Developing The Future of Homeless Children

Developing the future of homeless children, with respect to BELAKU SISHU NIVASA
INTRODUCTION
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, and housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25, par. 1
Homelessness- What it is? Homelessness is the condition and social category of people who lack housing, because they cannot afford, or are otherwise unable to maintain, a regular, safe, and adequate shelter. Who are Homeless? A homeless person is defined into three categories. In general it is said about an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttimes residence; and an individual who has a primary nighttimes residence that is:
1. A publicly supervised or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill.
DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL
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2. An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or 3. A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
Homelessness- The Fact Housing is a basic human need, yet the statistics of United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 2005 notes that, an estimated 100million people -one-quarter of the world's population- live without shelter or in unhealthy and unacceptable conditions. Over 100 million people around the world have no shelter whatsoever. The health consequences of this level of homelessness are profound. The Action Aid in 2003 had found out that there were 78 million homeless people in India alone. CRY(Child Relief and You) in 2006 estimated that there are 11 million homeless children live on the street. The statistics are grim. What is worse is that very little is known of what it means to be part of such horrific numbers. Homelessness in India With a population of well over 1 billion people, India is the second most populous nation in the world. According to UN-HABITAT, India is home to 63% of all slum dwellers in South Asia. This amounts to 170 million people, 17% of the worlds slum dwellers. India's per capita income, although rising, rank's it 124th in the world. This low per capita income is one factor that marks the sharp divide between India's wealthiest and poorest citizens. Approximately 35 percent of India's 260 million people (a group almost equal to the entire population of the United States) still
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earns $1 or less a day. And according to the United Nations, 70 million people earn less than $2 a day. As India continues to grow in economic stature, there's much debate over the country's ability to tackle poverty and urban homelessness. A 2001 census reported that 78 million people across India were living without a home, many in overcrowded urban environments. Factors Contributing to Homelessness A wide array of factors contributes to homelessness, but they can be thought of as falling into one of two categories: structural problems and individual factors that increase vulnerability. Structural problems

Lack of affordable housing Changes in the industrial economy leading to unemployment Inadequate income supports The de-institutionalization of patients with mental health problems The erosion of family and social support. Factors that increase an individual's vulnerability
Physical or mental illness Disability Substance abuse Domestic violence Job loss Reducing homelessness will mean addressing issues such as these.
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Since homelessness is a phrase in which a broad range of people and circumstances are concerned. Factors that contribute to homelessness are also broad. They include:
1. Poverty: - Homelessness and poverty are attached together. Poor people are not in a position to pay for housing, food, child care, health care, and education. 2. Drug Addiction: - Data indicates that alcohol and drug abuse are excessively high among the homeless inhabitants. People who are poor and addicted are obviously at augmented risk of homelessness. 3. War: - It causes unexpected homelessness. People who are in a good position suddenly lose their home due to battle among countries. 4. Overcrowding and harassment by landlords. 5. Unhealthy relationships between young people and their parents or guardians. 6. Unemployment 7. Divorce: - Anyone in a family whether mother, father or child can become homeless due to separation. Single parents with dependent children are mostly at risk of homelessness. 8. Natural disaster: - Cyclone, Tsunami and other calamities totally destroy the region. The homes are destroyed and families get dislocated.
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Who is a homeless child? A person under age 18 who is living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, campground, on the street, in sub-standard housing, or doubled-up with friends and relatives due to a lack of housing. Runaway, throw-away teens and abandoned children are also considered homeless. Impact of Homelessness on Children What impact? According to a report published by the United Nations, there are 150million children aged three to 18 years on our streets todayand their numbers are growing fast. 40% of the world's street children are homeless, the other 60% work on the street to support their families. The UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO) and several NGO's have got disputing figures in their account of street children. According to CRY (Child Relief and You) about 60 million Indian children under the age of 6 live below the poverty line. The problem has become particularly acute for homeless children, one-fifth of who receive no education. According to Indian Embassy figures, there are 314,700 children living on the streets of Bombay [Mumbai], Calcutta [Kolkata], Madras [Chennai], Kanpur, Bangalore and Hyderabad, and another 100,000 live in New Delhi; however, these numbers may not reflect the true picture, as accurate census information is difficult to collect. In truth, millions of India's children are denied even the most basic rights of survival and protection. Children living on the streets are especially vulnerable to victimization, exploitation, and the abuse of their civil and economic rights.
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Reasons for Homelessness of Children Children are abandoned, orphaned, or thrown out of their homes. They have no choice and finally end up on streets. It may be because of the mistreatment, neglect or that their homes do not or cannot provide them with even the basic necessities. Many children also work in the streets because their earnings are needed by their families. The reasons for these children's homelessness may be interlinked with social, economic, political, environmental causes or a combination of any of these. UNICEF defines street children as children who work on the streets of urban areas, without reference to the time there or to the reasons for being there. In a 1993 report, WHO offered the following list of causes for this phenomenon called homelessness: Explanation require
1. Family breakdown 2. Armed conflict 3. Poverty 4. Natural and man-made disasters 5. Famine 6. Physical and sexual abuse 7. Exploitation by adults 8. Dislocation through migration 9. Urbanization and overcrowding 10. Acculturation 11. HIV/AIDS
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Impact of homelessness/ runaways on children Homelessness influences every facet of a childs life from conception to young adulthood. The experience of homelessness inhibits the physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioural development of children. Difficulties faced by homeless children include depression, low self-esteem, lack of sleep and nutrition and feelings of shame and embarrassment. These children are exposed to the harsher realities of life. Some of the challenges they face are listed below:
Abuse:-Many of the street children who have run away from home because they were beaten or sexually abused. Tragically, their homelessness can lead to further abuse through exploitative child labour and prostitution. Street children are routinely detained illegally, beaten, tortured and sometimes killed by police in some countries.
Child Labour:-A common job usually street children do is rag-picking, in which boys and girls as young as 6 years old sift through garbage in order to collect recyclable material. Rag-pickers can be seen alongside pigs and dogs searching through trash heaps on their hands and knees. Other common jobs are the collecting of firewood, tending to animals, street vending, dyeing, begging, prostitution and domestic labour. Children that work are not only subject to the strains and hazards of their labour but are also denied the education or training that could enable them to escape the poverty trap. Child labourers suffer from exhaustion, injury, exposure to dangerous chemicals in addition muscle and bone afflictions.
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Health:-Poor health is a chronic problem for street children. Half of all children in India are malnourished, but for street children the proportion is much higher. These children are not only underweight, but their growth has often been stunted; for example, it is very common to mistake a 12 year old for an 8 year old. Street children live and work amidst trash, animals and open sewers. Not only are they exposed and susceptible to disease, they are also unlikely to be vaccinated or receive medical treatment. Only two in three Indian children have been vaccinated against TB, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio and Measles; only one in ten against Hepatitis B. Most street children have not been vaccinated at all. They usually cannot afford and do not trust, doctors or medicines.
Addiction: - Many street children use a number of inhalants (glue, gasoline, lighter fluid) and illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine and heroin).
Street children looses their rights to emotional, physical and social development, to survival, health and education, to play, cultural activities and recreation, to protection from cruelty and exploitation, to participation, freedom of expression, access to information, and to a role in public life and personal decisions. Returning these rights, through providing shelter, health, education and training for these children, should be focused rightly. Though there are an increasing number of programs being run by NGOs throughout India, these are not enough to address the problem as a whole.
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The media both in national and international level are giving much attention to the street children in recent years. The 2009 Oscar Award nominated movie Slum dog Millionaire by Danny Boylehave drew much attention to the life of homeless /street children in India. The efforts to increase awareness have led to several initiatives involving numerous groups working with street children, the launching of specific schemes and programs at the local, state and national level and the initiation of numerous studies on street children. A central scheme for the welfare of street children has recently been initiated by the Indian Governments Ministry of Welfare, which gives funding to NGOs on programs related to street children. HOMELESS CHLDREN WORLDWIDE; Global: In 1989, UNICEF estimated 100 million children were growing up on urban streets around the world.14 years later UNICEF reported: The latest estimates put the numbers of these children as high as 100 million2. And even more recently: The exact number of street children is impossible to quantify, but the figure almost certainly runs into tens of millions across the world. It is likely that the numbers are increasing 3. The 100 million figures are still commonly cited, but have no basis in fact 4. Similarly, it is debatable whether numbers of street children are growing globally or whether it is the awareness of street children within societies which has grown. While there are understandable pressures for policies to be informed by aggregate numbers, estimates of street child populations, even at city levels, are often hotly disputed and can distract rather than inform policy makers.
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Africa A study in Ethiopia found that street working children reported that they commonly worked for an average of 2-3 hours a day on the streets, typically for an hour before school and for another hour in the evenings. 8% worked on the streets only at the weekends. The average age at which children first become involved in street life in Ethiopia is 10.7 years. In a survey that carried out on fifty-one children in Addis Ababa in 1994, the average age of initiation to the streets was 9.95 years (with 9.96 for boys and 10.47 for girls). The Government estimates that 150,000 children live on the streets in Ethiopia, around 60,000 in Addis Ababa, many arriving from rural areas looking for work. NGOs estimate that the problem is far worse, with nearly 600,000 street children and 100,000 of these in Addis ,Ababa. Around 1 million children are believed to be on the streets of Egypt, most in Cairo and Alexandria. An UNODCCP study in Cairo & Alexandria, Egypt, had street children citing the following direct causes for being on the street: o Child abuse (at home or at work) 82% o Neglect 62% o Peer pressure 36% o Sensation seeking 16% o Other brothers and sisters 8%
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Of these 50 children 70% had dropped out of school and 30% had never been to school. The same study 11 also found the reasons for substance or drug abuse among street children: o Relief from the pressures of the street (70%), o Peer Pressure (60%), o To sleep easily (50%), and o To be able to endure pain, violence, and hunger (30%). There are several differing statistics about the number of street children in Nairobi, Kenya: o In 1999 it was reported that there were over 50,000 street children in Nairobi, and the government estimated that their numbers grew at 10 % per year. o In 2001 it was stated that conservative estimates indicated that 300,000 children live and work on the streets in Kenya, with over 50% of them concentrated in and around the capital Nairobi. o In 2001 another report estimated that there were about 40,000 street children in Kenya, with about half concentrated in Nairobi. o It was estimated in 2007 that there were 250,000-300,000 children living and working on the streets across Kenya with, with more than 60,000 of them in Nairobi. In Kenya, in order to survive on the streets, young people often beg, carry luggage, or clean business premises and vehicles (...) A 15-year-old orphan who has been living in the streets for four years said that he used to collect garbage, and help load and unload market goods, earning him up to 80 KSH (US $1) a day.
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In Kenya Girls are forced to resort to prostitution in order to get clothes or food. According to a 2004 report from The Cradle and The Undugu Society, they earn as little as 10 or 20 Over 95% of the children on the streets of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, have been stigmatised as "witches" by pastors and abandoned to live on the streets by their parents. One study in Pretoria, South Africa found that the average age of the respondents to a study on street children was between 13 and 14 years. 19 A similar study also found street children in South Africa to be between 7 and 18 years of age, with the majority between 13 and 16. A headcount of street children and young mothers in the different parts of Accra, the capital of Ghana, has categorised the numbers as follows: o 21,140 street children o 6,000 street babies o 7,170 street mothers under the age of 20 o 14,050 urban poor children (most likely at high risk of coming to the street). There are an estimated 10 12,000 homeless children in South Africa. Children find their way on to the streets because of poverty, overcrowding, abuse, neglect, family disintegration and HIV/AIDS. In Malawi, a 1999 study found that the word vagabond was used to describe 8% of young offenders, which the study noted was a term representing obvious cases of street children.
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In 2003, approximately 110 infants were abandoned on the streets of Khartoum, Sudan, every month, with 50% dying within hours. Between 1998 and 2003, of 2,500 infants admitted to the organization Maygoma, Khartoum, Sudan, (the only institution for infants) only 400 survived. Mortality rate is of 75%. Those that lived suffered severe developmental delays and some suffered from chronic illnesses due to poor nutrition and lack of stimulation and individual care. The mortality rate at Maygoma dropped to 33% by 2004, and to 10% by 2005. Admissions from the streets have decreased from 75% to 30%. In Brazzaville, Congo, almost 50% of street children are orphans. Most children living on the street in Lusaka, Zambia are orphans: 22% had lost both parents, 26% had lost their father, and 10% had lost their mother. A study conducted in Eastern And Southern Africa in 1999 in 65 towns and cities that interviewed 3,002 street children found that the ages ranged between 6 17 years, the majority being 9-14 years old; 74% were boys and 26% were girls. The majority of the children, 87%, work on the streets during the day and return to their home at night; just over 8% of the children work and live on the streets. Asia UNICEFs estimate of 11 million street children in India is considered to be a conservative figure. The Indian Embassy has estimated that there are 314,700 street children in metros such as Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Kanpur, Bangalore and Hyderabad and around 100,000 in Delhi alone. A study in 2007 in India found the following: o 65.9% of the street children lived with their families on the streets. Out of these
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children, 51.84% slept on the footpaths, 17.48% slept in night shelters and 30.67% slept in other places including under flyovers and bridges, railway platforms, bus stops, parks, market places. o The overall incidence of physical abuse among street children, either by family members or by others or both, was 66.8% across the states. Out of this, 54.62% were boys and 45.38% were girls. o On a study in India, out of the total number of child respondents reporting being forced to touch private parts of the body, 17.73% were street children. 22.77% reported having been sexually assaulted. In Cambodia, Phnom Penh, there are an estimated 616,023 working children aged between 5 and 17 years and 2,000 street children in Phnom Penh. A further 15,000 children, while not homeless, spend more than six hours a day scavenging and begging. One NGO in China estimated in 2001 that there are 150,000 street children. In Indonesia it is estimated that there are 170,000 street children. In a study undertaken in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 44% of street children interviewed reported incidents of physical abuse. An NGO working in Dili, East Timor works with up to 250 street children, but says that the number is increasing. Statistics vary as to the numbers of street children in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) estimates that there are 23,000 street children throughout Vietnam and 1,500 in Hanoi. A report by the Childrens Society in the UK found that:
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o 100,000 young people run away in the UK each year. o 1 in 6 young runaways sleep rough. o There are only 10 registered refuge bed spaces for young runaways in the UK o There are at least 66,000 first-time runaways per year in England. o Just over 12% of females had run away overnight compared to 8% of males. According to UNICEFs most recent State of the Worlds Children report, the number of orphans has continued to grow in many developing and third world countries, due in large part to the spread of famine, violence and diseases.
Region Number of Orphans (all causes) Africa Middle East and North Africa South Asia East Asia and Pacific Latin America Industrialized Nations Developing Countries Worldwide Statistics 163,000,000 17,500,000 150,000,000 n/a 10,600,000 4,900,000 n/a n/a 50,000,000 31,300,000 n/a n/a 58,400,000 6,800,000 14,200,000 n/a Number of Orphans (AIDs)
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NEED FOR THE STUDY part of RM Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Children are the ones who are very vital for deciding how the world is going to be after some years. So if one can do some good in the life of a child then there can be change, at least a slightest change, in the world to come. Children are gift by GOD; unfortunately not all children are brought up by their parents .Most of these orphans is placed in orphanages. An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. Many of these children suffer from physical neglect, poor hygiene and a lack of nurturing is all too common even in todays modern orphanages which results in various
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health problems among children. The number of orphans is increasing daily. The basic human rights of these children are violated severely threatened. The future might look bleak for these children as long as they do not receive social support. The community needs to nurture its own children since nurturing is an important component of any childs growth and thus it is important to meet the psycho-social needs of children. Children, particularly orphans are among the most vulnerable groups in each society. The reason being that there are few support systems outside the family for them.Orphans are usually emotionally deprived, financially challenged and desperate. According to recent UNICEF Report, it is estimated there are between 143 million to 210 million orphans in world wide. Everyday 5,760 more children become orphans. Every 2.2 seconds a child loses a parent somewhere in the world. 2,102,400 more children become orphans every year in Africa alone. By 2015, It is projected that there will be 400 million orphaned children worldwide 7. A survey conducted by the Ministry Of Civil Affairs in 2005 showed that China has about 573,000 orphans below 18 years old. In Russia 650,000 children are orphans. Orphanages are part of every societal culture. It provide an alternative to foster care or adoption by giving orphans a community based setting in which they live and learn. Orphanage is the name to describe a residential institution devoted to the care and education of orphans-children who parents are deceased or otherwise unable to care for them. The purpose of an orphanage is to care for children who have no one to care for them. These orphanages often provide high quality care in terms of material needs such as food,
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clothing, but they have limited capacity..According to UNICEF report, In India, 31 million children living as orphans. Indian Health Ministry and UNICEF estimated that 46% of children under age 3 are suffering from malnutrition.
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Institution Introduction
It is well known that the problem of homeless and destitute children needs utmost attention as it is one of the worst problems faced by our society. This problem leads to many other problems e.g., homeless and destitute children could become a burden to the society due to lack of proper food, shelter, education, medical care and guidance. By giving necessary attention to this problem, Belaku Shishunivasa hopes to make these children responsible and respectable citizens. Belaku Shishunivasa was started in May 2000 to provide a home to homeless children and ensure them a proper upbringing. It has voluntarily taken up the task of uplifting the lives of these children. Belaku Shishunivasa feels that it is highly unfortunate to have homeless children in our society and that given a good opportunity; these children can excel in life and have a bright future. Belaku Shishunivasa provides a carefully planned new life to its children in a loving affectionate and homely atmosphere. The children are served with hygienic and nutritious food. They are sent to the best educational institutions. The children are also encouraged to participate in various extracurricular activities to nurture their hidden talent. Belaku Shishunivasa also encourages its children to understand our spiritual and cultural heritage Introducing Belaku(Light) a home of, destitute children, located down south of
Bangalore this Shishunivasa is indeed a place of worship. Neat and tidy within is 30X40 one storey building, Belaku is run by Mr. Mohan, a man of great virtues. A small orphanage which is a beautiful home for 45 destitute children between the
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ages of 6-14. The look of the building, having the feel of a home, has a wide staircase neatly swept.
Children there are brought up with discipline and are dignified and well behaved, beyond their age. They have a dedicated time for every activity and deliver them with grace. Evening is the time they watch television or catch up a movie over the weekend. They have been taught various prayers which will be recited before
breakfast/lunch/dinner. All the kids go to the nearby Mahila Mandali school, and every child's birthday is celebrated. There is a monthly subscription of the Belaku newpaper ,a 4 page small journal with great words of wisdom and knowlegde imprinted.
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Title of the study: Developing the future of homeless children with respect to
BELAKU SHISHU NAVASA Objectives: I. II. III. To identify the homeless childrens preference of schools. To identify the future goals of the homeless children Keeping the future in mind , identify the desired changes to be brought in the existing education system IV. To identify & categorize the skills that would enable the homeless children to earn decent living. V. To arrive at the possible interventions for developing the life skills among homeless children. VI. To identify the role to be played by different stake holders while inculcating life skills among homeless children VII. To learn how the Ngo is raising its funds.
Research methodology: Stage 1. Sampling design: The first step in good sample design is to ensure that the specification of the target population is as clear and complete as possible to ensure that all elements within the population are represented. Stage 2. Sampling unit: Those units that qualify to be sampled and are available during the sampling process to be selected.
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Stage 3. Sampling size: Sample size will depend on several key factors. Primary data: For primary data collection, we have to plan the following important aspects. I. II. III. IV. Observations & discussions with experts. Informal interactions and interview with children. Informal interview with the head of the institution. Delphi technique: Concurrent views of three experts for arriving at the interview themes. Secondary data: The Ngo profile, in house journal, various literature studies and the current situations are important sources of secondary data. Limitations of study: I. II. III. This study is subject to Time constraint. This study is limited to BELAKU SISHU NIVASA only. This Study is conducted in BANGALORE metropolitan.
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DISCUSSIONS AND ANALYSIS Understanding Life skills - Explained
The World Health Organization has defined life skills as, the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. UNICEF defines life skills as a behaviour change or behaviour development approach designed to address a balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude and skills. The UNICEF definition is based on research evidence that suggests that shifts in risk behaviour are unlikely if knowledge, attitudinal and skills based competency are not addressed. Life skills are essentially those abilities that help promote mental well-being and competence in young people as they face the realities of life. Most development professionals agree that life skills are generally applied in the context of health and social events. They can be utilised in many content areas: prevention of drug use, sexual violence, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention and suicide prevention.
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2.2.1. Life Skills Strategies and Techniques UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO list the ten core life skills strategies and techniques as: problem solving, critical thinking, effective communication skills, decision-making, creative thinking, interpersonal relationship skills, self awareness building skills, empathy, and coping with stress and emotions. 2.3. Outcomes of Life Skills-Based Education Programmes aimed at developing life skills have produced the following effects: lessened violent behaviour; increased pro-social behaviour and decreased negative, self-destructive behaviour; increased the ability to plan ahead and choose effective solutions to problems and improved self-image, self-awareness, social and emotional adjustment. These programmes have further increased acquisition of knowledge; improved classroom behaviour; gains in self control and handling of interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety; and improved constructive conflict resolution with peers, impulse control and popularity. Research studies have also shown that sex education based on life skills was more effective in bringing about changes in adolescent contraceptive use; delay in sexual debut; delay in the onset of alcohol and marijuana use and in developing attitudes and behaviour necessary for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Approaches to psychology of learning Imparting life skills through arts education is considered to be of great value to the orphan and vulnerable children. The following is an overview over popular approaches concerning the psychological procedures of learning:
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Gardner (2007) is a defendant of the Multiple Intelligences Theory. According to this theory, there are several independent modes of learning due to several inherent intelligences (bodily/kinesthetic, linguistic, logical/mathematical, interpersonal/social, naturalistic, intrapersonal/self-awareness) in each individual human being. He criticized school curriculums which focus on linguistic and logical/mathematical only. Bruner (1960, 1966) represents the constructivist learning theory, which consists in combining newly learnt inputs with already available knowledge. An important aspect in this approach is meta-cognition, which describes processes of self-monitoring of the progress, making changes in their own behaviour and adapting to different situations. It gives insight into the importance of understanding the knowledge levels, cultural background and the past experiences of the subject willing to learn. Wagner (1999) (Building Moral Communities through Educational Drama)
emphasizes the fact that for new learning, previous knowledge and experiences in all areas should be activated. She also states that results can be surprising when working with arts because there are no clear single solutions to any arts exercise. She describes the relation between arts and personality as following: In other words, personality is inherently dramatic, and art is inherently psychological, suggesting the interdependence of the two. Vygotsky developed the theory of social development according to which all learning is first social, then individual, emphasizing once more the importance of life skills for further learning. He also identifies dramatic tension as an essential element in personality development which supports the idea of combining education in life skills
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with arts. This suggests that the training should start with more of group activities before creating individual arts experiences. Heathcote developed a methodology based on the use of drama in order to stimulate holistic learning. This methodology she developed found a broad resonance and a lot of applications. One of the main aspects of Heathcotes concept consists in the principle of the teacher empowering the student, so their relation resembles a partnership. She emphasizes the importance of social qualities of the trainers which essentially leads to holistic learning. A profound review of literature emphasized the importance of life skills in orphaned and vulnerable children. UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO list the ten core life skills strategies and techniques as: problem solving, critical thinking, effective
communication skills, decision-making, creative thinking, interpersonal relationship skills, self awareness building skills, empathy, and coping with stress and emotions. An in-depth study revealed that these children lack the collective efficacy required for a socially-respectable life. After an analysis of various psychological approaches and pedagogical methodologies currently involved in arts education and
programmes which combine life skills with learning through arts, it was concluded that arts is definitely a more than- appropriate way for teaching essential life skills. The answer to reduce behaviour problems and to enhance the life-skills of these children was found to be the idea providing them with experiential learning in four areas of arts namely:Theatre & dance, music, fine-arts and literature. The study suggests various links between arts and life skills. It was found that music is associated with spatial reasoning and the ability to plan while drama shows
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consistent effects on component skills such as character building, reading and writing skills, and interpersonal skills such as dealing with conflict. Dance
contributes to increased self-confidence, persistence, social tolerance, and appreciation of individual and group social development. It also indicates that fine arts programs reduce delinquent behaviour, improve self-esteem and have positive effects on learning processes. Overall, the effect of art programs is highly recommended for the development of cognitive, social, and personal competencies. In addition, the study identified that the trainer is the main actor providing the atmosphere of the lesson which is of great impact. An exploration of their cultural background and the circumstances which made them the persons they are at the actual point in time should be considered. It was also identified that Multi-age grouping provides more natural environment and that non-graded groups are more effective than graded ones. Taken together there are seven components which defines a broad continuum of care that can provide for the complex needs of children. They are:1) Food and nutrition support: These services have the desired outcomes of food and nutrition security and supporting proper development with appropriate nutrition. 2) Shelter and material care: These services have the desired outcomes of children having protective shelter, clothing, or access to clean safe water or basic personal hygiene. 3) Protection: These services have the desired outcomes of eliminating stigma, social neglect, and physical and sexual abuse and exploitation as well as access to legal support (birth registration, inheritance claims, and no sibling separation).
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4) Health care: These services have the desired outcomes of meeting the preventive and curative health needs of children in an age-appropriate way, providing primary care, immunization, treatment for children when they are sick, HIV testing if known to be exposed or if exposure status is unknown, ongoing treatment for HIV-positive children, and HIV prevention, especially age appropriate HIV prevention education for older OVCs. 5) Psychosocial support: These services have the desired outcomes of children having the human relationships necessary for normal development and enabling children to participate cooperatively with other children and adults in activities such as school, recreation, and work. 6) Education and vocational training: These services have the desired outcomes of vulnerable children receiving educational and vocational opportunities in accord with community norms and market-driven employment options. 7) Economic strengthening: These services have the desired outcome those households caring for children can meet their own basic needs
Improving the Quality of Care for Orphan and vulnerable children

Coordination of Care Coordination of care is the critical integrative activity that ensures that services have the desired impact. Coordinated care can be broadly defined as a child-focused process that identifies needs, and augments and coordinates existing services and manages child wellness through advocacy, communication, education, and identification of and referral to services. While it is critical that care is coordinated for each child, there are many activities that must be carried out at the community,
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region, and system level. The discussion below addresses coordination of care at the point of service delivery, presents a tool for assessing and monitoring child status, and describes coordination of care challenges at the community and system level. Appendix E includes examples of service delivery guidelines for coordination of care. Coordination of Care at the Point of Service Delivery At the child/household level, coordination of care involves assessing needs, planning care for a child or family, monitoring care, and making adjustments to the combination of services when needed. Coordinators of care will usually provide both direct care and referral for services. For example, a care coordinator might directly provide psychosocial support and assistance with registration for school but may be in a referral role with respect to legal and health services. Ideally, coordination of care involves a home visit so that all the relevant aspects of the childs situation may be reviewed, but tools and approaches can be modified so that this individual assessment can take place in a group setting, such as a school, feeding program, or youth group. Regardless of whether the needed service is directly provided or arranged through referral, the home visitor/coordinator should monitor ALL the services that the child is receiving on an ongoing basis. Coordination of Care at the Community and System Level Effective coordination of care at the point of service delivery requires a great deal of coordination and information sharing at other levels. The following activities must be carried out to enable coordinated care and referral at the household level:
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Community mobilization is required to organize the resources (human and other) to design, lead, and implement activities related to OVC care at the local level. This usually involves forming committees at the village levels or empowering existing groups to address OVC issues. The process involves dialogue within the community to foster recognition and ownership of the problem, identification of community resources, setting priorities, and developing and implementing action plans. Community leadership from the outset facilitates success and sustainability of coordinated care. Service mapping is needed to identify resources and gaps in the continuum of care at the local level. Information about what services are available, who is eligible, and how services are accessed (registration procedures, criteria, etc.) must be gathered and relayed to the service providers who will coordinate care at the household level. Care coordinators, in turn, can then educate caretakers about available services. Network building is also critical for coordinated care. Network building refers to the development of a web of relationships among implementing partners, civil society organizations, government agencies, donors, and experts in universities and the private sector. Network building involves meetings, sharing of information, and joint efforts to make policy and to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs. Finally, it is important to note that coordination of care is a joint responsibility of the community, government, civil society, and implementing agencies. Each of these will have different organizational strengths, technical capabilities, and resources.
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The Child Status Index A tool that can be helpful in assessing and tracking priority services a child needs is the Child Status Index and the accompanying Child Status Record. Equally useful for initial assessment and follow-up monitoring, the tool focuses on essential actions and is flexible enough that users can adapt criteria to the local context. Data from the Child Status Index and community mapping of services can be used together to inform coordination of care. The Child Status Index (CSI) is based on six domains with 12 measurable goals related to the six core services that, taken together, approximate a standard for overall child health and well-being. The CSI goals are presented below under each of the six domains of care and are parallel with the six core service areas described previously: 1. Food and Nutrition a. Food security: The child has sufficient food to sustain an active and healthy life at all times. b. Nutrition and growth: The child is growing well compared to others of same age in city/village. 2. Shelter and Care a. Shelter: The child has shelter that is adequate, dry, and safe. b. Care: The child has at least one adult who provides consistent love and support. 3. Protection a. Protection from abuse and exploitation: The child is safe from any abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
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b. Legal protection: The child has access to legal protection services as needed. 4. Health a. Wellness: The child is healthy. b. Health services: The child has access to needed services: preventative and treatment. 5. Psychosocial Support a. Emotional health: The child is happy and content and has a generally positive attitude. b. Social interaction: The child is cooperative and enjoys participating in activities with other children and adults. 6. Education and Vocational Training a. Educational/vocational performance: The child is achieving well at home, school, job training, or work and is acquiring knowledge and skills as expected. b. Educational/vocational participation: The child is enrolled and attends school, vocational training, or works (appropriate for age). The Child Status Index includes a four-point scale for each goal so that the childs well-being can be assessed as good, fair, bad, or very bad. Composite scores can also be calculated. The goals themselves, as well as the rating guidance, are phrased in ways that allow for some local variation, yet the measures are still meaningful and specific. The accompanying Child Status Record, which records status over time, indicates services received and identifies critical events that have occurred in the life of the child. A family version is also included for scoring multiple children from one family. These can serve as tools for ongoing coordination of care
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A note about economic strengthening activities: While most of these domains of care areparallel with the services and activities provided by implementing agencies, it can be noted that economic strengthening activities are not listed as one of the domains of child status. Rather, economic strengthening, when effective, is expected to have an enhancing effect on a number of the 12 measures listed here. Since the CSI focuses on the well-being of the child, the CSI does not address direct measurement of these economic strengthening services. In practice, implementing agencies may want to determine measures for economic strengthening as well.
Flowchart providing service in the area of education might include the following essential actions:
Education Flow Chart
Identify vulnerable children in need of school services
Identify barriers to education
Work with family/caregiver and community to remove barriers
Support registration of child
Provide uniforms and supplies as needed
Track attendance and progress
Transition to vocational training/work
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The process outlined here for improving quality by defining service standards promises to be an effective way for stakeholders to agree on standards and guidelines for care that will allow them to implement effective programs and gather consistent information about their services. As a result, organizations and partners, together with governments and donors, will have more reliable information about how many children are served and what services they are receiving. This in turn, provides program accountability and supports policy formulation, planning, and funding decisions at the national and international levels. This process goes beyond counting to enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, reach, and appropriateness of the services provided by participating organizations. Working together across programs to define common goals and service standards is an excellent way to develop and spread evidence-based strategies rapidly to maximize outcomes for vulnerable children and expand coverage. It is further hoped that the clear guidelines that result from this process will reinforce the mission of service delivery organizations, and align services and activities with desired outcomes. A quality focus can provide direct service providers at the community level with the motivation and means to provide care that is good enough and getting better all the time, so that vulnerable children and their caregivers can survive, thrive and move through the life cycle with resilience and hope.
Survey procedure
As a part of observations and interviews, responses of the children pertaining to four questions as developed through Delphi technique were recorded for analysis. Since the objective of the study was to investigate the views of OVC with respect to their
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future goals and life skills, four major open-ended questions with supplementary questions of the survey were developed based on discussion with the external guide. There are the following major themes:-
-teacher of your school, what would you do first to improve your school?
nity? The administration of the recording of their views was carried out at their convenience. This method of head of the institution guiding the interview session resulted in a very high response rate. Some students had difficulty expressing their own opinion on the survey, which indicated their literacy level. Procedure for Analysis The analysis attempted to use the qualitative data to identify themes which surfaced in the majority of interviews. The information collected from the interviews, observation and the survey were analysed thematically. Examples of themes include students perceptions to education, their views to current enrolled school situation, and finally their vision of the future in relation to their family and community. These themes were also withdrawn from the survey. It was thought to be critical to explore whether children would consider their contribution to their community in future or would prefer to pursue their own fulfilment in the city. The number of respondents for the interview was categorised and calculated. Reporting views emerging from the words of about 15 children does not seek to offer a representative picture, but rather
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to demand attention to be paid to the accumulation of individual perspectives of students. However, the views of a small number of students also assist educationists in comprehending their general perceptions. Results The studys findings show that the OVC are keen to have an education experience and prefer a community school to a government basic school for learning, as community schools are reasonable and geographically accessible. In spite of constraints they face in their everyday life, each student has his/her own dream to become teacher, doctor, nurse, and pilot and so on. Most children expressed that they were keen on proceeding to secondary school, and were interested in serving to improve the situation of the institution with their acquired skills at some future point. Moreover, some of them reported they came to school not only to learn school subjects but also to meet friends. For instance, drawing from observation and informal conversations with students it is known that students took pleasure of playing football as well as conversation with classmates at school. A few responded they respect the elderly people. Some students stated they were proud of mutual cooperation observed in the institution. Results in accordance to thematic groups outlined in the survey procedure section emerged from the survey are presented as follows. Students perception to Education 5 out of 15 students responded to the question of their views towards education that they were eager to get education for better life, and 8 of them answered with achieving their future dream/goal. On the other hand, 2 of the students expressed
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that they wanted to get education for their family and society so that they could help their family or community members in future. Most children expressed that they were keen on proceeding to secondary school, and were interested in serving to improve the situation of the Compound with their acquired skills at some future point. Moreover, some of them mentioned they go to school not only to learn school subjects but also to meet friends. The students took pleasure in playing football as well as conversations with classmates at school. The students responses to the open-ended question of If you were the head-teacher of your school, what would you do first? are summarised in Table 1 below. Table 1 The number of responses to the question
Buy reading books/ material 4
Construct more
Clean the
Teach
Have
Make sure
Help OVC
Respect/ Career morality
classrooms school
Guidance good teaching
3 students showed their concern about school construction. This number reflects the fact that many students study in a congested classroom and some do not have enough space for writing. Also, they responded they would buy more books for reading and materials for studying if they were a head teacher of their school. In spite of insufficient school infrastructure conditions, 2 of them said they would teach
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respect and morality to students, which related to suggestion of the development of the school code. Individual elements of human rights are taught in the subject of Religious Education at school, yet students feel that it is more valuable to be taught discipline, respect and morality at school. While only two showed a consideration about good teaching to students, 1 indicated a need for career guidance. Response from the interview confirmed that each student had their own ideas about school. This was an occasion for them to express their opinions about school for the first time. Student Dreams This was an open-ended question and students told their own answer. What students are willing to achieve in the future extensively differed. Table 2 indicates the number of major response out of 15 students to the question. Table 2. Response to the question of What do you want to be in the future?
Teacher Nurse Soldier Accountant Engineer Lawyer Pilot Doctor Others
As the table clearly shows, the students tend to envision themselves in white collar jobs in the future. Student Views towards Their Contribution to their Community in the Future In the relation to student dreams above, the result shows that 12 of the students said that they would like to work in town as there were more facilities and workplaces available, On the other hand, 3 of them responded they would like to work in their community so that they could help people in need or they could contribute to community improvement with their education.
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Two of the students stated: I want to work in my community to help people, who are needy, specially the OVC I want to work in town to improve the standard of our town
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FINDINGS & SUGGESTIONS Make it separate
The studys findings show that the OVC are keen to have an education experience and prefer a community school to a government basic school for learning, as community schools are reasonable and geographically
accessible. In spite of constraints they face in their everyday life, each student has his/her own dream to become teacher, doctor, engineer, and pilot and so on. Most children expressed that they were keen on proceeding to secondary school, and were interested in serving to improve the situation of the institution with their acquired skills at some future point. A few responded they respect the elderly people. Some students stated they were proud of mutual cooperation observed in the institution, they live in. In the relation to student dreams, the result shows that 12 of the students would like to work in town as there were more facilities and workplaces available. On the other hand, 3 of them responded they would like to work in their community so that they could help people in need or they could contribute to community improvement with their education.
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Developing the future of homeless children, with respect to BELAKU SISHU NIVASA Conclusion
The aim of the study is to identify the homeless childrens preference of schools, their future goals, identify and categorize the skills that would enable the homeless children to earn decent living and keeping the future in mind, identify the desired changes to be brought in the existing education system. Practitioners, policy makers and researchers need to be reminded again that we should constantly listen to students voices to not constrain, or hinder their learning or life but genuine thoughts about education and life. To have opportunities to gain childrens voices, a traditional system of teacher-centred-school management should be reconsidered. Adults should assist children in fulfilling their dreams. Children deserve practical guidance to raise their capacity from adults to be self-reliant in the future. The government of India requires needs assessment in communities so that teachers in cooperation with community members can organise entrepreneurship classes for children. The development of human values such as respect, morality, cooperation and solidarity are significant elements to be acquired whilst community schools play a significant role in provision of primary education, improved practical teachers training would help to ensure that students are appropriately supported with necessary career guidance and gaining practical skills. If policy makers and educational officers still value societys communal aspect and necessity of implementing localised curriculum at school, they should prepare for more practical workshop for teachers including community members. While we might be a long way from identifying answers to how things need to be adjusted in response, the first step is certainly to listen to students voices by considering what they say as children. A positive outcome of the study was that students discussed their opinion on education, and had an opportunity to reflect their future.
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Developing The Future of Homeless Children

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Developing the future of homeless children, with respect to BELAKU SISHU NIVASA

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

Improving the Quality of Care for Orphan and vulnerable children

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

Identify vulnerable children in need of school services

Identify barriers to education

Work with family/caregiver and community to remove barriers

Support registration of child

Provide uniforms and supplies as needed

Track attendance and progress

Transition to vocational training/work

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

Buy reading books/ material 4

Respect/ Career morality

Guidance good teaching

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

DAYANANDA SAGAR BUSINESS SCHOOL

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