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Govt of Bihar and UNICEF Join Forces With Delhi Govt and Udayan Care To Expedite Child Protection Mechanisms

The learning visit was facilitated by Delhi based NGO, Udayan Care which runs Udayan Ghars, a unique model of child and youth care with aftercare being totally integrated into its design and implementation
EP Staff

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1 year ago

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The Government of Bihar is totally committed to strengthening its child protection mechanisms and towards this, it is open to learning the good practices in other states. A delegation of nine child protection functionaries that include members of the Child Welfare Committee, District Child Protection Unit, State Child Protection Society, Social Welfare Department and Child Protection Officer from UNICEF Bihar visited Delhi over a period of 3 days (18-21 May 2022). The learning visit was facilitated by Delhi based NGO, Udayan Care which runs Udayan Ghars, a unique model of child and youth care with aftercare being totally integrated into its design and implementation. 

During the visit, the delegates were given exposure to the Udayan Ghar unique model, who also visited the aftercare homes for boys and girls, being managed by the Govt of Delhi and had an interaction with the officers of the Delhi Govt’s state Child Protection Society. The delegates also met the key officials at institutes such as Aurobindo Ashram and GMR, which provides skilling and employability opportunities to the youth.

Voicing her concerns on this occasion, Gargi Saha, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF Bihar said, “Through this combination of approaches and activities, especially including children and youth in their own pathway planning, we have already begun to see behavioural and procedural changes towards creating relationships where youth feel more at ease to express their problems openly to the concerned officers. Through these efforts, we anticipate that the initiative will benefit youth leaving care at a larger scale, specifically. We hope that the scope of transition planning and training the youth leaving care shall be taken up nationally, as it is prescribed in the laws”.

“The Govt of Bihar has declared the year 2021-22 as the year dedicated for family based alternative care and aftercare. As UNICEF Bihar we are happy and fortunate to support this initiative and to facilitate. This visit will lead to replicating some of the good practices of the Govt of Delhi. This has also been an excellent opportunity for the Bihar delegation to share the good work being undertaken in the State of Bihar for the most marginalized section of children and young people”, adds Saha.

Aftercare is a critical yet unaddressed area of child protection in India. This is evident from the findings of the “Beyond 18” research study that was conducted by Udayan Care in 2019. There is enough evidence globally and nationally that children growing up in care institutions are not adequately prepared to leave care and are not ready for independent living. Their transition planning and training, during their last years in the Child Care Institutions (CCIs), is often lacking due to the lack of knowledge of the provisions in the existing juvenile laws as well as skills in addressing transition requirements of youth leaving care among child protection functionaries . Often children are turned away on turning 18 without guidance

and support or continue to extend their stay in such institutions without any rehabilitation plan. Children nearing adulthood have expressed their feelings by saying, “I felt like a plant being uprooted” to “it’s my life but for social workers it’s just their job”.

Elaborating about the strengthening of this program, Alok Ranjan, Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Bihar said, “It was a very beneficial, learning and sharing exposure visit of Officers from government run Child Care Institutions, District Child Protection Units, Child Welfare Committee, Sate Child Protection Society and Social Welfare Department, Bihar with officers of WCD, Delhi. We are thankful to UNICEF Bihar and Udayan Care for providing this opportunity. Every minute of the exposure visit has been well spent. We visited Government and Udayan Care run CCIs and Aftercare initiatives, interacted with CSOs who are working on Aftercare programs in Delhi and shared best practices with WCD, CWCs and DCPUs officials. We were exposed to a corporate and private institution’s run vocational training program which will be very good for our youths and children, staying in institutional care”.

Udayan Care has been working to change the way we care for our children and ensure that they receive continued support and their transition from childcare institutions to independent living is smooth and such young person, also known as care leavers, feel they have a strong ecosystem around them till they get reintegrated as contributing citizens of society. Towards this, it is being supported by UNICEF to work closely in partnership with the Government of Bihar to improve the Aftercare work in the state.

Thanking the Govt of Bihar, Delhi and UNICEF for this initiative, Dr Kiran Modi, Founder and Managing Trustee, Udayan Care said, “It was a good cross learning initiative. I appreciate the candid sharing by Delhi Government Officials about the pathbreaking work of the Bihar Government namely Child Protection Management Information System (CPMIS) and Home Management Information System (HMIS) that is being looked at and replicated in the NCT of Delhi”.

Since 2019, several child protection functionaries have been trained on transition planning and aftercare and have enhanced their skills on rehabilitation of such youth. Individual Care Plans (ICP), assessments of disability, mapping the competencies, skills, interests of children and youth and life skills workshops have been imparted in two districts, Patna and Gaya.

Stitching centres have been opened in the CCIs in Patna and Gaya to provide skilling to children and they have been engaged in learning several arts and crafts that enhance their skills. Partnerships with Upendra Maharathi Anusandhan Sansthan (UMAS) institute and Lemon Tree Hotel in Patna have led to young persons being placed for jobs.

Talking about Udayan Care initiatives, Ranjana Srivastava, Project Lead, Alternative Care and Aftercare, said,  “The exposure visit was an experiential learning for Bihar Officials. They appreciated best practices of Udayan Ghar initiative of family based care at the institution level. It was an all round learning for officials of both Delhi and Bihar where they shared their achievements and learning”.

It is hoped that this interaction will be mutually beneficial for officers of both states and will reinforce their conviction to work with children and youth in more non-institutional approaches.

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Business & Economy

SVKM’s CNM School Organizes Mini Marathon, Raises ₹6 lakh to support cancer patients

The event was a phenomenal success, with parents and students running for a cause
EP Staff

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3 months ago

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February 28, 2023

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SVKM’s CNM School, as a part of their 25th-anniversary celebration, organised a Mini Marathon Run on the morning of February 26, 2023. The event was a phenomenal success, with parents and students running for a cause, and successfully raising Rs 6,00,000 for the Tata Memorial Center to support cancer patients.

With the theme “YES, WE CAN!” the event saw participation of 3,000 students, parents, and teachers of CNM School. The registration fee was Rs. 200 per participant, and all proceeds went towards the Tata Memorial Center.

“Our school has always believed in giving back to society, and this mini-marathon is a testament to that. With every step taken, we raise awareness and funds for a noble cause,” said Kavita Sanghvi, Principal of CNM School. She added: “The Management has organised this event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of SVKM’S CNM School and through this magnanimous gesture instilled lifelong values and learning within all.”

The event has raised Rs. 6,00,000 for the ImpaCCT Foundation, an acronym for “Improving Paediatric Cancer Care and Treatment.” It serves as the paediatric foundation of the Tata Memorial Hospital, which ensures that every child with cancer receives treatment and support regardless of their family background. It was established in October 2010 to ensure that every child with cancer coming to Tata Memorial Hospital, receives treatment and other support regardless of the family background.

The cheque for the raised funds was presented to the Tata Memorial Center on the day of the event.

“We invite all parents and students to join us in this selfless initiative of sharing and giving. Your participation is crucial in showing that you care,” added Principal Sanghvi.

It is said that charity begins at home. Running for a charity, whether the race is for one specific cause or the cause gets you into a specific race, gives an added purpose to the running. This event is in alignment with our credence as an institution, which has always believed in giving back to society. SVKM’s CNM School is committed to supporting young cancer patients.

Join the CNM School community and take a step towards making a difference in someone’s life.

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Business & Economy

FoodTech Kerala to be held in Kochi from February 9th to 11th at Rena Event Centre

More than 60 exhibitors will showcase their products and services at this year’s FoodTech Kerala
EP Staff

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4 months ago

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February 6, 2023

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FoodTech Kerala, the state’s premier food processing and packaging expo, will be held for the fourteen edition at Rena Event Centre from February 9 to 11, 2023.  FoodTech Kerala will be a 3-day exposition and will provide an interface for the manufacturers of food processing machinery, packaging equipment as well as suppliers of ingredients and flavours for the small and big food processing units in the state, the organizers told a media conference held at Press Club on Monday.

The organizers of the expo, said more than 60 exhibitors will showcase their products and services at this year’s FoodTech Kerala edition. “It is a ‘must not miss’ event for all organizations involved in the food processing and packaging sector to showcase their products and services.

The event is endorsed and supported by Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), CIFT, BIS and FICCI-Kerala.  The key highlight of this edition will be the Industrial Pavilion featuring 20 SME units from the state which is sponsored by the K-BIP, Govt of Kerala. The presence of food processing and packaging equipment suppliers, along with the buyers and food processors will give a new dimension to the expo bringing the local buyers and national suppliers together in a single platform.

The receding of pandemic has given a major push to the food industry especially to the small scale units and home bakers in Kerala. “Food Processing Industry has made a major headway all over Kerala, with the Ernakulam district only having many food based units, employing more than 50,000 people.  The food processing industry in the district has various products including spices, fish and meat, oil and extracts and ready–to-eat products.

The show will be an ideal opportunity for NRI-Returnees to set up food and bakery units to target the growing Food & HORECA sector in Kerala. The state has a fairly strong base of food processing industries. This sector plays a major role in the economic development of this region and various studies reveal that its contribution to the total output, value additions and employment generation have been regularly increasing during the recent years.

FoodTech Kerala 2023 is organised by Kochi based Cruz Expos. The company has been regularly organising the FoodTech and HotelTech series of B2B trade expos in the state since the past 14 years. Cruz Expos, in a short span of 15 years, has become one of South India’s foremost professional exhibition organiser in the B2B segment.

Organised by:

CRUZ EXPOS

Chingam, K. P. Vallon Road, Kadavanthra, Kochi- 682 020. India

Mob: +91 8893304450

E-mail: joseph@cruzexpos.com

www.foodtechkerala.com

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Business & Economy

The Workforce Institute at UKG Survey: More Than Half of Workers in India Wouldn’t Want Their Children to Have Their Job

The survey report titled ‘We can fix work’ entails a 10-country survey of employees, C-level leaders, and HR professionals which was done by The Workforce Institute at UKG
EP Staff

Published

6 months ago

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December 12, 2022

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  • The report launched on 9th December, 2022 at the UKG LIVE event happening in Sahara Star, Mumbai.
  • They survey found that 52% of people would tell their children to pursue jobs in which they find ‘meaning’ instead of being completely driven by the pay scale.
  • While money will continue to remain a driving factor when it comes to job choices, the coming generations definitely won’t regard it as the only factor.

Standing at the threshold of the future of work, The Workforce Institute at UKG, which provides research and education on critical workplace issues facing organizations around the world, surveyed employees and leaders across 10 countries to get a pulse of how they really feel about their jobs. According to the results, India ranked the highest with 66% of employees stating that they wouldn’t recommend their profession to their children or any young person that they care about, while 67% wouldn’t recommend their employers.

The full report, “We Can Fix Work,” provides insight into what parents, family members, and mentors are telling children about what they should value in their jobs and employers — urging future generations to let purpose, not money, guide career choices.

It found that on a global scale, nearly half (46%) of employees would not recommend their company nor their profession to their children or a young person they care about, and a startling 38% “wouldn’t wish my job on my worst enemy.”

“Employees and leaders alike, as has been found in this report, prioritise finding meaning in their work more than making money. We have to realise that with these shifting times, we are navigating towards a generation of workers who don’t necessarily rely on their job for survival: instead their work is more personal to them in terms of adding value to their lives, and fuelling their existing passions,” said Neil J Solomon, vice president, Asia Pacific and Latin America at UKG. “For a workforce such as this, we need to develop a workplace culture that nourishes and nurtures the overall development of its employees, takes care of their physical as well as mental wellbeing, appreciates their efforts, and maintains a mutual sense of respect with individuals at different levels of the organisation irrespective of hierarchies. This, right here, is the beginning of the future of work and employee centricity is at the heart of it.”

Workforce burnout: 45% of employees worldwide don’t want to work anymore, period

There has been a recent rise in the anti-work mindset, globally, owing to the pandemic as 77% of employees around the world want to spend less time working and more time doing things that matter to them. Amongst the C-suite leaders, it is the younger leaders that are ready to bow out of work completely, especially those belonging to the Gen Z (58%), who say they don’t want to work anymore. When compared to the C-suite leaders who are soon to be retiring from their jobs, 36% of the Millennial leaders and 33% of the Gen X leaders are ready to not work anymore. Therefore, a disinclination towards work is a phenomenon that is being observed across the ranks of employees and leaders alike.

Too much overtime affects the employee-employer relationship

If employees tend to work overtime more than twice per week, it strains their relationship with the employer and they’re even less likely to recommend their jobs or their companies to the next generation. This is evidenced by the more than half (58%) of employees, globally, who work overtime 3-4 times per week who wouldn’t recommend their profession to kids. 60% wouldn’t recommend the organisation. The report distinctly shows that more money does not equate to job satisfaction for individuals, as most people have a transactional relationship with work and only 23% of employees genuinely enjoy their work and are passionate about it. In fact, 64% of them would switch jobs right now if they could.

With purpose and trust, 88% of employees look forward to work

Now more than ever, companies must prioritise the wellbeing of their employees, not just for better outcomes in the present, but for their long-term sustainability in the future. Employees in India topped the global charts with a staggering 89% saying that they are committed in their pursuit of greater purpose at work  — most of any country surveyed.

What does great look like?

Great Place To Work research finds people at the best workplaces around the world are living in a vastly different — and more fulfilling — reality than the typical employee, starting with the sense of purpose they find in their work. For those at the best workplaces:

  • 90% feel like they can be themselves
  • 88% look forward to going to work
  • 85% believe their work has special meaning
  • 85% enjoy psychologically healthy work environments

What’s more, rather than warn loved ones away, 89% of people at these best workplaces would “strongly endorse” their organizations to friends and family.

The full report, “We Need to Fix Work,” examines feedback from 2,200 employees surveyed in partnership with Workplace Intelligence across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S., as well as 600 C-suite leaders and 600 HR executives in the U.S.


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