Shiv Kumar is a bold Child leader from Bakshigaon Child Parliament in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. When asked what his role is being the part of Child Parliament, daringly says, we have stopped child labour of drop-out children and also sensitized the parents on the importance of educating the child. Children of his age are mostly engaged in pursuing their hobbies or following their dreams, but Shiv has chosen a different path. He expresses his gratitude to the organization for sensitizing them on the importance of education and encouraged them to raise their voice against child labour in their area.

Shiv took part in a radio programme organised by Caritas India and its partner through Loudspeaker 90 FM, “Your Voice”. The initiative was taken by the Partners to strengthen the CBO to share their concerns through this Platform to share their voices in the form of Community Radio loudspeaker 90 FM. On the Radio program children and Stakeholders shared their success stories not only for their recognition and acknowledgement but also to influence others for doing different actions to stop all types of Child abuse such as Child Marriage, Child labour, child begging and other menaces against Children and women in the communities.

It was the first time for Rabina, a 14-year-old girl and another child parliament Prime Minister from the Renghaiya village to enter any studio and speak in front of the mike. But she blatantly shared how her child parliament members stopped child labour, Child marriage and also raised their voices for the installation of the incinerator in Schools which will help in the enrollment and attendance of maximum girls to a school who avoid coming to schools during their Menstrual cycle. She narrated an incident where they have stopped child marriage in the village by sensitizing parents and reporting the incidence to emergency helpline numbers and now the girl is back to school.

Caritas India Swaraksha Anti-Human Trafficking Programme has empowered leadership at all levels in the community where the intervention was done to make aware and sensitize the CBO groups against Human Trafficking. The programme was instrumental in the formation of Child Parliament, Women Self Help Group, Youth Group to empower the community so that they can take ownership of this Program. The initiative and efforts taken by the Partners to strengthen the CBO can be seen now. When the communities learn how and where to share their concerns Caritas India gave them the platform to share their voices in the form of Community Radio loudspeaker 90 FM.

The idea behind introducing the community Radio as an information-sharing Platform was to share the achievements under the Swaraksha Anti-Human Trafficking Program through the actions of Child Parliaments in the community. In the last four years, several Interventions were initiated in the community with the Child Parliaments, Youth Groups and the SHG women. All these groups are strengthened and empowered to raise their voices for their rights and Entitlements. In the Initial Phase, Child Parliament was allowed to share their achievements through their actions which they planned in the monthly Meeting. Besides, children were also encouraged to use this platform for sharing Success stories.

The requirement of disseminating information on the achievements or outcomes or goals through several efforts under Swaraksha AHT Program by the community is very essential. In the last four years, several mediums were used to disseminate the messages from the empowered communities on their success so that it can be used to sensitize, create awareness and can be replicated as a best Practices at different Places. Community Radio is used as a unique and effective tool where community-level information is broadcasted, and this platform is used to raise the voices of vulnerable children, families and Stakeholders.

Using this opportunity to share the effort against human trafficking, Virendra Kumar Rao, Pradhan from village Barwakalan shared his linkage with the PGSS through Swaraksha AHT Program. He shared his efforts to curb human trafficking by installing CCTV cameras in the village. He also cited the case where through CCTV camera a girl was discovered who entered in his village and went to Nepal and after his father’s report, the girl was recovered from Lumbini town of Nepal where she was taken to some place by the trafficker. He encouraged all Pradhan’s to involve Human Trafficking in Gram Sabha Agenda so that together this menace can be combatted.

Around two hundred and fifteen community people, Stakeholders from SSB and Panchayat members listen to the one-hour Broadcast of Community Radio. Swaraksha AHT Partners team observed this broadcast hour in the form of an event with the community, where the listeners shared their feedbacks to promote such kinds of platforms to share the voice of the community at large so that more actions can be taken at the Govt. level after listening to the community voices.