Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society (BREADS) organized the advocacy campaign by the state level network of Child Rights Clubs at KSCPCR office, Krishi Bhavan, Nrupathunga Road, Bangalore on 27/11/2017. The participants were forty energetic leaders of child rights clubs from 10 districts of Karnataka state namely, Mysore, Ramnagara, Bangalore, Chitradurga, Bellary, Davangere, Raichur, Yadagiri, Kalaburagi and Bidar. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Kripa Amar Alva, Chairperson, KSCPCR, and in her presidential address, she stated that the children are the soldiers of child rights and change components of school, community and the districts. Everyone needs to utilize the rights with responsibility and in every school alumni groups have to be formed and meetings have to be held regularly. Fr. Joy Nedumparambil SDB, Executive Director, BREADS delivered the key note address. The other dignitaries on the stage were Mr. Y. Mariswamy, Mr. B. Roopa Naik, and Mr. Chandrashekar Alipur (members of KSCPCR), Dr. Shripad. S.B. Joint Labour Commissioner, Ms. Vinutha, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Master Pradeep, CRC state level network and Miss. Preethi Vice President, CRC state level network.
On the occasion, BREADS released modules on human rights and child rights education and a handbook on how to run child rights clubs. The child rights clubs leaders submitted the memorandum requesting the concerned departments to introduce Human Rights Education and Child Rights Education, to appoint a teacher to facilitate Child Rights Clubs in every school and to rescue and rehabilitate children given in marriage and engaged in child labour. The children brought out the existing issues in their schools and communities which are hindering their rights notably caste discrimination, poor mid-day meals in schools, lack of transportation from the villages to the schools, child marriage, child labour, school dropouts, lack of basic facilities in the schools, unavailability of teachers to teach the main subjects etc. Dr. Kripa Alva along with the other members of KSCPCR , Joint Labour Commissioner and Assistant Labour Commissioner addressed the concerns of the children. The children submitted the written complaints to the Chairperson and she promised action to address the same.
