Taking a step towards kid-friendly Bhopal

BHOPAL: As a part of its Human Rights Day celebrations, UNICEF along with six NGOs of Bhopal, organised a forum to provide an opportunity to children to share their views about safety issues and their expectations from the new government.
A ‘safe city’ vehicle was also flagged off from the police control room on Monday by UNICEF Madhya Pradesh chief Michael Juma, SP (South) Rahul Lodha. Equipped with a huge screen and sound system, the vehicle will travel in and around Bhopal to spread awareness about child rights.A group of artistes performing street-plays will also travel to places with the vehicle to help spread the message of children’s safety.
Organiser of the event and founder of NGO Awaz, Prashant Dubey said, “When we talk about human rights, we cannot overlook rights of the children. The idea is to empower children to raise their voice against the issues that bother them and find solutions for their problems so that we can make the city safer for children.” Addressing issues related to public facilities like bus service and water-coolers installed at railway-stations, Sonia Prajapati, a 14 year old member of the children’s committee of Rahul Nagar slum area said, “Children who study in government schools do not have facilities for school buses or vans. They have to depend on public transport to commute to schools. But despite paying full fare, there are no seats reserved for the kids on buses on the lines of the ones reserved for senior citizens and for women. At times, we are made to sit on peoples’ laps in the buses. Seats must be reserved for children so that they can safely commute to school.”
Another child activist from Aarambh NGO working for child rights said, “Children are sexually abused and beaten every day. However, their voices are seldom heard. We wish that such children be taught about good and bad touch along with child rights so that they can figure right from wrong. They should also be given access to helpline numbers and counselling sessions to tell them the way forward.”