Save the Children, in partnership with NOKIA Solutions India Pvt. Ltd, has benefitted over 6 lakh people, including 2.5 lakh children through their ‘Building Resilience of Children and their Communities’ project. The 3-level integrated intervention of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) and Information Technology, across 350 villages, capacitated communities affected by developmental and weather related risks.
The project supported schools and communities in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu towards making them resilient, while also empowering them to access and sustain a dignified life.
Key government representatives from the states reflected on significant achievements of this project at a Lessons Learnt Workshop held in Delhi-NCR. Bidisha Pillai, CEO, Save the Children, said, “Given the patterns of climate change related disasters, and given that India has many high-risk zones, there was a critical urgency to capacitate at-risk communities. We used a context specific, integrated approach with Nokia’s technological support and our social innovations, to developed coping mechanisms. I thank all our collaborators, including the government agencies, with whose support, our reach has been phenomenal.”
India is among the most disaster risk-prone and vulnerable countries in the world. Children are often the most affected in such situations as their education, nutrition, safety and overall care and protection is jeopardized. Child Centered Resilience and Adaptation (CCRA) is a niche approach of Save the Children towards an accountable implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Agreements as well as New Urban Agenda with integration of SDG.
A Multipurpose Resource Centre for Children was set up in Tamil Nadu, which caters to needs of children in contact with law and those in need of care and protection. With support from Government of Andhra Pradesh, India’s first Comprehensive School Safety Curriculum was also developed and released by MHRD Minister in March 2018. In Rajasthan, Save the Children collaborated with the Education department to develop the District Comprehensive School Safety Plan.
During 2017 the Education Department, Govt. of Delhi invited Save the Children India to contribute to the ‘Comprehensive School Safety’, which became the statutory guideline for all public, govt. aided, private schools in Delhi on school safety, promulgated through an official circular from the Director, Education Department.
The project ensured that children remain at the centre of critical planning and development, with them being direct beneficiaries and critical to building a resilient community.
