THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the law is coming down harder on child offenders, nothing seems to be done to make life better for underprivileged and marginalised children who are more inclined to fall into crime. Even the playgrounds in welfare homes have shrunk, reflecting the state’s approach towards destitute. The apathy of the state is reflected in the uncertain future of adolescents who move out of the Poojappura Children’s Home after they are 18.
There have been instances where children who had gained sound English education before they were orphaned and who were completely lost academically after their stay at the Home. “It is not enough to provide food and accommodation. These boys should be equipped to take on life outside after they are sent out as adults,” said a Child Welfare Committee member. The children have often demonstrated their capabilities. Last year, for instance, the boys in the Home won the trophy at a state-level competition even without any training worth the name. The boys who won first in story writing, poetry and painting were said to possess “amazing talent”.
However, the Home does not have any programme to develop and nourish the skills of its inmates. An ambitious skill acquisition programme announced last year had to be dropped after its guidelines were found unsuited for the Home. “No one, unfortunately, thought to tweak the programme to fit the students here,” a caretaker in the Home said. After the skill acquisition programme failed to take off, the attempt of the Home authorities to start a plumbing training too fell flat owing to lack of support.
