Sparsha Trust, founded in 2005 by a group of social work students, focuses on ensuring care and protection for vulnerable children, providing skill development and higher education opportunities for youth and offering support to the homeless and senior citizens facing isolation and hardships. Sparsha Trust envisions a society where children are safe from exploitation, youth are empowered to reach their full potential and communities experience sustainable growth and development.

Activities

• Child Enrolment: In collaboration with Bal Raksha Bharat, the team began the back-to-school campaign in June with a creative event called Kalajatha. Staff performed skits in front of communities to convey the message about educational challenges their children face and to encourage attendance. The campaign saw  good traction and has resulted in children getting enrolled in schools in this academic year
  ‍
• Nutrition Kits: As part of the 'Building Brains' initiative, Sparsha Trust has undertaken a program to distribute nutrition kits to pregnant and lactating women. Every month, about 200 nutrition kits are distributed across 40 designated areas
  ‍
• Mothers’ Meetings: Across program locations, a series of meetings are being organised to connect pregnant and lactating mothers. The meetings cover topics such as healthcare, nutrition, child growth, immunisation, breastfeeding, personal hygiene and the importance of enrolling children in schools and Anganwadis
  ‍
• Life Skill Training: To enhance the overall development of children, Sparsha Trust participates in the 'Training of Trainers' (ToT) program facilitated by Bal Raksha Bharat. These trainings enable the delivery of targeted sessions for children at the community level, covering topics such as personal feelings, empathy, communication, gender equality and the effects of child marriage
  ‍
• Child Rights’ Club (CRC) Meetings: To ensure the Right to Participation and to empower children from waste picker families, 19 Child Rights Clubs have been formed. The children are given awareness about articles from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). CRC meetings are facilitated on issues like challenges in the realisation of child rights, social responsibilities, personal hygiene, health care and the role of good citizenship. These sessions also ensure children's participation in understanding equal opportunities and identification of dropout students for re-enrolment through peer education
  ‍
• Detailed Project Report for Needs Assessment in Building Learning Environments at Schools: The Detailed Project Report gathers comprehensive information on existing school infrastructure and identifies needs for learning materials, WASH facilities and more through consultations with teachers in all 35 selected schools. The insights offer an overview of each school’s status in Teaching Learning Materials, STEM Labs, Basic Learning and Education Support (BLES), ICT resources, WASH facilities, and suggestion boxes. This data aids in consolidating requirements and procure necessary infrastructure, ensuring optimal educational outcomes for each school and Anganwadi
  ‍

• SPSS- Social Protection Security Scheme for Children: Sparsha Trust is supporting children to get their social security entitlements and ID cards such as Aadhaar cards, bank accounts and birth certificates. These identity cards are essential for enrolment in schools and avail government benefits. Children for whom access to school was a challenge due to distance and travel cost, Sparsha has helped them avail bus passes with support from Saamuhika Shakti partner Hasiru Dala
  ‍

• Health Camps for Children: Following health issues reported in communities, the Sparsha Trust team is organising health camps with support from Hasiru Dala and local ASHA workers to address health issues that impact school attendance. Parents appreciate these camps and this initiative is helping mobilise adults and children to be more proactive about their health concerns
  ‍
• Community Based Centres: At the three existing Community-Based Centres, Sparsha Trust provides a nurturing environment where children engage in age-appropriate learning activities that foster skills in reading, writing and arithmetic
  ‍
• ‍Monthly Special Events for Children: Every month, Sparsha Trust hosts special events for children around important dates and others such as International Girl Child Day, International Child Rights Week, World Handwash Day, sports and cultural meets, and photo journalism training to enhance children’s participation opportunities, knowledge, skills and their talents
  ‍
• Collaboration with Partners: In collaboration with Hasiru Dala, Sambhav Foundation, and WaterAid India, site visits were conducted to finalise locations for a joint initiative. These visits will be conducted, as appropriate, periodically to assess firsthand insights into their challenges and identify areas of need. The first visit, which included Anganwadis, revealed support for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and activities in some areas. Plans are being made to address the issues and provide needed facilities
  ‍
• Baseline Survey: To effectively plan activities, a Baseline Survey was initiated in the communities in July, in schools in August, and in Anganwadis in September. This survey utilises purposive random sampling and includes 140 households, 35 schools and 35 Anganwadis. The resulting report will provide valuable insights into current needs and serve as a benchmark to measure the project's impact against the endline survey report