents to become aware of their rights and actively participate in issues affecting their lives.
  • Promoting peer support and leadership among adolescents.

6. Community Awareness and Strengthening Child Protection Mechanisms

  • Conducting awareness programs with children, parents, teachers, community leaders, and frontline workers on child rights and protection issues.
  • Strengthening community-based child protection mechanisms to identify and respond to cases of child vulnerability.
  • Coordinating with Child Welfare Committees (CWC), District Child Protection Units (DCPU), Police Department, Education Department, and other relevant stakeholders for effective protection and support of children.

Current Programme Targets — Dumka District, Jharkhand

Under the current year's intervention in Dumka district, Gram Sathi is working towards the following targets:

500 Villages Covered
2,000 Child Marriages Prevented
600 Child Marriage Follow-ups
500 CWPCs Formed/Activated
5,000 Out-of-School Children Linked
10,000 Vulnerable Families Linked
30 Trafficking Cases Followed Up
500 Online Exploitation Cases Supported
1,000 Child Protection Notice Boards
1,000 Faith Leader Pledges

Preventing Child Marriage

Preventing child marriage is one of the key priorities of our Child Rights Programme. Gram Sathi works with communities to challenge harmful social norms and create awareness about the legal, social, health, and developmental consequences of child marriage. Through community engagement, awareness campaigns, and coordination with local authorities, we support efforts to identify and prevent child marriages before they take place.

Under the current year's intervention in Dumka district, Gram Sathi aims to work across 500 villages, with a target of preventing or stopping 2,000 child marriages and following up on 600 child marriage cases to ensure appropriate protection and support.

Strengthening Community-Based Child Protection Systems

Gram Sathi believes that communities play a critical role in protecting children. Therefore, the organization works towards strengthening local child protection mechanisms and promoting collective responsibility for child safety.

As part of the current programme, Gram Sathi aims to form or activate 500 Child Welfare and Protection Committees (CWPCs) at the Gram Panchayat level. These community-level mechanisms are important for identifying vulnerable children, preventing risks, responding to protection concerns, and facilitating linkages with appropriate government systems and services.

Identification and Support of Vulnerable and Out-of-School Children

Many children remain vulnerable due to school dropout, poverty, migration, exploitation, family circumstances, or lack of access to essential services. Gram Sathi works to identify out-of-school and at-risk children and support their rehabilitation and reintegration into education, skill development opportunities, and relevant government schemes.

Under the current intervention, the programme aims to identify and link 5,000 out-of-school or at-risk children with appropriate education, skills, and welfare schemes. In addition, 10,000 vulnerable families and individuals are proposed to be linked with relevant social welfare schemes and entitlements, helping create a stronger support system around children and their families.

Prevention of Child Trafficking

Gram Sathi works to address the risks of child trafficking through community awareness, identification of vulnerable children, strengthening vigilance mechanisms, and coordination with relevant authorities. The programme recognizes that children from economically and socially vulnerable families may face increased risks of trafficking and exploitation.

At the district level, the current intervention includes support for identified cases of trafficking involving girls and boys, along with follow-up for 30 child trafficking cases requiring legal intervention. The programme aims to ensure that affected children receive appropriate protection, rehabilitation, and access to justice.

Protection from Child Sexual Abuse and Online Exploitation

Gram Sathi also works to create awareness on child sexual abuse and promote safe environments for children. The programme focuses on strengthening awareness among children, parents, communities, and other stakeholders regarding child safety, prevention of abuse, and the importance of timely reporting and support.

With the increasing use of digital platforms by children and adolescents, online safety has become another critical area of intervention. Gram Sathi works to raise awareness about online and digital exploitation and promote responsible and safe use of technology. Under the current programme, the organization aims to identify and support 500 children who have experienced exploitation through online or digital means.

Engaging Faith and Community Leaders

Recognizing the important influence of faith and community leaders, Gram Sathi actively engages them in creating a protective environment for children. Religious and community institutions can play an important role in challenging harmful practices such as child marriage and promoting positive social norms.

As part of the current intervention, the programme proposes to install 1,000 child protection notice boards outside religious places and facilitate 1,000 pledges from faith and religious leaders in support of child protection and the prevention of child marriage.

Capacity Building and Collective Action

Building the capacity of communities and stakeholders is essential for sustainable child protection. Gram Sathi conducts awareness sessions, workshops, and capacity-building programmes to strengthen knowledge and collective action around child rights and protection. The current programme also includes Rakshak workshops to strengthen the role of key stakeholders in preventing and responding to child protection concerns.

Our Approach

Through its partnership with Just Rights for Children, Gram Sathi follows a comprehensive approach that goes beyond addressing individual cases. We work towards creating sustainable systems where communities are aware and vigilant, children understand their rights, families have access to social protection, institutions respond effectively, and vulnerable children receive timely support and rehabilitation.

Our work is guided by the belief that protecting children is a shared responsibility. By bringing together communities, government systems, Panchayats, schools, faith leaders, families, and children themselves, Gram Sathi strives to build communities where every child is safe, protected, heard, and empowered.

"Every Child Matters — Protecting Childhood, Promoting Rights, Building Futures."

Partnership with Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF)

The Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF) is an organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, dedicated to advocating for children's rights and working towards the elimination of child labour and exploitation. Gram Sathi works in alignment with KSCF's mission through:

Rescue and Rehabilitation

Working to rescue children from various forms of exploitation, including child labour and trafficking, and providing rehabilitation services to help these children recover physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

Education and Awareness

Promoting access to quality education for all children, emphasizing the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty and exploitation. Conducting awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts to raise awareness about child labour, trafficking, and related issues.

Policy Advocacy & Survivor Support

Advocating for stronger laws and policies at the national and international levels to protect children's rights. Offering support services to survivors including access to healthcare, counselling, vocational training, and livelihood support.