BOSCO Bengaluru organized Child Rights Week, a week-long campaign (November 13, 2018 to November 21, 2018) aimed at making general public, stakeholders and partners aware of child related issues, child rights, child protection mechanisms and CHILDLINE 1098. BOSCO CHILDLINE, Railway CHILDLINE, Child Safety Net (CSN), Nilaya, Nivas, CREAM, CRY, ECCE, ARSP and SJPU teams were involved in conducting various programs during the week.
The weeklong programme consisted of Press meet followed by the inauguration of child rights week at Yeshwanthpur Railway station, KSR Railway station, Cantonment Railway Station, Government Model Primary School, Bagalur, Bengaluru and at GUEHPS, Farooqinagar, Bengaluru. Other activities included drawing competitions to spread awareness on ‘child found begging’, essay and public speaking competitions on child labour and child marriage, silent rally on the theme ‘online safety and prevention of drug abuse’, sensitizing on child labor, Tying CSD safety band on the hands of stakeholders at marriage/function halls to spread awareness on Child marriage, ‘White Campaign,’ spreading the word about Child Sexual Abuse to stakeholders and public at Majestic Bus stand, markets and other public places, awareness in moving training and schools, organizing games and competitions for differently abled children.
With a ribbon that read, ‘No violence against children’, printed on a black ribbon that was tied across their faces and with lighted candles, over hundred children marched from Kempe Gowda Road to the Chickpet Police station in Bengaluru on the evening of International Children’s Day, November 20, 2018, asking for protection of children from violence. The candle light rally was organized by BOSCO Bengaluru, in association with District Child Protection Unit, Bengaluru Urban. Thulasi, the child representative, spoke on behalf of the children participating in the rally and of child victims of brutal violence in our country, pleaded for protection of children. Thousands of signatures were gathered throughout the week-long signature campaign to end violence against children and was submitted to Shri. Mahant Reddy, ACP, Chickpet Sub-Division, Bengaluru. The concluding programme was held on November 21, 2018.