THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Social Justice Department has issued orders on June 16 extending the 'Kaval' project for the rehabilitation of children in conflict with law to six more districts: Kannur, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Thrissur, and Pathanamthitta. With this the total number of districts under the project has increased to eight. It is already being implemented in Kozhikode, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram. What makes the ‘Kaval’ project unique is that it addresses not just the child but also his family. It involves not just psychological help but also social assistance. The project is carried out through NGOs in the field. There will be regular follow-ups; every three months the progress of the child, and his family, will be meticulously recorded.
During the pilot phase, 150 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 were brought under the project. ‘Kaval’ is implemented with the support of NIMHANS, the country’s premier mental health and neuroscience institute. Usually, children below 16 years who have committed serious crimes are mostly sent out on bail, and then completely forgotten. Only in rare cases, especially if considered dangerous to the society, are they detained in Observation Homes. Most of the children sent back on bail are virtually abandoned by their families and are found to fall back into crime.
“During the first phase, we were able to resume the education of children who had dropped out. De-addiction treatment was provided to those in need,” said Dr Kavitha, NIMHANS researcher who is coordinator for the project. The NGOs involved have also struck a rapport with the families of the children. “Communication channels have opened up between the children and their parents. The best part is we have managed to give these children, and their families, a sense of direction,” she added. The process of selecting NGOs for the second phase is currently on. After the NGOs are selected, they will be provided training at NIMHANs.
