Update as on Feb 2005 CHILDLINE RESPONDS TO TSUNAMI DISASTER
Update as on Feb 2005
CHILDLINE RESPONDS TO TSUNAMI DISASTER
The devil wave "Tsunami" lashed the south Asian coast on 26th December, 2004 hitting South Asia badly, killing some 120,000 people in the last count, including many in South India.
In India, the wave's impact was felt in South India damaging the coastal area of Tamil Nadu and a part of Kerala. Nagappattinam, a coastal low-lying area was the most affected
Post the Tsunami wave, CHILDLINE initiated a rescue operation to help the children in distress and in need of help. CHILDLINE teams reached the disaster struck areas of South India, surveyed the situation and set up CHILDLINE Crisis centres within 2 days of the calamity.
News From …………………………….
Chennai
CHILDLINE in Chennai has undertaken relief and rehabilitative measures in the areas of Chennai affected by the Tsunami waves.
The team members and volunteers have setup assistance booths in 3 places providing relief material such as food, medicines and clothes; Pattinabakkam, Kasimedu and near Ennore.
Also measures are taken to provide educational materials to the school going children to make them continue with their education and decrease number of school dropouts.
The volunteers are also involved in conducting a statistical survey of the number of the children orphaned/semi-orphaned as a result of the calamity. This has helped the children and the people at large to access assistance from the Government agencies and other donors.
Kochi
Kochi CHILDLINE has partnered with other NGOs, PTA etc, and formed a network group named ‘ Together’ that is working for the rehabilitation of children affected by Tsunami in the district of Ernakulam.
The network is working towards preventing any children to drop out from schools, rehabilitating the homeless or orphans because of the tsunami, to provide professional psychosocial help to the children. This network has worked with government of Kerala in providing educational materials like books, uniforms and other materials for the children in this area.
Kanyakumari
CIF has liaisoning with Kottar Social Service Society (KSSS) in its relief and rehabilitation activities in the coastal areas of Kanyakumari. Presently CIF representatives and consultants are establishing CHIDLINE 1098 in consultation with the Government Officials and NGOs in the district.
Nagapattinam
CHILDLINE started ringing in Nagapattinam on the 10th of January 2005. The CHILDLINE office is based out of the All Women’s Police Station (AWPS).
The CIF team conducted a rapid assessment of the affected areas in the district to gain an understanding of the children’s casualties, to prioritise the services required for affected children and to determine the CL structure in the district . Awareness and outreach is being carried out at the relief camps, affected villages, and schools. A CHILDLINE booth has been put up in the bus stand.
As a therapeutic measure, CHILDLINE has combined with volunteers of AMURT (Ananda Marg Relief Team) and Tamil Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam(TMMK) to conduct a two-hour session of games and entertainment for the children at the railway relief camp on an ongoing basis. This activity is also being conducted in the other camps, children’s home and temporary relief shelters as well.
CHILDLINE is also in the process of identifying local donors and sponsors who can support children’s needs on a long-term basis
Cuddalore
The CHILDLINE Team has received data from the Collectorate and are working with the school going children by providing educational materials to the children going to school. So far they have identified 2400 children. They are also proposing to set up an assistance center and focus mainly on counseling the children and their parents to overcome the disaster
The Andamans
The 1098 CHILDLINE got connected on January 7th, and was formally inaugurated by the Central Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ms. Meira Kumar.
At present ‘1098’ extends assistance to all vulnerable groups, especially destitute women and senior citizens, not just children due to the crisis period. Deputy General Manager, Planning Division has agreed for free connectivity to 1098 from mobile phones.
CHILDINE is presently networking with NGOs, Government hospitals, education and social welfare departments in reaching out to the needy. CL is reaching out to all seven relief camps and community in Port Blair and other near areas.
Emotional Support & Guidance and Trauma Counseling was a great need in all the relief camps in Andaman & Nicobar; a group of train counselor, psychiatric and doctors has reached Port Blair from NIMHANS and divided in various camps. Volunteers are also attending phone calls in shift, conducting out reach in relief camps to create awareness regarding the 1098 number. CHILDLINE has conducted an assessment of the available resource organizations providing shelter facilities in the Andamans; there are 10 shelter homes cum contact centers present for facility provided to boys and girls.
The CHILDLINE team has also carried out a quick basic need assessment study in all the relief camps in Port Blair and found around 40 orphan children. After dialoguing with the community people it has come to surface that they are not ready for putting these children up for adoption or in shelter homes. They would much rather take care of the children themselves.
The CHILDLINE Team, which consists of a large number of local level volunteers, has divided itself into 3 groups; to conduct regular survey in various camps on children's requirements, to conduct recreational and non formal education programs with children and coordinate work with the government departments. CHILDLINE has become a facilitator between Social welfare dept and education dept for children's requirement!
AS on Feb’ 2005
CHENNAI: CHILDLINE Chennai identifying the strategic locations among the 3 worst hit places have put up Assistance Booths to help the children in need of Shelter, Medical and any other help they might need. Shelter facilities have been arranged to meet the situation in case there is a
call or the same. Private Hospitals have been contacted to meet
medical needs.
NAGAPATINAM:In Nagapattinam, CHILDLINE Trichy members are involved in providing a needs-based help to the children and to the
community at large. An ambulance with basic medicines has
been despatched to Nagappattinam to meet the health needs. VELANKANNI: CHILDLINE Salem members along with an Ex-Director of
CHILDLINE are involved in relief work at Velankanni, a coastal pilgrimage center in Nagappattinam.. A CIF representative will
soon join forces with them at Nagappattinam. KANYAKUMARI: CHILDLINE Tirunelveli is visiting Kanyakumari to provide need- based help.
CHILDLINE lunges for rehabilitative measures with focus on “A Back to School Plan ” for the child victims ……….
Jan 6, 2005
CHENNAI: Don Bosco, one of the collaborative organizations of CHILDLINE
Chennai has been undertaking the relief and rehabilitation measures in the areas affected by the Tsunami waves. The team members and
volunteers set up assistance booths in 3 places, one each in
Pattinabakkam, Kasimedu and near Ennore.Measures have been taken to provide educational materials to the school Going children to make them continue with their education.
CUDDALORE: Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamil Nadu, one of the
collaborative organizations of CHILDLINE Chennai is working in
Cuddalore.
The CHILDLINE teams are working with the school going children by providing educational materials to the children going to school. The team has proposed to set up an assistance centre focussing mainly on counselling the children and their parents to overcome the disaster.
NAGAPPATTINAM: There are still more dead souls suppressed in the sand which came along with waves from the sea. This has happened only In Nagappattinam and not in Chennai. Bodies among the debris are being cleared by the CHILDLINE team members from Coimbatore, Salem and Trichy. The CHILDLINE Directors of Coimbatore and Salem are directly supervising the operations done by the team. At a meeting of Action Aid attended by various voluntary organizations, CHILDLINE was instrumental in including in the focus groups, children, as a crucial component, based on a survey conducted by them. SOCSEAD, collaborative organization of CHILDLINE Trichy had been camping right from the next day of the calamity. They provided food, clothing, etc to the people in the camps. They also mobilized medicines and distributed among the people in the camps with the help of the medical team.
KANYAKUMARI: Tirunelveli Social Service Society (TSSS), the collaborative organization of CHILDLINE Tirunelveli has been working in
Kanyakumari district along with sister concern Kottar Social
Service Society trying to find long-term rehabilitation
measures to the orphaned and semi-orphaned children.
Community Mobilisation – CHILDLINE Trains Team in Trauma Counselling CHILDLINE representatives have been dialoguing on future rehabilitatve strategy with various key persons such as Hon. Secretary, ICCW-Tamil Nadu, the Secretary to the Government, Director of Social welfare, etc. in the disaster struck areas. The plan of training the Teachers of the local areas was discussed at these forums. Director,Social Welfare gave the go ahead for the first phase of the training programme to be initiated soon as possible.
The information about the Training on Trauma Counselling has been given to the partners – Chennai and Trichy. A Team of CHILDLINE representative are attending the training session on 6th and 7th at Stella Maris College, Chennai. The Resource Person is
Dr. Shekhar Sheshadri of NIMHANS, Bangalore.
CHILDLINE MOVES FOR RELIEF WORK TO THE ANDAMANS
Representatives from CHILDLINE India Foundation and its partner organisation in Delhi – Prayas are already in Port Blair as on January 6, 2005 to set up a CHILDLINE (1098) Crisis Centre with emergency relief, shelter and rehabilitation services.
The process to get the 1098 number ringing has already been initiated and we are expecting to hear the ring by tomorrow.
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