GUWAHATI, June 30 � The Assam Don Bosco University, in collaboration with Snehalaya, is launching a Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights and Development for the first time in the Northeast. The course has been designed to provide theoretical input as well as hands-on experience in the field of child rights.
It may be mentioned here that Snehalaya has been working to promote and protect the rights of children for the last 10 years and has felt that there is a dearth of trained social workers in this area who could render their services to these children and to bridge the gap.
�Snehalaya renders service to the underprivileged children through its residential care programmes as well as outreach programmes. However, it was felt that in order to create a larger impact on the lives of children we need to have trained professionals who could spread the message and idea of child rights and implement it in their own capacities,� said director of Snehalaya Father Lukose.
Lukose said that people from all walks of life should take interest in the course because directly or indirectly every member in the society is responsible for building a healthy and secured environment in which children can grow.
�All our services to children are now rights-based and hence it is important for all stake holders to know the rights of children and see that all these rights are enjoyed by them,� added Lukose.
To make the course holistic, integral components like Child Rights, Child Counseling, Child Psychology, Child Care Services, Child Protection Issues and Child-related legislations have been included which will equip a social worker with skills, knowledge and expertise to work and understand children better and to give their best for the cause of children.
�Through this course we would like to instill the passion and sensitise the participants towards the cause of children,� said Lukose.
A very important aspect of this course is that it does not only revolve around the rights of children and their legal implication alone, but also makes child psychology and counseling an integral part.
�We have observed that every social worker has to be a counsellor and to do so he/she needs to understand the psychology of these children who have undergone ups and downs in life and a lot of trauma. This will make a complete social worker with the knowledge on all the aspects that are related to the child,� pointed out Lukose. The university intends to develop this course into a Post Graduate Degree programme also.
