November 2007 Edition

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Manisha Sobhrajani
New Delhi

STREET children are ardent fans of Bollywood. You can see them congregating around movie halls, checking out shows with religious zeal. Serious talk takes place before a decision on which film they’d like to watch is arrived at. However the new cinema halls with their posh environs and expensive tickets have become inaccessible to street children. The children have remained but they can’t go to the movies like they used to. PVR Pvt Ltd, which owns cinema halls and multiplexes in Delhi and NCR, is reaching out to vulnerable children through a programme called Childscapes. The idea is to transform the lives and restore the dignity of street children in and around the PVR neighbourhood through educational, social and cultural activities of PVR’s corporate social responsibility group called Network for Enablement and Social Transformation (NEST). The programme is running at the Basant Lok Community Centre in New Delhi with Katha and at Saket with Literacy India. About 150 children are part of it. The project works in alliance with the Chief Minister’s Office, Resident Welfare Associations and market bodies. Selena Bijli, whose husband, Ajay Bijli, is the promoter of PVR, is on the advisory board of NEST. She spoke to Civil Society about Childscapes.

Why was this programme started?

Our vision is to work together with government bodies and the community to spearhead a movement for better social conditions. NEST was initiated in 2006. Childscapes is a very small endeavour. It is a drop in the ocean. There are lots of NGOs working with children, and we didn’t want ours to be just another programme, so we started on a very small scale with support from communities in Basant Lok and Saket.

What are the various activities under Childscapes?

Even before we launched Childscapes, we were very certain that we didn’t want to take the children away from their surroundings or families and place them in a completely different set-up. We were also aware that most of these children were bread-earners in their families and it would be completely impractical to engage with them for the whole day. So all we do is keep them involved for a few hours in the morning, during which their education and health are of prime concern for us. We have designed our activities in a way that the children like to participate. PVR ki Paathshala, for instance, is a basic literacy programme for underprivileged children so that they can get school certificates that will equip them with an academic foundation for future careers. Street to School is aimed at children between five and 12 years. The idea is to prepare them to join mainstream primary and secondary schools. Many children from Childscapes have already been adopted by government and public schools. We also talk to children about health and the importance of hygiene.

Was it difficult to convince children?

Any new venture is bound to encounter cynicism. We did, too. Most children and their families told us that there are lots of such initiatives. What will you be able to do with this programme? But we were determined, and the fact that we had merely four or five children in the initial days did not dampen our spirits. We got these children to speak to other children about what they did while they were with us and we now have an attendance of more than 50 children per day. They are given uniforms and stationery by us. Punjabi by Nature (a well-known restaurant) sponsors their afternoon meal every day. All this has helped tremendously to ensure that the children come regularly. Luckily, we have had support from the police, and they haven’t harassed us or the children. This is of huge significance to us. We were also awarded the Bhagidari Award from the Chief Minister’s office last year,

Do you see a difference in the children?

The children definitely look happy and content. Of course, some children are exceptional. They not only motivate other children around them but also keep our spirits high. Sanker, a rag- picker at the Basant Lok Community Centre, is today part of a mainstream school. He ensures that all 12 children from his slum are encouraged and motivated every morning to attend the school. Malik, another child from Basant Lok has now got a job. Anwar is the brightest boy in our team. He counsels fellow students on issues like drug abuse.

Where do you see Childscapes in the future?

We hope to reach out to 500 street children by next year. Cinema is the centre of all our activities. So, we will be starting a programme called Child Watch, an initiative to get Cinema, Celebrity and Children together.

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