Background of the project:

UPAMA Mohila Unnayan Protisthan is a non- government voluntary organization working to establish the women and children as competent human beings with full rights dignity. UPAMA started child participation project by its own initiatives in1997-98. On the basis of past experience and felt needed of the children UPAMA designed this project.

According to UNCRC all children have the rights to survive and to be protected from harm and exploitation and rights of participating in all activities for their development. The articles related to participation in the UNCRC concerned with a child's basic cultural identity, his or her childhood and developing involvement in wider society. But most of the children of the proposed project area deprived from enjoyment of their rights both in the family and community level as the parents/adults are not mentally and materially ready to meet the children's need.

The children in the community are not allowed to take part in various child development activities with out the consent of the family head. Many activities are mostly prohibited for the children, especially for girls. For example cultural activities, outdoor games held participating in association. These children are not able to voice their rights to draw the attention of the family and community regarding their rights.

UPAMA undertakes the emergence of the right of child participation project assisted by Save the Children Australia started since October 1996. UPAMA over the past of the project, that giving children the opportunity to demonstrate and build on their own capabilities, to plan, organize and implement, to access information and express their needs, has been an effective way to achieve advancement in children accessing their rights. It is leading the children to greater participation in family, institution and community life and increasing their sense of social norm & responsibility and civic duty - qualities essential to future citizenship and leadership roles. Notwithstanding at present the children are being grown up with various socio-economic troubles, family gaps, misbehavior, disrespect, rape & child labor etc. Keeping the above perspective in mind, it emphasizes on further intervention the project to work with grass root children. The present project is highlighting the several problems of children, identifying causes and effect & actions measure taken by.
The present project is designed through highlighting the field oriented various problems of children (through problems analysis in SP special session) those threatening their very survival, identifying causes and effect and control measures. It does indicate the broad concerns and their views on some of the problems and priorities for the years ahead.

Objectives of the project.

The overall objectives of the project are the following to ensure children's participation in family and community level in the project areas.

1) To facilitate the active participation of children of 7 to18 yr. in family and community level.

11) To ensure the children's accessed to appropriate information.

The above objectives are relevant to national plan objectives since importance has been given for promoting child rights in Bangladesh.

The specific objectives of the project are.

To promote greater enrolment and attendance of the impoverished children into the education system.
To establish a healthy, child rights enriched society, free of abuse, exploitation and discrimination for the disadvantaged children.
To protect the children from the work that entails physical and mental injury or long hours of stannous tasks.
To strengthen socio-economical and political commitment to stop sexual abuse in children in the society.
To create a favorable, free, fair and joyful environment for the children in their homes, schools and working place through reducing corporal punishment.
To strengthen the children's club activities (hereinafter referred as Child Protection Committee) to make a child friendly environment where children are valued and respected, not discriminated and abused.

To protect the children from early marriage and launch a campaign and social movement involving the community and GO-NGO lead.