THE KODERMA RESCUE PROJECT OUTREACH CENTRE PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR ASHA SILICON VALLEY
FROM PEOPLE FIRST EDUCATIONAL CHARITABLE TRUST
Koderma Station Location
Koderma is a station about 50km to the east of Gaya Rescue Junction . It a major station on the main Delhi to Calcutta Railway line and is situated in an extremely poor tribal area. No other welfare organisation has any presence there.
It has 5 platforms and 48 long distance express trains , and 30 local trains stop there every day.
It is situated in the neighboring state of Jharkhand
About the problem
The team at Rescue Junction has established that this station is a centre for child trafficking and abuse .It has 30 children aged between 7 and 17 years of age who survive by collecting coal from passing trains or stealing from those stop at signals .They also sell water bottles to passengers. No network of child protection currently exists in the area, and the nearest Child Welfare Committee is at Harizabag which is 60 km away. The new centrewill cater for both girls and boys and our qualified female staff will help with support and training.
Project Proposal for ASHA SV Koderma Outreach centre......
About the Project
The proposal is to establish a small outreach centre with capacity for a night shelter , a day drop in centre offering education, support ,care and ability to intercept trafficked children working closely with the police and local authorities.we will be following the much successful Rescue Junction model . This early intervention approach has proved the key to prevent children “disappearing” in to child labor or prostitution and Rescue Junction has a remarkable record of rehabilitation with families and reintroducing children to the education system .
Evaluation and sustainability
As you know if it was not with the support of ASHA SV , Rescue Junction would not be open today. Rescue Junction is the subject of a separate fund raising campaign, and whist the centre is not yet self sufficient , it has succeed in a major milestone for the Trust in obtaining some funding from the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare in Delhi , through its childline scheme to the tune of $20,000 a year against the full running costs of the centre which is currently $55,000 a year, a significant contribution.
We have unofficially been asked by the Childline Foundation to open a centre in this area because of the need. They have assured the Trust verbally , because of both of the lack of other organisation’s working in the area and their very favorable impressions of our existing partnership in Bihar that PFECT would be awarded the Childline contract for the Koderma Area. However there is no timing on this, it could take up to three years and caution should be exercised with regard to sustainability.
However the Trust would not completely close the centre even if Childline funds were delayed further, as we have contingency plans in this eventuality to maintain a minimum service using general funds.
Project Proposal for ASHA SV Koderma Outreach centre......
If however which is unlikely in the first year we have achieved Childline funding it can be seem from the grant amount and the running costs that there would be a surplus which can and would be used to help fund the Gaya Rescue Project in general. We would immediately inform ASHA and the proper use of any funds remaining from the ASHA funds would be discussed openly and transparently at that time . What we are asking for basically is start up funds., a seed grant if you like which would expand the reach of Rescue Junction to an additional 700,000 population, until such time as the Trust can secure funding for the centre, hopefully from Government sources.
According to the 2011 census Koderma district has a population of 717,169.
PFECT will hold regular evaluations including local surveys and will send a
detailed report of the new centers activities including interventions , numbers
along with a full financial report.
Methodology
As an extension of the Rescue Project the Trust will adopt the same methodology which has been so successful .
Meeting children’s needs Raising community awareness Involving the government particularly, but not exclusively at a local state
level
This will include... To strengthen the new child protection bodies in the local areas: the Child Welfare Committee, Juvenile Justice Board and the District Child Protection Officer by including them in the Child Trafficking meeting.
Project Proposal for ASHA SV Koderma Outreach centre......
To establish a child Trafficking meeting with the local administration to help co- ordinate efforts to prevent child trafficking .
To be able to provide immediate care, shelter ,food , counseling and rehabilitation with families of children running away from home, abused or trafficked .
To expand the outreach programme to other community bodies such as Rotary clubs, schools (both private and government), youth groups, local business organizations and women’s organizations.
We intend to continue working with the existing project partners, particularly in the USA to develop and expand our fund raising efforts. We will coordinate applications within a cohesive strategy and present our needs in a professional manner, working closely with both existing funders and potential new funders. In order to help towards sustainability of the Trust one of our project partners has allowed us to set up a USD 10,000 investment fund which is earning interest of 9% per annum.
It is our hope that ASHA members will be able to consider supporting this vitally important project reaching out to so many children in need of care of protection for so many children.
Nick Hansen (Co -founder) People First Bodhgaya Bihar India