Khushaal Bachpan review reinforces community-led action to advance child well-being

The half-yearly review of Caritas India’s Khushaal Bachpan Programme has marked a decisive moment in assessing programme quality, community impact, and strategic direction, bringing together field evidence, community voices, and institutional reflection to strengthen child well-being interventions across project areas.

The review process began with an extensive field visit on 27 January 2026 by Fr. Benny Edayath, assistant executive director of Caritas India, and Dr. Saju M.K., Khushaal Bachpan programme lead, along with the state programme associate. The team visited five project villages—Alesur, Chhadiya, Madadih, Kevradih, and Bardih—to independently observe programme implementation and engage with children, community-based organisations, Panchayat members, Sarpanch, and income generation activity beneficiaries. Communities welcomed the team with traditional aarati, reflecting strong ownership and trust in the programme.

Across all locations, detailed discussions were held on core interventions under Khushaal Bachpan. Home visits to livelihood-supported families highlighted improved financial stability and coping capacity. Nutrition gardens demonstrated tangible benefits for household food security and child nutrition. Meetings with village-level child protection committees and child advisory groups focused on roles, responsibilities, and community vigilance for child protection. Interactions with children at Bal Chaupal learning centres revealed improved engagement and confidence, while discussions with women brought forward critical community concerns affecting children and families.

In Madadih village, a National Girl Child Day programme showcased the programme’s emphasis on child and adolescent leadership. Members of the Bal Panchayat and adolescent groups presented a street play on menstrual hygiene and the harmful effects of substance abuse. The performance was widely appreciated, reinforcing the role of creative, child-led awareness in driving social change.

Fr. Benny acknowledged the strong efforts of community groups formed under the programme and commended the dedication of academic mentors. He underlined education as the foundation of community development and encouraged children to dream ambitiously and work consistently towards a better future.

A key thematic discussion, led by Dr. Saju M.K., focused on women’s participation in Gram Sabha processes. While the interaction revealed improved awareness among women regarding Gram Sabha roles and decision-making mechanisms, it also generated strong interest and willingness to participate actively in future meetings. The discussion was seen as a critical step toward inclusive governance and sustained protection of children’s rights through community responsibility.

The Half-Yearly Review Meeting held on 28 and 29 January 2026 brought together the assistant executive director, Khushaal Bachpan lead, MEAL lead, programme finance associate from the head office, state programme finance associate, state programme associate, district programme associates, and community educators. The meeting opened with a prayer, introductions, and a keynote address emphasising collective action for child well-being. Fr. Benny articulated a clear vision for positioning Khushaal Bachpan as a key focus area of Caritas India’s work on child rights and child-led community development, stressing that programme quality must not be compromised.

The review comprehensively covered achievements, pending activities, and implementation challenges. Teams from Bastar, Raipur, Jashpur, Sarguja, and Raigarh presented progress updates, best practices, challenges, and field-level learnings. Discussions centred on outcomes, areas of improvement, and practical solutions, followed by a consolidated reflection session and identification of key action points.

The second day focused on impact planning and strategic alignment. Sessions examined impact perspectives, proposed research study areas, review of the results framework and performance indicators, and strengthening the monitoring, evaluation, and learning system, with specific emphasis on data quality, reliability, and use.

Additional discussions addressed supplementary activities, fund utilisation, project management, procurement procedures, reporting systems, team capacity building, visibility, communication protocols, and financial management, including field-level observations.

The review concluded with an open reflection, overall evaluation, and formal closure, reaffirming Caritas India’s commitment to strengthening Khushaal Bachpan as a community-driven programme ensuring safe, healthy, and dignified childhoods.