Currently, I am working as a case manager.
Previously, I have worked as a team member. My key roles and responsibilities
include conducting outreach and awareness programs for stakeholders and the general
public and rescuing and rehabilitating the children. When we rescue the child,
we try to understand their situation, their basic needs and fulfil them. We follow the entire due diligence
process. For the initial discussion, we fill
up the intervention form for our record keeping. Then we inform the GRP for
General Diary entry. If we have to
produce the child before CWC (Child Welfare Committee), we have to fill up the
form 17. Whenever we rescue a child we inform CWC via a telephone call. After
listening to the full story they will give order whether to restore with the
parents or produce the child before CWC or sent to CCI for further process and counselling.
Based on their orders we conduct rest of
proceedings. If we have to hand over the child to parents, we take a signed form
18 from them; family photo, ration card, aadhar card and the parents have to
write a letter to Child Help Desk stating that they are taking the child. If
the child is studying we take the school or study certificate. After verifying
all the documents we send the child with the parents. We also show the file
with all the documents to the CWC members.
They verify and sign the file.
At the Bengaluru station, we receive cases of
trafficking, yellow pill i.e. elopement cases, runaway and lost and found
cases. Whenever we receive an eloping case, our entire day goes in proceedings
of the case. In most cases of eloping cases, the girls are around 12, 13 or 15
years and are accompanied by the boys who are around 20-22 or 30 years age.
Initially, the girl says that the boy is her brother. We know that they are
lying. So we separate them and give them time to open up and tell the truth. We
also try to check their aadhar card or any other documentation, if they have.
While counselling the girl usually starts to tell the truth. Often, they just
take 100 rupees in their pocket and run away. When we question them they say
Bengaluru is a big city, we will earn something for ourselves. But they do not
understand reality, it is not easy.
In trafficking cases, we face a lot of language
barriers, especially when the children are from different regions. Intervening
and communicating with children who are from religious Institutions is
difficult because people from their community gather around us while we rescue
them. When the traffickers say that the
children are going for study, it becomes difficult for us to intervene. The
children often say that they are studying in the first standard. In reality, they have never gone to school in
their native place. We definitely do not let them go. When we ask them to show
documents for study purpose, they do not have anything. We have to be strict
and firm in such cases. If we get the chance to talk to the children in person,
they reveal the real reason. When we take the children and the traffickers to
the police station, they say that they are relatives. This becomes a real problem
for us. Even if police refuses to file an FIR, we do not send the children with
the traffickers. We ask the parents to come and verify. When the parents
arrive with the documents, we produce the children and the parents in front
CWC. The CWC will verify all the documents and then they will send the children
to their home. We do phone follow-ups
after every 15 days, 30 days, 45 days, 90 days, 6 months, 9months and 1 year. We talk to
the parents. If the child is available at home we talk to the child. If they
require, we do telephonic counselling for the children.
We faced several challenges while working on
cases during the pandemic. Only the CHILDLINE staff was working from the
railway stations. We rescued many
children during the pandemic. The biggest challenge for us was getting the
COVID tests are done and arranging for the quarantine facilities. Whenever we have
to send a child to the open shelter, the first thing they whether the COVID test is
done. Since the last two months, the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike)
staff is working at the railway station. They are doing the COVID test for all
the passengers and children. They give the results very quickly. We have built
a good rapport with them.
During the pandemic, in September, I rescued
three local children, one brother-sister and a cousin. They were around 11, 12
and 13 years. They came to Bengaluru station to go to Andhra Pradesh. Their
mother had remarried. The children had problems with the stepfather. Every day
their stepfather was beating them up. The children couldn’t stay at home any
longer. I received them at the Bengaluru station at 6.30 pm and immediately
informed the CWC members. Next day morning, we came to know that the missing
complaint report had been filed by the parents. The police and the parents both
came and we restored the children with the family. Now I am doing the phone
follow up. We also help them with the ration kits since they were very poor.
Working with CHILDLINE on the frontlines has
been a great experience. Every day is a new learning experience. I share my
everyday learnings with my daughters. Every day, I have a new story to tell my
family. I tell my daughters about what problems children are facing. Working
with CHILDLINE, I learnt how to speak softly and build a good rapport with
children. When you work for an
organization like CHILDLINE, do not work for a salary. You should work from
your heart. When I rescue children and help them, I consider them as my own. Pyaar se kaam karna hai.
I also have
one message for the parents. Please be friendly and patient with your children.
Give them a chance and listen to them. The family is extremely important. If you are friendly with your children, they
will never run away from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment