KOHIMA, JUNE 2: In order to effectively implement the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) in the State, the State Child Protection Society (SCPS) has encouraged the participation of all communities and villages across the State.
Towards this endeavour, the SCPS has asked all the villages to set up a Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC) at the village level under the supervision of the village council. The need for setting up the VCPC was initiated with the aim to garner the participation of the villagers at the grassroots.
It may be mentioned that the State Child Protection Society (SCPS), since the launching of the ICPS in the State in 2010, has been rendering its best effort to reach out to all corners of the State, in educating the people on the importance of child rights.
The effort to reach out to the grassroots is being carried out through the initiative of the District Child Protection Units (DCPU) which had been already set up in all the districts. By 2015, it was learnt that the DCPUs have reached out to 536 villages across the State. Maximum sensitization programmes had been conducted in these villages, while more programmes had been organized even this year.
Speaking at a sensitization programme on “Child Rights and its importance” at Viswema village council hall today, Raitale Zeliang, Programme Manager of SCPS, underlined the need to set up the Village Child Protection Committee.
Addressing a gathering of village leaders of Southern Angami area (Jakhama block) as a resource person, Raitale drew the attention of the village leaders, in sharing the vision of the department concerned to set up the VCPC in all the recognized villages in Nagaland.
“The setting up of the VCPC is to encourage community participation and ownership on child protection mechanism. The support and participation of the community greatly helps in fulfilling the aims and objectives of the scheme,” she said adding that ‘Child Rights’ has become so important in today’s context, and not something to be neglected or avoided.
The SCPS programme manager further said that the same initiative has been carried out at the block level apart from the villages. She highlighted on the department’s plan to reach out to all the villages in the State.
Another resource person, Megoneituo Kielienyü, Legal-cum-probation officer of SCPS, educated the gathering about the rights and laws laid down by the Government of India, particularly to protect and safeguard children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law.
Mentioning that the life of a single child is ‘so important’, Kielienyü urged the village leaders to rise up “to protect children who are in need of care and those juvenile in conflict with law.” He said this maintaining that children are the future of tomorrow, and therefore, they should be moulded well to grow up to be responsible citizens.
“Being responsible leaders, let us rise up to speak for child rights and their protection. A society will only have to blame itself for not responding to issues which will confront with the future, he remarked.
The legal-cum-probation officer further told the village leaders to identify those children in need of care and support
and those in conflict with law, so that they could be given care, counselling and corrective advice.
Delivering the keynote address, the District Child Protection Officer, Povezo Puro highlighted on the works and functioning of SCPS, DCPU, VCPC, while he further educated the village leaders on the Integrated Child Protection Scheme.
The one-day programme, chaired by Neikhotuo Kiwe, commenced with invocation pronounced by Atha Neikha, pastor, Viswema Baptist Church.
