Roping in kinship care to rehabilitate distressed kids THURSDAY, 12 JANUARY 2012 22:53 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 4

Roping in kinship care to rehabilitate distressed kids
THURSDAY, 12 JANUARY 2012 22:53
SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
HITS: 4
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Family lives in urban areas have undergone a sea change thanks to impact of modernisation and a sheer aping of the western materialistic culture. Love, affection and respect which used to create a strong bond of relation among the members in a family are sadly missing now.
However, Youth Centre Development Alternatives (YCDA) has started a new concept of rehabilitating the orphan and poor children in Balangir and adjoining districts: Kinship care.
Seema’s father Sadanand Pradhan committed suicide in Badimunda village due to a family dispute and a few months later, her mother Sailendrai too died in remorse. With no body to look after Seema and her only brother, they were shifted by YCDA to their maternal grandfather Kulmani Sahu’s house at Dhubaudder village.
Gajendra was living happily with parents in Agalapali. However, after his mother became mentally retarded, the family had to go through much unrest and tension. As her mother could not perform any work, her husband Karkura did not like her. When things became unbearable, Gajendra’s uncle took him and his mother to Dhubaudder at the behest of YCDA. Gajenrda was enrolled in a nearby school where he is attending classes regularly.
“We undertook a survey in these villages and held a meeting with the village community members where we explained our concept of kinship care,” says YCDA programme officer Sunita Triptathy. After analysing the situation, we decided to support both the children under the kinship care. We decided to provide a monthly assistance of Rs 500 each to continue their studies and meet other expenses. Seema is now reading in Class IX and Gajendra in Class VII in a nearby village school, Tripathy explained.
In a remote village of Gouchhapada in Boudh district, kinship care by a grandmother has turned a depressed Sobhagini to an assertive girl. Her father had died three years ago due to TB and after the death her mother later, she was married off to another person. The marriage had a devastating effect on Sobhagini as it was too early her part to marry. Besides, she was hurt to have left her education midway.
“We came across the sordid story of Sobhagini during a survey and seeing her condition, we decided to provide a monthly assistance of Rs 500 for the continuance of her studies and other expenses. While her grandmother Kanchan looks after her, the local Anganwadi worker has arranged a small tuition in her home along with her own daughter for Sobhagini, Tripathy reveals.
“I want to be doctor,” says Sobhagini when asked about her future ambition. “I need a bicycle so that I could go to attend tuition in nearby villages,” Sobhagini tells.
The village members have also taken responsibility about her education and well-being. “I’m looking after her education along with my daughter,” says the local Anganwadi worker. I have arranged tuition for her in my house along with my daughter, she adds. It has been noticed that the orphans and vulnerable children do not find orphanage a satisfactory place to stay due to lack of family environment. These children need a family environment for their emotional support and development. We thought to provide family environment by kinship care to these children, says Rajendra Meher of YCDA.
The major advantage of ‘kinship care’ is homely environment and family’s emotional attachment with the children. With emotional attachment and guidance, it becomes easier for the children to live and grow, Meher says further.
A total of 90 such children in the district have been covered under the process. Moreover, a district-level care giver association has been formed and a revolving fund of Rs 1.5 lakh from YCDA has been given. Each member is eligible to take a loan up to Rs 10,000 which has to be repaid in four installments, informs district coordinator YCDA Anandini Tripathy.
The steps taken by YCDA in providing care and support to the distressed children in rural areas of Balangir is laudable, observed Child Welfare Committee Balangir chairman Damdar Mishra.