With immense pride, we share that Caritas India Child Leaders have been nominated for the Prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize 2020.  They have been nominated as the Changemakers and nominated for the award 2020 under the Category of Gender Equality, Child Labour and Education.  The prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize is annually awarded to a child who has made a special effort to promote children’s rights and better the situation of vulnerable children. Last year, the prize was awarded to Greta Thunberg from Sweden and Divina Maloum from Cameroon.

The motivation behind the prize is to provide a platform for children to express their ideas and personal involvement in children’s rights. This year the Nominees have been shortlisted from the entries across 42 Countries worldwide.

Mr.Arun, Caritas India Change Maker from Partner organisation DEHAT, UP, Swaraksha Program (AHT), supported by SCIAF; nominated under the award Category of ‘Child Labour’.

Arun comes from a rural village, Bakshigaon, in Uttar Pradesh. In his village child labour is a major concern. Arun started awareness campaigns amongst parents to stop sending children to work instead of school. After Indian prime minister’s initiation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission), Arun mobilised the members of his Children’s Parliament and collectively approached the Village Pradhan (Headman) and submitted an application to help households to build toilets. Arun was successful in mobilising government funds of Rs. 3 lakhs and twelve thousand leading to the construction of 26 household toilets in his village. Arun successfully saved 5 children from child labour in his village. Those children are now enrolled in school and have taken a leap towards their right to education. Arun dreams of eliminating child labour from his village and conduct a Back to School Campaign in his village.

Ms.Rabina, Caritas India Change Maker from Partner organisation PGSS , UP, Swaraksha Program( AHT), supported by SCIAF ; nominated under the award Category of ‘Gender Equality’.

Rabina comes from the rural village of Uttar Pradesh. As an active member of children’s parliament, Rabina has been taking great initiatives to promote the rights of children. She organised an awareness rally on the consequences of child marriage.

As her village is at the India-Nepal border, children are mostly engaged in transport of illegal goods across the border. She facilitated various school enrolment drives, parents meeting and education rallies to sensitize the community on the same. She has rescued 12 child labourers and re-enrolled them into school. The school where she studies lacked a facility for disposal of sanitary pads. As a collective effort of her children parliament, she initiated the Campaign for safe menses at School and advocated for installation of an incinerator for disposal of sanitary pads in her school. She aims to join the paramilitary force and serve her country when she grows up.

Mr.Ramji, Caritas India Change Maker from Partner organisation- Prabhat Sakri, Bihar, Roshni Suposhan Program, Supported by Caritas Germany; nominated under the award Category of ‘Education’.

“Education is the only tool for development and to live a life of dignity. Every child deserves an equal childhood irrespective of their caste, creed or colour”; says Ramji.

Ramji is an active child leader of his children’s group called ‘Roshni ki toli’ (The group of lightbearers). He has led the group in various cleanliness drives in his village. He also motivates the children from his Musahar Toli (ward) to attain education through conducting education awareness rallies and sessions in the education centres. Musahar Communities (One of the lowest strata of Mahadalits in the Caste system of India) have been subjected to discrimination for ages. For this reason, they did not dream of an education. However, Ramji was successful in enrolling around 15 Musahar children in school. He is a motivation for his community as he regularly goes to school. In the future, he wants to ensure that each child in his Musahar Community goes to school and completes his education. He wants to become a teacher.

Mr.Nawraj, Caritas India Change Maker from Partner organisation- ADSSS, West Bengal, Surokhit Shaishav Child Rights Program, Supported by Caritas Germany; nominated under the award Category of ‘Child Participation’. Nawraj comes from one of the tea garden areas of West Bengal and is an active child leader of his children’s parliament. In 2019, Nawraj was awarded by Gram Panchayat for the best social worker in the field of Climate Action (SDG Goal 13) for his initiative of Long Plastic Freedom Campaign. In the future, he plans to create awareness in schools, establish an open education centre for poor children and help the differently-abled children with government support.

To read more about these Young Changemakers of Caritas India , please visit https://kidsrights.org/news/meet-the-nominees-for-the-international-childrens-peace-prize-2020/ .

These young Changemakers are an inspiration for the whole society. They are an example for their village and we are proud to see their work transforming lives of so many vulnerable children. We wish them best and bless them for their journey and efforts ahead.