‘CPG’‘CPG’A social pressure group built forA social pressure group built forp g pp g p

a community based child protection a community based child protection mechanismmechanism

Ferdousi Akhter, PC MCA projectPresentation for KMF

28th Dec. 2013

Community Stakeholders Community Stakeholders reflections about CPGreflections about CPGreflections about CPGreflections about CPG

Member of CPG, Arobpur Union, HenaBegum said “My parents have arranged myBegum said, My parents have arranged mymarriage while I was reading in class VIwithout my consent I could not continue mywithout my consent. I could not continue mystudy and thus I do not support child marriageof any girl in my community Now I am aof any girl in my community. Now I am amember of CPG, I understood the effects ofchild marriage and I will try my best to workchild marriage and I will try my best to workto stop child marriage contributing to reducechild trafficking”child trafficking

Cont…Cont…

UP member, 4 no ward Sharsha, “ For wardl l CPG f i i illlevel CPG formation, community awareness willincrease more and more, birth registration willincrease early marriage will decrease and Childincrease, early marriage will decrease and Childtrafficking will reduce step by step.”“Awareness about traffickers characteristics waysAwareness about traffickers characteristics, waysand means used by them shared by CPGmembers in court yard meeting help me to getmembers in court yard meeting help me to getrid out of cross-border trafficking by my husband& his friends”- Victim of cross-border& his friends Victim of cross bordertrafficking

Who are Who are “CPG”“CPG”CPGCPG

‘CPG’ termed Child Protection Group is aunion/community based committee responsible forcreating a protective environment for children.Each CPG consists of 20 member including woman,man girl & boy Each group has 50% woman and 25%man, girl & boy. Each group has 50% woman and 25%children irrespective of religion & exclusion. Total 4000members in 200 CPG.Each group consists of different professionals farmer,small business, tailor, teacher, housewife, UP member,village police & studentvillage police & student.Members of Gonokendra has given priority in CPGformation.Members of CPG received orientation on traffickingand child protection.

Dreams of ‘CPG’Dreams of ‘CPG’

Want to stop child marriageWant to stop child marriageWant to see child trafficking free unionW t t d tWant to reduce povertyWant to build a home for disables and old personsWant to do something for drug addiction free societysocietyWant to do something good for our children

Objectives of CPG formationObjectives of CPG formationTo develop a model of child protection mechanismfor reducing the situation of vulnerability and allg yforms of violence against children.To sustain community based support and care system,including referral mechanisms to ensure creatingopportunities for children to grow up with a childfriendly environment on protection development andfriendly environment on protection, development andaccess to services.To develop a strong monitoring system on childTo develop a strong monitoring system on childprotection incidences.To build up capacities of relevant stakeholders forp pprotecting children in terms of reporting andresponding.

Management & LeadershipManagement & LeadershipThe CPG under the leadership of a memberconduct regular monthly meetings fixed a date,g y g ,place & time to sit together in the monthlymeeting.gThe leadership rotates every after 3 months .CPG members received orientation on ChildCPG members received orientation on Childprotection and child trafficking.The leader lead the discussion on issues relatedThe leader lead the discussion on issues relatedto child protection, child missing and childrights in monthly meeting record discussions inrights in monthly meeting, record discussions ina register with signature of all present members

Cont…Cont…Cont…Cont…Child Protection incidents reported (if any). The CPG members report on child abuse incidents, and incident responded. They also keep records of incidents happened.The decisions taken in the monthly meeting followed up in the next month by the CPG.

A monthly work plan has been prepared by the CPG members.

Key Roles & ResponsibilitiesKey Roles & ResponsibilitiesCollect the missing and trafficked child details from parents/relativesK i d f i i / ffi k d hild i h Keeping records of missing/trafficked child in the register of Gonokendra /CRC/ UP Inform UP chairman/police station/BGB/NGO Inform UP chairman/police station/BGB/NGO with parents consentReport missing news in local media/cable

/ dnews/community radioRescue with support of community/UP/police & BGBBGBHelp to file caseSend copy of BR certificate & national ID of pytrafficked victim for repatriation through RRRITF of MOHA, Bangladesh

Achievements of ‘CPG’Achievements of ‘CPG’JanJan-- Dec, 2013Dec, 2013JanJan Dec, 2013Dec, 2013

Stopped 54 child marriage, rescued 24 children fromtrafficking & 15 from missing and facilitated onlinebirth registration of 2 074 childrenbirth registration of 2,074 children.

Case of internal trafficking and attempt to cross-g pborder trafficking has been identified and rescued. Asfor example, UP CPG of Sharsha rescued a disable girlfrom a railway station with support of community,y pp y,police and UP and referred to DAM SH.

Collected information of total 1 28 565 vulnerableCollected information of total 1,28,565 vulnerablefamilies within the MCA project areas (Jessore 62,626and Satkhira 65,939) of which 2,622 families areextremely poor whose total children 4882 remainextremely poor, whose total children 4882 remainmost vulnerable to abuse and eventually trafficking.

Cont…Cont…R h d b 20 000 i l Reached above 20,000 community people to create awareness about child trafficking, child marriage, child abuse & child protectionpRescue a girl from social humiliation, the abuser fined by a local Shalish and the girl started schooling7 traffickers caught red handed with support of community and handover into law enforcing agency5 disable children received disable allowance 6035 disable children received disable allowance, 603women received VGF from UP10 children received stipend from high school6 child received immunization from UHC2 child received free studentship in high school38 vulnerable women employed as a construction labour under LGED 140 days program

ChallengesChallengesTraffickers or their allies threatened CPG members when they areidentified by them. This sometimes demoralizes CPGs for lack ofsupport from local elites and local administrationsupport from local elites and local administration.Sometimes unlawful pressures of vested interest group or frompolitical leaders forced CPGs/parents to withdraw trafficking casep p gfrom police station.In some cases local elites are also involved in CM, HT processmakes difficult for anti trafficking program implementationmakes difficult for anti trafficking program implementation.UP members did not take proper initiative to stop child marriagesfor voteFrequent transfers of BGB member’s makes gaps in rapport buildingby project staffs.Sometimes marriage with a trafficker or dalal has trapped parentsto handover an adolescent girl.

Scope of integration and linkageScope of integration and linkage

CPG member can give awareness session tobeneficiaries/group members of other DAMbeneficiaries/group members of other DAMprojects/other NGOs in the same wardThe beneficiaries/group members can provideg p pinformation of missing/trafficked child/childabuse to CPG members to rescueCPG members can help to provide access toCPG members can help to provide access toinformation and linkage to safety-net servicesand employment under UPIdentified most vulnerable families can belinked with awareness, education, skills trainingand loan through other DAMand loan through other DAMprojects/programme/NGO Networks

Uniqueness of CPGUniqueness of CPGCPG member running a coaching centre witha total 50 children of different classes free ofcost.Some members of Sharsha CPG are also

b f hild i i ‘Sh j khimembers of a child organization, ‘ShurjomukhiShishu Shongho’ helps in establishing linkageswith wider communitywith wider community.One of CPG member a freedom fighterawarded at Peoples Convention, 2012 for hisp ,contribution in trafficking prevention6 no. ward CPG, Boikari mobilised fund toprovide support to vulnerable children’s.

Visual actions of CPGVisual actions of CPG

court yard session by CPG member Pria, ward no.6 arobpur, jessore

CPG member Hena help to birth registration of a child at Sharsha UP

Ward level awareness session by CPG member Jamir, Dihi UP

More actions…More actions…

Sharsha UP CPG in a group work at CPG follow up workshop

CPG/YMG Jessore exposure visit at Satkhira

A disable girl(16) rescued by Sharsha UP CPG from Navaron Railway station

Early marriage of beauti (14), Keragasi UP, Kolaroa UZ, Satkhira prevented by CPG

member

And more…And more…

5 no. ward Boikari, union Satkhira CPGvisited vulnerable households to providesupport for children

Class session on Child trafficking by Beauti, UP CPG sharshasupport for children ,

Tea stall session by Tagor, sharsha UP CPG

CPG/YMG Jessore & satkhira at exposure visit

Future Potentials of CPGFuture Potentials of CPGFuture Potentials of CPGFuture Potentials of CPG

Transformation of CPG into people’s centerp por GonokendraCPG members can be a social changeC G e be s ca be a soc a c a gemaker/social leaderYouth leadership can be promoted throughYouth leadership can be promoted throughCPG

Thank you Thank you