[caption id="attachment_282703" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Gregory Thejawelie along with the students at the launch of child rights ambassador programme in Kohima coinciding with the Children’s Day celebration in Kohima on November 14.[/caption]
Dimapur, Nov. 14 (EMN): Commemorating Children’s Day on November 14, deputy commissioner, Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie officially kicked-off the child rights ambassador programme in Kohima at Hotel Japfu. The programme was initiated by the child protection services under the department of Social Welfare, Nagaland.
Speaking on the occasion, the DC appreciated the initiative undertaken by the department and emphasised on the importance of children and their rights. He also elaborated on various legal provisions, policies, government schemes and programmes for the education, health, nutrition and welfare of the children, a press release from Raitale Zeliang, SCPS programme manager, stated on Thursday.
Quoting the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who once said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country,” he stated that children should be protected from all harms and danger. As most children are enrolled in schools, he said schools become an important stakeholders for children.
Chubainla Jamir, society director of Child Protection Services (CPS), stated that Nagaland celebrates child rights week every year from November 14 to the 20 by organising programmes to promote children’s rights in the state. She said CPS has initiated child rights ambassadors programme this year for schools which would be launched in all the eleven districts.
Child rights ambassadors is a programme aimed at promoting children’s rights in schools. CPS was of the view that abuse and violence against children could be brought to an end and even prevented if right intervention is made at the right time.
Chubainla Jamir emphasised that the programme would provide a platform where children would be given opportunity to be ambassadors for their rights, to empower themselves to speak out on the issues that affects them. Children from schools would be trained and empowered so that they could in turn educate their peers on the rights of the children especially in their schools.
Povezo Puro, district child protection officer, Kohima, in his closing note thanked the deputy commissioner, Kohima, for his support for the programme.
Child rights ambassador programme would be opened to all the schools and students. The department would approach the schools, once the school agrees to be a part of the programme by assigning students as child rights ambassadors.
The ambassadors would be given badges to ensure that people recognise them with ease. The children/ students, who have volunteered as a child rights ambassadors, would have three main roles to play. Firstly, they would tell others about children’s rights; tell others about child protection mechanism available in the state; and be the voice for their fellow students.
