Central Zone, which comprises the 3 states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, houses approximately 6 million orphan children (under 18 years) and this figure will shoot up to 7.6 million by the year 2021 according to a recent study by SOS Children's Villages of India. It is closely followed by the East Zone which has approximately 5.20 million orphans, and is estimated to increase to 6 million by 2021.
In the east zone, Bihar, followed by Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal belong to the poorest districts. Together, East and Central Zones constitute the poverty and child vulnerability belt of India.
As far as the other Zones of the country are concerned, South Zone has approximately 3.47 million orphan children and this figure is expected to rise to 3.66 million by the year 2021. North Zone is the second lowest in the total number of orphan children in the country. It has 2.70 million orphan children which is estimated to reach 3.37 million by the year 2021. West Zone has the lowest number of orphan children in the country i.e. 2 million and is expected to rise to 2.36 million by 2021. (Kindly check the annexures for state wise projections from 2001 -2021)
The poverty belt of India contributes significantly to the large number of orphan children in India. Migration of men from villages to urban slums is a continuous process and most of the migration pattern is forced migration for survival or rebuilding lives, thus depriving children of parental care. Rise in the number of children infected by HIV/AIDS is also significantly contributing to orphaning of children.
India has approximately 422 million children. Nationally, 83 percent of children below 18 years live with both their parents, 11 percent live with their mother but not their father, 2 percent live with their father but not their mother, and the remaining 4 percent live with neither parent. This estimation was done in the study titled India-National Child Vulnerability Situation Analysis Report by SOS to assess the situation of orphan and vulnerable children in the country to make strategic decisions in terms of establishing new programmes and projects in various locations of the country.
"Governmental and non governmental agencies working on child rights must jointly work towards addressing the needs of these children by providing them with nutrition, education and protection," says Mr Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS Children's Villages of India. "Corporates too need to come forward and actively support child sponsorship programmes of NGOs that reach out to the children in need," he further adds.
The study found that five percent of children under age 18 experienced death of one or both parents. 3 percent of children have experienced the death of their father, 2 percent have experienced death of their mother, and 0.3% children have experienced the death of both parents. The proportion of children who have experienced death of both parents increases with age and is 10% for children aged 15- 17 years.
The child population below 18 years constitute more than 41% of the total population for the year 2001. The share of child population is on declining trend in line with the national population control strategies and by the year 2021 the child population is estimated to be 37.1%. Approximately 20 million below the age of 18 do not receive adequate parental care and support as they do not have either of their parents. This is estimated to rise to 24.35 million by the year 2021.
Present in India since 1964, there are nearly 32 SOS Children's Villages reaching out to 6000 abandoned and orphaned children across the country. The village is providing them with a 'family based care', nutritional and educational services. Some of these villages were set up in disaster hit areas to support displaced children.
SOS is also implementing the Family Strengthening Program (FSP) that reaches out to children outside the SOS Children's villages in 32 locations across India. The beneficiaries are typically children of single mothers/ widows, single parents, children living with other family members or below poverty line families. The strategy is to ensure continuation of education & health provisions for children while enabling the family to become self reliant in a 3-5 year period via livelihood/ income generating capacity development. This is preventive program for children who are at a risk of losing parental care/normal family life. FSP reaches 15000 children & the goal is to expand to 100,000 over the next 3 years.
Notes to Editor
About SOS Children's Villages of India:
SOS is the brainchild of Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, an Austrian, who pioneered the concept of bringing up orphans not just in a regular orphanage, but providing them the security and quality care of a proper home, the love and care of a "Mother" and a framework of sibling relationships providing them emotional security for a lifetime. Typically, an SOS Village consists of a gated community of 15-20 homes with a "Mother " in each home nurturing a group of 8-10 children, who live together as brothers and sisters.
With the support of many donors and co workers, the organization has grown to help thousands of children in 132 countries. While funding requirements through the years have been met by foreign funders, the "India Shining" story seems to be working negatively for NGO's. Most foreign funding agencies and donors are diverting funds to more deserving underprivileged countries like Africa.
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