2003 Aid Program Report Pursuant to activities in 2002, aid from the Think the Earth Project was utilized for the "Dhaka Street Children Assistance Activities." It has been three years since Shapla Neer has begun providing assistance to the street children in Dhaka in conjunction with a local NGO, Aparajeyo Bangladesh. From April 2003, it has entered the second phase, whereby Shapla Neer has implemented job training and created associations with regional residents. The project aims to augment the quality of life of the children who live on the streets in the area of Sayedabad and Jatrabari of southeastern Dhaka. === Children come to live on the streets for various reasons; from generic reasons, such as "poverty," "lack of access to the basic social and economical services," and "population increase," to "estrangement from their parents, or bad relations with the step parents, following their parentfs divorce," "complications within family, abuse, psychological torture," and "long-term illness of their parents or the parentsf death."@@The children become involved in drug trafficking, radical political campaigns, and antisocial activities, and they get arrested without even knowing the reality of what they were involved in. Many street children live off 30 to 40 taka (approximately 60 to 80 yen) a day by recycling waste, selling goods, begging, and shining shoes; some children even prostitute themselves to feed themselves each day. 2003 Activity Results Street Schools Street schools serve as a "doorway" for street children to encounter Aparajeyo Bangladesh. Two-hour sessions are conducted six days a week every morning and afternoon to teach these children simple reading and writing, math, and health, but it also provides a platform for children to help each other, and to think about social responsibility. In 2003, improvement of activities were considered, such as implementation of new education methods and extension of afternoon classes which were proposed by children. Drop-in Center Because the streets are unsafe, Shapla Neer aims for the drop in center to develop into a place that mitigates the insecurities and sufferings of the children there. The doors are open seven days a week from 8 am to 5 pm. Since 2002, usage of nighttime shelters, referred to as the "club" began. These centers provide a safe and secure environment where children can nurture their friendship and trust for one another. Drop-in center aim to nurture the childrenfs sense of independence while also developing the sense of "belonging" by having the children spend time at the shelter. From July 2003, nutritionally balanced meals were provided, and job training from August also began in addition to the existent STD and health education and technical training. Children who attend street schools may request to transfer into drop-in center; in 2003, seven children actually transferred from the street school to the center. === Through providing nutritionally balanced meals, they aim to teach children and have them practice eating hygienic and well-balanced meals. At the same time, this highlights the importance of educating children about the basics of nutritionally balanced meals such as protein, mineral salts, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins. 2003 Activity Results Contact with Street Children In 2003, 240 new children signed up for street schools; the staff at the drop in center met with 945 children (657 in 2002). The annual users of street schools were 688 students, and the children who used drop-in center totaled 869. Opportunities for Education At the Street School and Drop in Center they provide a place for education to all street children. Furthermore, from August 2003, in addition to the technical training already offered, they began offering job training; they taught embroidery and production of signs boards and banners. 25 children participated, 10 graduated. Because they are too young to work, the 10 children plan to attain more skills. Motivation and Counseling At the drop-in centers, records of the growth of children with traumas as well as their changes in behavior, case history, health records, and progress of education is kept on file. These are used to effectively motivate and counsel the children. In 2003, Shapla Neer conducted individual counseling for two children regarding "romance among children" and "marrying too young." === For about a month and half beginning from March 2004, they conducted counseling training to the local Aparajeyo Bangladesh staff using the NGO technical expert dispatch program of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This was conducted because the significance of providing emotional care to children and the demand for staff training was high. Through this training, Shapla Neer attempted to focus on the need for "adults to change" in order to extract the talents and possibilities of the children. Cooperation with the People in the region In order to promote the rights of children, they aim to have active involvement of the people in the region by providing them information. In 2003, they were able to communicate with over 900 people in the region, to talk about the street children assistance activities and asked for their understanding of the issues and the activities. In 2003, assemblies with the inhabitants of the region were conducted three times; about 130 people participated in these assemblies. In the summer Shapla Neer conducted workshops in Sayedabad and Jatrabari area on dengue fever. Two hundred children also participated in this workshop. After the workshops, clean up activity of the area was conducted together with the people of the region; this was praised very highly of. @And in the winter, they received over 80 items of warm clothing from the region. Childrenfs Participation Once every month, Shapla Neer created a day where children can experience being the manager and the children held a meeting. For issues that could not be resolved in the meeting held by children, the staff joined in and frank discussions were held. Moreover, an arbitration committee of children was created to resolve problems among children. Another example of the involvement of children is the banks which were created; children take care of their own money there. The street children also put on four theatrical performances at a large theater and 4000 plus people came to see the performances. This event effectively augmented the consciousness for the rights of children. === Street children in the abovementioned areas conducted large theatrical performances. Titled "A Small Dream" and "We Will Fight," it illustrated how the children came to live on the streets and the harsh circumstances they face. Recreational Activities Aside from field trips, sports festivals, and visits to historical sites, there are audio and visual facilities with which children can also listen to music and watch TV, and there are also indoor games. They provide fun that other children in normal environments can normally enjoy. When children are having fun, they seem to be very attentive and well behaved. Health Hygiene Services There were 9,316 users of these services in 2003 that came to receive emergency and medical treatment; of these, 77 persons were diagnosed at a clinic, and 1 received treatment from a hospital. Moreover, health education for parasites and STDs such as HIV/AIDS for early adolescent boys and girls were offered. 2003 Financing Total Contributions 6,229,738- Of which 1,715,435- yen was used as management and operational funds for Shapla Neer, and the rest was employed for the projects conducted by Aparajeyo Bangladesh. Activities at a Glance Children enjoy the excursion with their friends. They all look happy! Children eat provided meals at drop in center. This is their achievement for their daily practice! Training to become self-reliant. Everyone is very serious. Children take lectures at the street school. Children perform at the theater. Nearly 4000 people came to watch their performance! >>> Back to "Shapla Neer" page