“When the mind is happy, I get a lot of pleasant thoughts. Sometimes, I think I can say my point openly and share my happiness with the world. “
Lalita (name has been changed to keep identity secret), is one of the about 2 lakh children living in a tribal residential institution located in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh has a population of about 2 crore 60 lakhs, which includes a large number of rural and diverse tribal communities. 41 percent of the total population of the state is of children under 18 years of age.
According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), 5.6% of children have lost one of their parents or both.
The rate of enrollment in schools is higher, but only 61% of children are able to complete higher secondary education, while 3% girls aged 15 to 19 are forced to bear the burden of motherhood at a young age.
In such a situation, the Government of Chhattisgarh has established tribal residential institutions, recognizing the need to give children better education and employment opportunities.
In these institutions, especially children from far-flung areas are provided positive environment. Here they get quality education and career development opportunities, so that they can make their future bright.
Since these institutes act as a residential education program, children have to stay away from their families. This is a completely new experience for them. While some children adopted their new environment, many children remember their family.
Aastha Gurukul Superintendent Aneshwar Jhdi says, “It is very important to provide mental health consultation facilities here because these children come from far-flung villages and miss their parents a lot. Sometimes, they cry a lot in the memory of their home at night. Even if there is any difficulty in school, they try to run back home. ”
Manthan project
The state government established the Manthan Project in view of this situation. Since 2020, this initiative was started in collaboration with tribal and scheduled castes department, Government of Chhattisgarh and UNICEF in India.
Through this initiative, mental health experts were linked to residential institutions located in six districts of Bastar region – Kankar, Kondagon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Dantewada and Sukma.
As part of the initiative, the superintendents were given technical training so that they could play the role of guardians for children and ensure their education, and physical, mental and social welfare.
Social support
Apart from this, collective sessions were organized with children in all institutions, to better understand their needs and provide adequate time and guidance to every child.
For this, the Department of Women and Child Development was provided with capacity building and assistance from psychological group sessions.
The District Mental Health Program (DMHP) was more empowered.
Under this initiative, mental health services were provided in external patient departments and public awareness activities were organized in various fields.
Superintendent of ST Girls Hostel, Roachch Deshmukh said, “We conduct many sessions and activities for children. We teach them breathing techniques and hands exercise methods, which are very beneficial for them. “
“In addition, we are also organizing cultural programs, which reduces the hesitation of children and they can express their values with confidence.”
The purpose of the project is to create a supportive and nutritious environment for children in residential institutions. This initiative focuses on promoting mental health, early identification of mental problems and ensuring availability of essential services.
As a result, it is positively impacting children’s lives.
