A slum kid in Kotdwara who I met in October last year. This little girl’s voice needs to be heard and we must fight for her rights, if she is to have a safe and bright future. Sadly, she is very vulnerable to exploitation.
Hey there, it's Doug from Sydney here. I wanted to tell you about a new initiative that I am very excited to be holding in India in 2 weeks. This is something that is very dear to my heart and has come from my many first-hand experiences working with slum kids, over the past decade.
First Annual Children’s Advocacy Summit
Project Help India is set to host its First Annual Children’s Advocacy Summit, a groundbreaking event aimed at raising awareness of Project Help India and addressing key issues impacting children in Northern India. This collaborative initiative will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including community leaders, police, NGOs, faith leaders, and concerned citizens, to foster a unified approach to protecting children's rights and improving their future.
The summit’s primary objectives include highlighting the achievements of Project Help India, while also giving a platform for parents and community members to share their voices. Some of the attendees will be parents who have been invited to speak about Project Help India, while also discussing ongoing concerns within their communities. Some of our students will give a short performance (which is always very cute!). A significant focus will be on access to quality education, particularly for girls, children with disabilities, and those in remote areas lacking school infrastructure.
In addition to education, the summit will address critical issues such as child labour, trafficking, and the need for robust drug education programs.
Discussions will aim to produce actionable plans for safeguarding children, particularly during times of crisis like natural disasters or extreme weather events, which disproportionately affect vulnerable children.
Key political figures, community influencers, and media representatives will be invited to participate, ensuring that the summit generates national and local media attention. The event seeks to foster collaboration between all sectors, ensuring that community efforts are aligned in the fight to keep children safe and provide them with the resources they need to thrive.
Through this summit, we hope to build lasting partnerships and identify concrete solutions to protect children's rights and improve their quality of life. We will be holding two meetings, the first will be in Zira, Punjab on 3rd October and the second will be in Kotdwara, in the state of Uttarakhand on 6th October.
To be honest, I'm not sure how it will go. 30 people have been invited to each of the meetings - we have to start somewhere! There are so many children in both states of India who live in absolute poverty, and who are marginalised and highly vulnerable.
Back in March 2023, the Project help India Team held a similar 'advocacy' event which was well attended with 350 community members - however it was not specifically focussed on children. It was the success of this event that made me think that more can be done for children. Their voice needs to be heard. You can read about it here Advocacy and Giving Voice = Love in Action
The Project Help India Team and I would value your prayers and ongoing support and interest.
Thanks for reading,