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24-hr Child helpline for Nagaland soon |
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DIMAPUR, JUN 17: A consultative meeting of concerned government department, NGOs and the police was held today with
CHILDLINE India Foundation today at the DC conference hall to discuss and assess the launching of Childline 1-0-9-8 (night and day), a national 24-hour free emergency telephone helpline and outreach service for children in need of care and protection in Dimapur.
A unique partnership of government-NGO-corporate sector and the largest NGO network in India, CHILDLINE reaches out to all children in need of care and protection such as street children, child labourers, children who have been abused, child victims of flesh trade, differently-able children, child addicts, children in conflict with the law, children in institutions, mentally challenged children, HIV/AIDS infected children, children affected by conflict and disaster, child political refugees, children whose families are in crises.
Dimapur ADC Sedevikho Khro addressing the consultative meet said Dimapur would be very grateful on the event of implementation of the Childline and called upon the stakeholders to see to it that their responsibilities are carried out to the advantage of the targeted children.
He reminded that there should be no discrimination on caste, creed or colour when it comes to the concerns of a child. The ADC also appealed the NGOs, police officials and government department involved in the protection of child rights to think about the weight-age and see that the same is implemented and with success.
Avik Mitra, Northeast coordinator of Childline India Foundation, Kolkota, said coordination between stakeholders of government agencies, NGOs and the police are very pertinent to ensure the efficacy of the child helpline.
He said Childline 1098 goes beyond counselling over the phone by using the telephone but goes to the field and try to address the grief of the children in distress. It aims to reach out to the most marginalized children between the aged group of 0-18 years and provides intervention, shelter, medical repatriation, rescue, death related, sponsorship and emotional support and guidance.
Childline is a project of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (GOI) in partnership with state governments, NGOs, international donors, the corporate sector, concerned individuals and children.
With unprecedented prevalence of ‘invisible child labour’ here in the state- where poor children are exploited or deprived of their rights to freedom under the pretext of giving them education, provide food and shelter, countless of Naga families which will include politicians, top bureaucrats and government officials would have lot to explain if Childline 1098 comes into force.
Any child/concerned can call CHILDLINE through its toll free number 1098 and access its services. If the assessment study, resource directory and district mapping by the concerned NGOs goes on time, Chlidline 1098 is expected to be installed in Dimapur by the end of this year or early 2011.
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