South India Conference on children in difficult circumstances

Over 100 NGO’s and various governmental department’s came together under the aegis of Plan International in the city to make an cohesive action plan to directly improve the lives of 1 million children within the next one year. Delegates from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Pondicherry participated in the conference.

The conference was inaugurated on August 2 by Andhra Pradesh Assembly Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary, Satya Prakash Tucker.

The conference had concurrent sessions on child labour, child marriage, children impacted by disasters and children at risk of sexual exploitation including child trafficking. The sessions drew upon the experiences of various participating organisations and drafted a collective action plan to have maximum sustainable impact on effected children.

Presenting the valedictory address S Umapathi, Inspector General Manual, called for more awareness and participation of people in the development process and praised the role of the NGO’s in achieving the same. Pradeep Narayanan, Director, Program Strategy and Policy, Plan India addressing a press conference on the occasion said that the conference had drawn up concrete plan for the NGO’s but also cohesive proposals that would be submitted to the government too that would ensure maximum impact.

Echoing the same vision, Gopala Krishna Murthy, Member Secretary, Academy of Gandhian Studies said that it was insightful to study the impacts of the various methods adopted by various NGO’s and collective sharing of experiences will ensure that each NGO need not invent the wheel again.
Anita Kumar, Senior Program Manager, Plan India presented the action plan that was collectively drafted by the conference.

The South India Conference was organised by Plan India in partnership with Academy of Gandhian Studies (AGS). AGS was founded in the year 1976. The Academy is currently providing leadership to a network of organisations spread across five states of Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, West Bengal, Karnataka and Tami Nadu and working on the contemporary issues of trafficking children and women, child trafficking for labour, climate change adaptation and mitigation and wash programmes.

Other partners include Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Ministry of Home Affairs, Corporates, Media (print and electronic), National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Plan India, a member of Plan International Federation, is a nationally registered independent child development organisation committed to creating a lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable and excluded children, their families and communities. Working since 1979, Plan India and its partners have improved the lives of millions of children by providing them access to protection, basic education, proper healthcare, a healthy environment, livelihood opportunities and participation in decisions which affect their lives.

Prominent personalities who participated in the conference include Murali Krishna, child Protection officer, UNICEF, Uma Vennam, Rector, Padmavathi Mahila Vishwavidyalayam, P Ramesh Shekar Reddy, Program Director, Mahita, Prof Janki Andharia, TATA Institute of Social Schience Mumbaid, Subrat Kumar Panda, TDH Foundation, Prabhakar Verma, General Manager, SEMB Corporation, R. Murali, Secretary, MARI, Telangana and Ashok Kumar, Field Manager, AGS.