Child Club promotes Leadership, secures Bravery Award 2021

Child Club promotes Leadership, secures Bravery Award 2021

November 22, 2021

Alamin Sardar, aged 15, is a student of Class-X in Shibhati High School in Basirhat, North 24 Parganas. He is an active member and a Child Leader of the Child Club under our Child Rights Project in his village, Merudandi.

He is remembered for his initiative in helping a 5 years old girl in his village, who was suffering from mal nutrition and required food support. On hearing the plight of the girl, Alamin took our project team to the girl’s house on 17^th November 2020. Our project team found the girl to be living with her mother, who was incapacitated to work because of poor health. The child and her mother had been facing severe financial problems ever since the girl’s father passed away. On 21^st November 2020, Alamin further informed the district Child Line who visited the family on November 23^rd. On getting news of the girl and her mother, the BDO of Basirhat Block-I arranged 12 Kgs of ration. The Officer also assured widow pension and assistance under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna.

In another incident on March 2021, Alamin came to know that a girl child was about to be forcefully married by her parents. Immediately, he informed our Child Protection Workers and also the district Child Line. The Basirhat P.S. was also informed. On the day of the marriage, our project team, along with representatives of the district Child Line and Basirhat P.S. reached the house of the girl. After prolonged discussions, the team was able to convince the girl’s parents not to solemnise the marriage till the girl attains 18 years of age. The parents submitted a written undertaking that they will not get their daughter married before she becomes 18. Thus the girl’s life was saved.

Today, Alamin is a role model to other Peers in his village in protection of child rights. His selfless service has been recognised by the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights. On 20^th November 2021, Alamin was awarded the Birpurush Award 2021 by Dr. Shashi Panja, Honourable Minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Government of West Bengal.