Create awareness to stop child marriages

Vijayawada: A State-level review meeting on ‘Stop Child Marriages’ was held here on Thursday. The campaign meeting was organised by AP Child Rights Commission and the Christian Children Fund, Canada in villages with the support of 72 NGOs and children.

The Christian Children Fund conducted campaign to stop child marriages in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by involving 10 lakh people. They exhibited a documentary film ‘Mala Jeevitham’ to create awareness among the villagers. The volunteers of the project stopped the child marriages in those villages with the information shared by the villagers.

Abdul Kalam Child Panchayat representative from Uppalapadu of Guntur district Amruta said that they had stopped three child marriages with the help of child groups and those girls were now studying in schools.

Pavani, a representative of Balahita Panchayat from Yerragondapalem, Prakasam district, informed the gathering that their team members met officers several times to stop the child marriages, which were increasing in Agency areas.  

Another child leader Ananthalakshmi from Visakhapatnam explained the gathering that they had stopped 22 child marriages in past 3 months. On the occasion, Child Rights Commission Chairperson G Hymavati said, “These campaigns will create awareness among the children and the parents in villages to stop child marriages.” 

Sandra from Canada, inspection officer Sijju Thomos and others participated. Meanwhile at Vijayawada railway station, a child support programme was organised on Thursday.

Chief guest and Vijayawada ADRM MVS Ramaraju urged the participants to save the children, who escaped from their homes, orphans and kidnapped children on the railway platforms of the station to make Vijayawada a child-friendly station.  ‘Childline Se Dosti’ a weeklong national campaign was organised by NGO, Forum for Child Rights and Childline 1098.