CHILDLINE SETS UP 1098 HELPLINE IN ANDAMANS

Port Blair, January 11 2004: CHILDLINE India Foundation, along with its partner organisation, Prayas, has spearheaded the process of setting up CHILDLINE Crisis Centres in Port Blair with plans of establishing sub centres in the surrounding islands Car Nicobar, Hut Bay and Campbell Bay with local volunteers and community partners. The Ministry of Social Justice Empowerment is supporting the initiative and the CHILDLINE Centre will operate out of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Port Blair. As on January 7, 2005 CHILDLINE 1098 is operational in Andaman & Nicobar islands. CHILDLINE is the only agency that has been permitted to initiate a helpline in the islands. Ms. Meira Kumar, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ms. Subbalakshmi Jagdishan, Minister of State were present in Port Blair along with the CHILDLINE representatives to survey the situation and to inaugurate the CHILDLINE service.

The helpline strategy will help establish one point contact centres through the 1098 number which will enable the CHILDLINE teams to reach out to the disaster struck children. Volunteers from the local community are being mobilised to be a part of the CHILDLINE team.

The killer tsunamis triggered by a massive earthquake in Indonesia on 26th December 2004, the worst in four decades, hit south Asia badly, killing some 120,000 people in the last count, including many in South India.

Ms. Kajol Menon, Executive Director of CHILDLINE elaborated on the initiative and said, "The destruction has left in its wake large numbers of orphaned, homeless and missing children as well as those who desperately need immediate emergency relief. It is in keeping with the mandate of CHILDLINE that we reach out to them immediately and help.'

CHILDLINE had reached the Tsunami struck parts of India within two days of the calamity had surveyed the disaster struck areas. In coordination with CHILDLINE partner organisations had begun work in the worst affected areas by putting up assistance booths to help the children in need of shelter, medical aid and other assistance. The disaster struck areas that CHILDLINE is working in South India are Nagappattinam, Velankanni, Kanyakumari, Cuddalore and also in parts of Kerala. As on January 10, 2005 CHILDLINE 1098 is operational in Nagapattinam as well.

In Kerala, CHILDLINE Kochi is carrying out educational rehabilitation, psycho-social counselling in relief camps set up by the local administration through professional counsellors and looking at long-term rehabilitation of orphaned children.


About CHILDLINE India

CHILDLINE India uses telecom as a strategy to reach out to marginalised children and children needing assistance can call a 4-digit number 1098 and receive emergency assistance and long term rehabilitation. CHILDLINE is India's first and only national toll-free phone emergency and outreach service for children in need of care and protection. Any child/concerned adult can dial the toll free number 1098 to access this service. CHILDLINE reaches out to children in 57 cities/districts spread across 19 states in India and has responded to over 6.6 million calls ranging from those seeking medical assistance, shelter, protection from abuse, repatriation, emotional support and guidance, calls for information about services for children or just calls to speak to someone who cares.


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Monica Tomar
Blue Lotus Communications Consultancy
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