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Social Responsible Personalities State of Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. |
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| Brief Profile | ||||||
Balatejassu is working with the children at risk on streets. Balatcjassu in Yisakhapatnam has completed four years of operation from the shelter, provided very kindly by the Municipal Corporation and concerned citizens of Visakhapatnam. The shelter has become the focal point for many services to the children on the streets. The activities at the shelter include, preparing the child for home placement through meditation. counseling, home placement camps, referral services in education and vocation and job placements. etc. During these four years, we could provide counseling service to 1676 children, home placed 620 referred to 77 children for education and 43 children for vocation, and provided medical assistance to 798 children. At present there arc 15 to 20 children staying at the Shelter on any given day and around 25 to 30 children get home placed or are referred to other institutions. During the first 4 years, we were able to mobilize financial resources through certain funding agencies like Saathi, Bangalore and Actionaid India International, Hyderabad to run the shelter and at the same time we were able to mobilize old clothes from individual donors, to distribute the same to the children. But due to various circumstances our funding by the above mentioned agencies had to be interrupted, as a result of which the day-to-day administration, especially addressing the basic needs of the children has become very difficult. Added to this, the children also have become accustomed to coming to the shelter to access the different services it offers as mentioned above. At present Yishaka Balatejassu is in the process of mobilizing funds and other resources in order to ensure that the children who come sc1:king these services are not deprived of the same and would be able to continue 10 do so. uninterruptedly. |
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| Helping the children on the streets To grow with dignity in the community | ||||||
Bala = Child, Tejassu = Bright lntroduction: |
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| Vision of the organization | ||||||
The organisation intervention strategies are designed to enable the street children to organize and assert their rights and access to basic amenities and to provide protective and caring environment, which enables them to lead life with dignity and respect. The aims of Visakha Balatejassu
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| Over view of the operational area | ||||||
Since Visakhapatnam is a tourist place and it has a beach and port place, most of the children show interest in visiting the place. Here we find many children con1e from coastal and tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh especially from Visakhapatnan1, Yijayanagaram, Srikakulam and East and West Godavari district. The team also conies across the children from Orissa, which is the Neighbourhood State. |
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| The micro level major activities of Visakha Balatejassu ... | ||||||
| 1. Street Presence Street presence is the hea11 of the programme. As part of this activity, Visakha Balatejassu team members go to the contact places and search for the children especially at the railway stations, where the children land up first time. In this context, the staff also build up rapport with all the stake holders, who influence the children's lives like, Vendors and Porters at the railway stations, Railway ticket collectors, RPF and GRP police etc,.During the street presence the team gets in touch with the children and convince and bring them to the shelter home to provide needful support to them. |
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| 2. Shelter Home Shelter home is designed to accommodate and rejuvenate the young children, who are in distress and also to provided a secure place to have undisturbed sleep, relief from hunger, provide medical aid, safety to his personal belongings and fulfil the needs for their recreation. Shelter home is accessible to the children round the clock and the team members are specifically trained to handle the children in distress and take personalised care and pay attention of each child |
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| 3. Medical Help Medical help is a very indispensable service rendered in the street and shelter and if needed hospital care is also facilitated. First aid facility is available on the street as well as in the shelter home and the treatment for the serious ailments is given through the hospitals. |
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| 4. Counselling Counseling is also a very important activity of the programme since it plays a vital role in reintegrating the children. It helps to find out the immediate needs of the children and also helps to know the background of the children to motivate them towards reintegrating with the families. And also it helps to motivate the children towards the Education or Vocational training. |
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| 5. Homeplacement Visakha Balatejassu beliefs that home is the best place for any child to grow mentally as well as physically in the community. As part of this belief, Visakha Balatejassu reintegrate the children with their families after bringing them to the shelter and provide the needy counselling. The team members observe the children's family social and economical conditions before sending them back to their home. As part of motivating the children towards the parents, Balatejassu also conducts "Camps" for the children, which are named as "Homeplacement" camps. |
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| 6. Motivational camps Children, who have more than six months street experience, are affected by substance abuses like smoking, tobacco chewing, alcohol, inhaling correctional fluid, etc, The one month process is to motivate and encourage the children toward attitudinal change in their habits and condition of living. The camp is heltl for one-month period in a protected environment to help the children in de-addiction support by relieving them from the stress. The activities are devided in to four weeks and the camp captures the spirit of meditation and makes the child think about the importance of family support educational and personal development. This one-month process also helps to find the best interest of the child and educate him with a proper guidance. |
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| The remarkable achievements of Visakha Balatejassu in 2006 The Regional Joint Director of marketing support to Visakha Balatejassu As part of local mobilisation for the programme, Visakha Balatejassu h<1s started an innovative activity in Visakhapatnam to get support from the community by getting vegetables from Rythu Bazars. As part of this Mr.Ramakrishna, Coordinator of Visakha Balatejassu had put a letter on I Y" of December 10 the Regional Joint Director of Marketing, who is looking after 3 districts like: Visakhapatnam. Vijayanagaram, Srikakulam. The Director Mr.A. Yedukondalu responded very positively and the order given to all the Rythu Bazaars in Visakhapatnam to provide vegetables to Visakha Balatejassu shelter home in the concern of the children, who need help and support from the community. After the order given, Visakha Balatejassu is getting the vegetables from 7 Rythu Bazaars out of 12 that are in Visakhapatnam. |
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| Health camps in collaboration with other NGOs As part of taking care of children's health, Visakha Balatejassu had organized 3 health camps for the children and also for the local community people, where the shelter home was located. The first camp was conducted on I 0th January 2006 with the support LIFT (Cheyuta) organization and the other two camps were organized on 3rd of April and 26th of October in collaboration with NEST AM and FXB organizations. The organization helped in providing the medicine to the children as well as the community. |
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| District Level Chess competition organized by Visakha Balatejassu As part of involving the community in Balatejassu activities and bringing awareness about the children on the streets, Visakha Balatejassu has organized district level chess competition for the children with the support of "East Cost Chess Academy, Visakhapatnam". Balatejassu has invited the participants through print media. Around 30 children from different schools have participated in the competition. Mr. K.V .V Sharma~ who is the general secretary of Vizag District Chess Academy and Mr.B.Rav.i Kumar, has scrutinized the entire process of competitions. It went on for 3 hours. On the occasion of the celebrations, Mr.K.V.V Sharma has given word that he would provide chessboards, Coins at free of cost to the children and also teach the chess to the children. As paii of the event on 14th of August 2006 the team also organized the prize distribution programme for the children who won the prizes. The programme was organized at V.J.F press club at Dabha gardens. As part of these 20 children from Balatejassu and another 20 children who participated from various organizations and schools got the prizes. The certificates were provided in the collaboration with "East Cost Chess Academy" In this progra111me Visakha Jalavidyanavanam Director Mr.Nagabhushanam. and Managing director Mr.Chitti Babu and Mr.K.V.V Sharma from Chess academy, were the chief guests for the programme. At this occasion all the speakers and participants have appreciated the team members of Balatejassu for conducting these activities successfully. |
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| Sports competition for the children Visakha Balatejassu has celebrated the Independence Day splendidly. The team has orgnanized the sports & games competitions for the children at VisakhapatnJm town and district lcvcl3. On 11th of Augu3t 2006, the team has conducted Caroms, Drawing. Singing competion for the children, who are staying at the orgnization.s that are in Visakhapatnam. The children are from Don bosco, New hope, Priyadmshini and Balatcjassu have participated in the competition at Balatejassu shelter home, Bhupesh Nagar. Mr.Rajan from "Ashraya foundation" organization, Ms.Ramadevi. committee rnember of Visakha Balatejassu and Mr.K.V.V Sharma~ from '·Chess academy" was invited as the judges for Drawing and Singing competitions. The children, who had participated in the programme felt very happy and enjoying the programme. |
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Prizes distribution programme at Press club |
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| Independence Day celebrations Visakha Balatejassu celebrated the Independence Day at the shelter home on 15th of August 2006.Mr.Gurumoorthy, who is the ex-corporator of the ward, invited as the chief guest of the function. The local community children and parents were part of this programme and also they women s.elf help group members provided the chocolates and also donated 200/-Rs. towards decorating the shelter home on the before day that is on 14th of August 2006. |
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| Successful /zome placement through Inter Regional Coordination ... Golivi Rajashekar, child who is from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh was found and referred by SA THI organization working for the rehabilitation of the children on the streets in Bhopal. SATHI has approached VisakhaBalatejassu as it is near to Srik~kakulam to trace out the family members of the child. After getting the infortnation from Bhopal, Visakha Balatejassu approached 'Gaara' Mandal police station and finally found the address with the help of the police. Visakha Balatejassu informed Sathi and requested them to bring the child till Hyderabad. It was centrally planned and the child was sent to Visakhapatnam along with Hyderabad Balatejassu -Ashray staff. In the meantime Visakha Balatejassu brought his parents to the shelter and the child was handed over to the arents in the resence of the team members. |
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| President Position Request letter to Dr.R V RAMANAMURTY Garu | ||||||
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CONTACT DETAILS |
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Flat No. 11, Sri Pada Diamond Towers, Near Diamond Park, Dwarakanagar Visakhapatnam-530016, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA |
