Child
Care Center
Children in the slum areas do not possess proper resources
to get education. SHARP had established a school for refugees
in I-11 area which continued till demolish of the refugees
settlement in the year 2005.
SHARP during the partnership with ISCOS forwarded idea
of informal education centers for the street children and
those involved in labor since early age. Almost all these
children are from workers and laborers families who help
families by getting into hardships despite willingness to
get education. The centers were designed to offer them informal
education with the object not to disturb their financial
resources.
SHARP, joined hands with ISCOS (Trade Union Institute for
Development Co-operation) an Italian NGO, to have a similar
opportunity for children in slum area.
Rather roaming aimlessly on the streets or working, they
will be encouraged to attend school and besides, basic education,
the children are also going to be provided with other healthy
activities with the sense of cleanliness by places emphasizes
on hygiene.
SHARP and ISCOS launched this project in January 2006,
where schools were opened in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock,
& Mianwali. SHARP envisages a better and a brighter
future for the future generation, as SHARP believes in securing
and protecting the upcoming generation as it not only holds
their future, but rather the future of the whole Pakistan.
The project is currently working in Shakrial, Mianwali
and Attock. These are the backward areas of Punjab and mostly
people depend upon labour and agriculture. So we are providing
them with the technical vocational education and formal
education to children.
It could be rightly said that the Childcare Centers project
of SHARP has gained momentum and the response from the community
is very positive and encouraging both for the project team
and for SHARP. This has been made possible with tough and
tireless efforts of the team at SHARP. In the beginning
of the project, SHARP highlighted the following fears and
risks towards project success and growth:
• Due to increased pressure of poverty, the parents
might show hesitation in sending their children to the centers
at the initial level.
• In order to achieve results on schedule proper and
constant sensitization of parents as well as children.
• Sensitization of stakeholders including the employers
of the children with an indirect approach
However, during the year of implementation SHARP has been
able to counter these project risks with effective strategy
and hard work. The parents of the children did show hesitation
in the beginning however this was dealt with professionalism
of the organization and tireless efforts of the Outreach
Workers in particular and that of the whole of the project
team in general. Therefore appropriate sensitization of
the parents and that of the community at large was done,
which yielded positive results. SHARP did face a hard time
in terms of convincing and negotiating with the employers
of the children however with efforts, convincing and motivation
by fostering a national spirit of responsibility towards
the youth of this country, SHARP has been able to bring
about a positive change in the minds of these people. We,
at SHARP believe, that more needs to be done in this regard
in order to improve this situation and efforts are still
being made to involve the community fully in order to create
more and more positive supporters of the project thereby
working in the overall elimination of Child Labor from the
country, which is the overall aim and objective of this
project.
All the four project sites are fully functional and are
getting a positive response from the community. In the reporting
period, steps have been taken to implement the project in
all the areas of operations with a professional approach
keeping in view the nature of the programme.
In order to cater for gender equality, the centre in Islamabad,
Rawalpindi and Mianwali, are focusing on female children.
Inasmuch as the technical education is concerned, the centre
in Rawalpindi is also catering to impart basic sewing, cutting
and embroidery skills to the female children.
The centre in Islamabad is mostly occupied by the children
of the nearby brick kiln workers therefore it is stated
that the centre in Islamabad is catering not only for the
children who are victims of child labor but is also serving
as a ray of hope for the people of the community working
under bondage as bonded laborers. Hence it is dynamic in
a sense that it is helping to eradicate Child Labor as well
as Bonded Labor from the society.
According to amendments made in 24th and 25th meeting in
LFA the numbers of beneficiaries were decided 500 in which
400 street working children and 100 female domestic laborers
will get training till the end of 2008. SHARP trained 430
students till the end of 2007 and near to complete the target
till the month of February 2008.
There were some important issues in the year 2007 which
were duly addressed by SHARP. Among these issues some are
as follows:
• Reasons of fluctuation in students’ attendance.
• Division of students in junior and senior level.
• Difficulties in motivational campaign and techniques
of outreach worker.
• Enrollment of female student and maintenance.
Annual prize distribution ceremony at Shakrial and Attock
was done to encourage the children. Capacity building workshop
was organized for the teachers. A Seminar on child rights
and role of society was conducted on 2nd august, 2007. Seminar
on violation and abuse with children held was held at Mianwallion10th,
Sep, 2007. Training on “awareness of health and hygiene”
was conducted on 6th, December, 2007.
SHARP is not only providing formal, informal and technical
education but also developed a link with their families
through outreach workers visit parents, teachers meeting
and other community based programmes. The students of CCC
are getting high quality of education and vocational component
is also supporting CCC program.
