In continuance with its effort to sensitize and create awareness on child rights at the grassroots, the District Child Protection Society, Kohima under the aegis of the State Child Protection Society (SCPS) organized a sensitization programme on ‘Child Rights & its importance’ at Kezo Basa village under Southern Angami area of Kohima district on April 2.
The effort to reach out to the villages across the State was to create a platform at the grassroots, wherein the villagers and the Child Welfare department would be able to collaborate on cases related to child rights and their protection.
The initiative has been undertaken following the Supreme Court’s order directing every village to set up a Village Level Child Protection Committee. The centre’s directive to set up the committee was solely to safeguard children in need of care and protection and those children in conflict with law.
Speaking as the resource person, Megoneituo Kielienyü, legal-cum-probation officer, emphasized on the good upbringing of children so as to make them responsible citizens of tomorrow. Educating the villagers on the importance of child rights and their protection, Kielienyü, while stating that children are the supreme assets of the society, urged the villagers to create an environment conducive for their physical and mental wellbeing.
Stating that children at a tender age would not be able to defend or speak for their rights, he told the villagers to take responsibility to safeguard their rights all the time.
“By knowing their (children) rights and defending them whenever needed, you are helping them at the same time giving them the guidance to be in the right track,” Kielienyü said.
Expressing the inability of the departmental staff to know what was happening at the grassroots, he made an ardent plea to the village leaders to come up with relevant measures to tackle child related issues.
“Knowing the inability of the departmental staff to go down to the grassroots, the Supreme Court has passed the order to set up Village Level Child Protection Committee. By setting up the committee, we can work hand-in-hand for the wellbeing of all the children,” he remarked.
The legal-cum-probation officer also educated the villagers on the various schemes sanctioned by the government for children’s welfare. He, however, told the villagers to first set up the child protection committee through which they (villagers) might approach the concerned department.
The keynote address was delivered by Povezo Puro, DCPO Kohima. The programme was chaired by Pungoyi Nienu, counselor SCPS, while Meneo Sanchu, DEO, summed up the interactive session. Village leaders from Kezo Basa, Kezoma attended the sensitization programme.