Commercially, sexually exploited children-CSEC are those children who are sexually exploited & then they become teen age sex workers. CSEC are not born but made by the society who are highly stigmatized & socially isolated. This project will provide social rehabilitation & awareness to 50 CSEC to enter the main life streaming by sharing their stories using blogs, digital photography, digital videos, mobile phones, social networking.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Lahore
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
There are 9000 CSEC & 20,000 at risk in Lahore (survey conducted by UNICEF in 2004). We have 4541 CSEC in 13 schools & providing education & counseling. CSEC are marginalized community because they are sexually exploited at social & domestic level which lowers their self esteem. Some of them are of Sex Worker's families. Their behavior is illicit having no access to basic rights.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
They will share their economical, social, psychological, domestic other factors which made them CSEC. Impacts of such vulnerability to children & whole society. Responsibilities of parents, society & state regarding their rights. Their stories at street level which they face & challenges for the social rehabilitation. How their parents get money through these children. How they can help other children not to become CSEC.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
We have connection with UNICEF, Social Welfare Department, Child Protection Welfare Bureau. Enabling Support Foundation NY-USA, Punjab AIDS Consortium & Provincial AIDS control program. We have 309 stakeholders including religious, NGO’s & community leaders, FSW’s, & pimps. We have established NGO-networking for the protection of child’s rights (having 36 NGO’s, working for child rights).
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
We will have 1 coordinator, 1 trained clinical psychologist, 1 counselor, 5 teachers (mentors) & 50 CSEC of our different schools. In first month we will arrange training & planning workshop to educate how these CSEC can use this media consulting their mentors & clinical psychologist for one year to get most optimum results. 50 CSEC will also become peer educators to educate other children how to avoid becoming CSEC.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
We have 13 fully equipped schools with 4541 CSEC, & all infrastructures. We expect “Rising Voices” to help us by providing technical assistance in terms of training & equipping our staff to deliver expert skills to the mentors & CSEC. Rising voices will also support us to achieve our vision by posting stories told by CSEC in their website. We will sustain it because of our massive infrastructure & past experience.
Contact name
Ikram-ul-Islam
Organization
Vite-N-Hope (VNH)