KOZHIKODE: Malappuram has formed a permanent preventive system for children to figure out the possible vulnerable areas and thwart it by timely intervention.
The system, Oppam Kuttikalkoppam is a block-level functioning body consists of 10 to 20 persons in the locality who are interested in social service and child care.
“It is pertinent to have a preventive system at the grassroots level to avoid the abuse on children rather than offering care and support after the abuse,” says Malappuram district child protection officer (DCPO) Samir Machingal.
The programme under the district child protection unit covers nine of the 15 blocks in the district and training is underway.
The district has a good number of POCSO and child marriage cases, and a majority of them occur in rural hinterlands which make early intervention impossible.
The selected members include elected representatives of local bodies, retired government staff and students. Each panchayat has a member, and a good number of the members are women. The selection was done after each of the member producing a letter from the block panchayat president concerned, who is also the chairman of block-level child protection committee.
Each group has a coordinator, and it will work jointly with other child protection bodies at the grassroots level. Staff at DCPU say the enthusiasm of the youth to take part in child care activities had triggered the idea.
