Create a Safe Space for Children and Youth

We, at Shaishav are immensely proud and happy to have been certified Platinum Certificate by GuideStar. The Platinum certificate is the highest certificate which indicateshigh quality work, good governance, complianceand transparency. 

Here are some of the highlights of what we have been up to in the past few months:  

Gujarat Bal Manch:  

Gujarat Bal Manch is a platform of children’s collective of Gujarat to come together, 

facilitated by Child Rights Collective Gujarat (CRC-G) and Shaishav. In the month of 

November, CRC-G and Shaishavorganized a state consultation of children’s collectives (and somewhich are in process to become a collective). 59 children from across the state 

participated in the process. Children’s rights with a focus on protection issues were 

facilitated. Children set priority for the adults regarding most important issues they 

felt urgent and made their own action plans regarding what they will do. Four 

children each from Balsena and from Aaranyak program in Dediyapada participated 

in this process. It was a great learning opportunity for them. They took initiative in 

teaching other children about child rights in small groups, since they are acquainted 

with the same. 

Life Skills Collaborative:  

Shaishav is part of a Life Skill Collaborative (LSC), a network of organizations facilitating life skills with children in India. Two team members from Shaishav participated at the gathering of collaborative members in the month of November. The collaborative aims to change the narrative of life skills and position life skills as essential for development of children and young people, in support of NEP.  As part of the collaborative, Shaishav is actively working oncreating narratives for parents and teachers for the country to increase theacceptability of life skills in the community. 

Balsena Leadership Camp:  

The leadership camp revised Child Rights and explored protection issues in the community. In the past few months, we saw a rise in protection related issues in Balsena communities. This led us to design a child safety audit in the camp. During the leadership camp children were taught how to conduct and to analyze Child Safety Audit. Two key tools—maps and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)—were co-created. Children practiced by mapping the campcampus using symbols that they designed and age- and gender-specific FGD guides, aswell as one for Child Labor, were developed. 

Child Safety Audit:  

Due to a rise in protection issues, Balsena children decided to conduct a Participatory Action Reseach on “Child Safety Audit” in 15 communities where it is operational. Sixty-eight Balsena members led the process, collecting data from over 600 children, including boys, girls, and children involved in labour, to identify protection concerns in their homes, schools, communities, and Bhavnagar city. Shaishav facilitators helped analyse the data and compile a report. Based on the findings, the children are now creating action plans for their communities and Balsena. They presented their findings to the Chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the District Child Protection Officer during the Balsena Annual Program. In the coming months, they will present to local leaders and officials, addressing the issues they can solve independently or with support from facilitators and parents. 

Balsena Annual Day

Balsena annual day was celebrated on 25th December 2024 to celebrate 22 years of Balsena. Each year, we celebrate it with different themes, this year it was celebrated on the theme of Safety connecting to different fear shared by children in the child safety audit. The day started with rally and flag hoisting of Balsena and Tarunsena (youth collective). Right to protection, appropriate, inappropriate and secret touch, good person-bad person, 6 alerts and bundle of fear with younger children and Right to Protection, bundle of fear and healthy friendship with older children was facilitated. Children learnt to make paper bag out of newspaper and through Parichay Sankal they shared their interests with one another. In the assembly, the activists from the Gujarat Rationalist Association, Mr. Piyush and Mr. Lankesh and their team, performed and demystified some of the blind faith trick that children fear, thus making them understand the science behind it and removing that fear. 

Hon. Chairperson, GSCPCR (Gujarat State Commission of Protection of Child Rights) was the chief guest of the Annual day. Children presented their findings of Child Safety Audit to her and the DCPO (District Child protection Officer), Bhavnagar highlighting their issues, what they will do and what are their expectations from the government. Chairperson, GSCPCR was very impressed with the process and assured children of the cooperation by the government in resolving these issues. She also motivated children to continue with such important work. 405 Balsena children and 15 Tarunsena children participated in the Annual Day. 

The event became successful due to collective cooperation of former Balsena members, Shaishav staffs and student volunteers. 

Kishori Samelan (Gathering of Adolescent Girls): 

On 29th December 2024, Kishori Sammelan(adolescent girls gathering) was held. More than 250 girls participated in this program. Sessions on Love, Attraction and Romantic Relaitonship, Understanding Rape, Saying No and Setting boundaries were facilitated through various activities. These topics were requested by the girls who are trained in Kishori TOTs. Songs on rights of women and girls were celebrated. Shaishav facilitators also performed a play “Chokri Avi Re” (Girl is born... which is based on a very famous Marathi play. District Assistant Collector and Principal of Sahajanand College graced the occasion as the chief guest and inspired the girls. The girls enjoyed the day very much and learnt a lot. 

Training at Kasturba Adhyapan Mandir  

We conducted a training session for 107 Diploma in Education students at Kasturba Adhyapan Mandir, Borkhadi. Through experiential learning and cooperative games, these aspiring teachers discovered fun and engaging ways to foster teamwork and togetherness among children.  

They then put their learning into action at the 75th Gandhi Mela at Gandhi Ashram, Vedhachhi, where they facilitated interactive games for 1,200 children from Aashramshalas, with the support of the Shaishav team. 

The experience was filled with joy, laughter, and meaningful connections. Seeing the impact, the girls are eager to learn even more games to inspire young minds! 

Training with Adolescent Girls at Disha:  

Ms. Isha from Shaishav team gave training to 35 adolescent girls and 7 facilitators from Dahod district on understanding Gender, physical, mental, emotional changes during puberty and menstruation and menstrual hygiene.  These girls will go back to their village and teach this to other girls and emerge as leaders in the community.  

Capacity Building Workshop for young leaders 

Concerned for Working Children organization organized a capacity building workshop for young leaders from Children’s collective. Two Balsena children Kaushik and Bhumika participated in this workshop. The workshop aimed to enhance youth leadership by fostering skills in collective representation, group organization, and solidarity building. During the three days they learnt many tools to reflect on their collective’s work, how to document their journey, how to understand problems, how to do planning for strategies and they understood about the Safe City project in Bhopal.  

Resource Material Development:  

In the past four months, we created different Life skill Modules on Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Empathy, etc. We also created modules for games that are fun and teach communication and team building.   

We also translated three Hindi and English books in Gujarati for children that talk about environment sustainability and creativity. 

Training by Common Purpose:  

Common purpose, an internationalcapacitybuilding organization organized Indian Leadership Academy, a training for leaders of Social Sector. Ms. Isha from Shaishav participated in this training where they learnt different tools for stakeholder mapping, problem solving, buildingcollaborations and how to do effective time planning. Many experts were also called who shared their insights about working of social sector.  

Visit from Aataapi Foundation:  

Four leaders from Aataapi Foundation visited Shaishav in the month of February. Their aim was to undestand our work and how we engage with children and take the learning back to their organization. They visited schools, communities, interacted with the team, children and saw our resource materials. They left with many ideas that could be implemented in their work with children.  

Visit from Social Work College Students:  

50 students and 3 Faculty members from Social Work college, Chopada visited our office in Dediapada. They wanted to understand our work with children and how to interact with children using games. They also understood more deeply about children’s rights and how to make children aware of the same.  

Volunteers:  

Shaishav hosted seven volunteers in the past months.  

Four volunteers from Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories' young leadership program came to Dediapada for a month. They created modules that would generate curiosity in science and math among the children, they also supported updating data management systems. 

One volunteer from We Care Management Insitute came to Bhavnagar. He worked on Financial Literacy modules for children and supported in other finance and fundraising work.  

Two volunteers from MKES college in Mumbai visited Shaishav’s Bhavnagar office for 15 days. They supported us in doing the analysis of Child Safety Audit.  

They all were a huge support to the organization and worked with enthusiasm. They also gained many new perspectives on children and happiness. 

NACG Meeting 

National Action and Coordination Group for Eradicating Violence Against Children (NACG-EVAC) is a network of organizations working with children on protection issues through the lenses of child participation. Parulben is part of the executivecommittee, and she is also a thematic lead for child participation. Parulben participated in the NACG-EVAC meeting. The agenda of the meeting was to create an annual plan for the upcoming year. 

Childline Foundation 

Falgunbhai, from Shaishav was invited for a meeting in Delhi, organized by the Childline Foundation which discussedhow to create systems that effectively supportthe government’s work in child protection. Sub-groups were formed based on the ideas. More regional and state level meetings will be organized to take the conversation forward. 

Oasis  

Oasis is an organization which works on character building. They organized a closed group meeting where they discussed how they implemented their succession plan. The new leaders shared their journeys. Parulben and Falgunbhai were invited as well-wishers.  

SVP 

Parulben was invited to SVP India’s grant committee meeting to give feedback to SVP organization on the grant process. She was one of the two invitees who made her presentation and gave recommendation for improvement.  

Bhopal Study Tour: 

Parulben and Falgunbhai visited three organizations based in Bhopal for a study tour. They visited Muskaan, Eklavya, School of Muesum to understand their activities, resource materials and approach. They also visited their field areas to see the work with children. They also discussed potential collaborations between Shaishav and their organization.  

ATMA: 

We have ongoing partnership with ATMA for our capacity building. They are helping Shaishav with streamlining of different systems and build our capacity in doing this. It is a great learning experience for our team, especially young leaders.