‘Child-friendly’ VDCs in 8 districts in the offing

The government is coming up with Child Friendly village development committees (CFVDC) to ensure that the fundamental rights of children are protected. Eight districts in the country will have such VDCs within the next four years.The CFVDCs will ensure children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation in the community level as mentioned in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Nepal is also a signatory, Shiva Poudel, the acting executive director of Central Child Welfare Board (CCWB), said .The programme will be executed by focusing on four main units in the VDCs, such as child-friendly local government, child-friendly community, child-friendly family and child-friendly organisations and institutions, he said.A VDC level ‘Implementing and Monitoring committee’ would work out the detailed plan of action for the programme. It will analyse the situation in each VDC and adopt an approach and methodology to work out the plans and programmes. The programmes will be formulated in consultation with authorities concerned and children, adolescents, women, indigenous nationalities, dalits and community based organisations like schools, health posts and social activists.From the feasibility study conducted in the VDCs and a municipality where the programme will be implemented, 36 indicators have been identified to achieve the goals.The indicators are physical infrastructure of schools, their distance from homes, status of teachers, drinking water facilities, shelter, health facilities, status of mothers and pregnant women in the families, non-discriminatory environment, gender issues, and status of child protection.The community level indicators are drinking water and roads.Health services need to be accessible, births must be safe and child participation must be ensured in the activities of the community if a child-freindly environment is to be created.The Godak VDC in Ilam, Tetria VDC in Morang, Gedhiguthi VDC in Rautahat, Maheshpur VDC in Bara, Fokhel VDC in Makwanpur, Parspur VDC in Banke, Dodhara VDC in Kanchapur and Inaruwa Municipality in Sunsari have been selected for the programme.Poudel said the CFVDCs have been conceptualised to bring out the capabilities and skills of the children to light.