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Category :- Leadership Building
- South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Dumka (Jharkhand)
Description
The Children’s Parliament is an initiative within the community where children, through informal elections, take on various leadership roles. It serves as a platform for children to come together and discuss issues they face, both individually and within their peer groups. These discussions are facilitated under the supervision of the SPAN team. If any concerns raised are deemed serious, they are escalated for appropriate action.
The forum encourages open dialogue, amplifies children's voices, and raises awareness about their rights and needs. It also fosters the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills. In some cases, children are supported in taking their demands further, such as advocating for the creation of community resources like football grounds, by engaging with local municipalities.
The Children’s Parliament holds weekly meetings and operates in all districts where SPAN is active. The Children’s Parliament consists of two houses: the Lower House, named ‘Ankur,’ which includes children aged 11 to 14, and the Upper House, named ‘Kishalaya,’ comprising children aged 15 to 18.
Category :- Leadership Building
- Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Purulia, Jalpaiguri, alipurduar, Kalimpong, Dumka (Jharkhand)
Description
The goal of this program is to empower youth in local communities by providing access to knowledge and opportunities that inspire personal growth and foster responsible, active participation in society. It targets young people aged 14 to 25 from all districts where SPAN operates.
In each community, participants are organized into four sub-groups: Agriculture, Migrant Labor, Married Women under 25, and Students currently pursuing education in schools or colleges. These groups are designed to facilitate shared learning and exchange of experiences, helping each participant grow and contribute meaningfully to their community.
Activities carried out under this program are:
- Knowledge Sharing: Sharing information and knowledge based on people's socio-economic backgrounds through meetings and discussions. This helps them learn about opportunities available and discover their interests and potential.
- Providing Access: SPAN helps individuals access institutional support and entitlements, enabling youth to pursue skill development training and benefit from government schemes and support.
- Skill Training: SPAN operates skill training centers in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, and Jalpaiguri for youth aged 18-25. These centers offer vocational training in fields such as beautician services and computer skills. The training programs last for six months, and upon completion, participants receive a certificate.
- Employment Opportunities: Career counselling and personality development training are provided to help individuals enhance their professional skills. Additionally, employment initiatives are actively pursued by connecting youth with potential employers and job placement opportunities.
- Responsible Citizenship: Through interactions and training, youth are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and actively contribute to the development and empowerment of their communities.
- Climate Action: Youth in the communities are made aware of environmental issues through training sessions on topics like waste segregation, waste management, and green practices for daily life. These sessions are followed by action, where youth participate in cleanliness drives, recycling, tree plantation, and other initiatives. They are also encouraged to promote these practices within their communities. The aim is to foster environmental awareness and encourage sustainable habits among youth. Monthly meetings of the Youth Council help decide climate action activities and interventions.
Category :- Leadership Building
- Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Purulia, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Dumka (Jharkhand)
Description
Narishakti (Women Council) is platform women, irrespective of caste, creed, and community, who are industrious to change her life situation and in the process become role model for others.
This program is designed for women aged 25-35 in the regions where SPAN operates. Its goals are threefold: first, to encourage greater participation of women in the economic workforce. Second, to aid their economic empowerment so that they are aware about their rights and are able to negotiate for fair wages. And third, to enhance their socio-economic capabilities, fostering their involvement in local governance and ensuring their representation in socio-political and development processes.
Activities carried out under this program are:
- Capacity building and Handholding support to access their rights and entitlements: As part of the program, informative sessions are organized to raise awareness among women about various issues and opportunities. Regardi
ng opportunities, the sessions provide information on entitlements, government schemes, the functioning of panchayats, and women’s role in these processes. On the issue side, women are sensitized on topics such as health, nutrition, childcare, development, and domestic violence. To further support these discussions, the program offers training and assistance to help women access their entitlements and address the issues they face effectively.
- Capacity Building for Livelihood: Training sessions and interactions are organized to help women explore livelihood opportunities aligned with their interests and the available
resources. Based on community needs and opportunities, relevant training programs are also offered. Additionally, support is provided to help women access government schemes to establish their own enterprises. SPAN primarily delivers these training sessions or facilitates connections to suitable opportunities that meet the women’s needs. Training areas include agriculture (e.g., vermicomposting), animal husbandry, tailoring, beautician services, healthcare (General Duty Assistant), personality development, and more.
- Enabling Employment: Once women successfully complete their training and acquire the necessary skills for employment, SPAN provides support by connecting them with potential employers. For example, when a woman completes training in beautician services, she is linked to a beauty parlour for job opportunities.