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| Wednesday, 11 February 2004 |
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by Nadira Gunatilleke The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has introduced a new concept to safeguard children during the day. Two `drop-in-centres' have been set up at Negombo and Nochchiyagama to protect children while their parents are working. The service of these centres is free. The third drop-in-centre will open at Beruwala shortly. The centres were set-up to protect children while their parents are away from home. These centres are open from morning till evening. Children can visit these centres and play after school, during holidays and during free times. Vocational training is also available at these centres. The Negombo drop-in-centre is a pilot project managed by Don Bosco Institute, Negombo under NCPA monitoring. The NCPA trains the centre's staff and is funded by ILO/IPEC. There are about 105 children at this centre. This drop-in-centre introduces one theme each day and educates children on their rights and protecting themselves. The staff members also visit children's societies and conduct awareness raising programs. Most children are from fisher families and the rest from the streets. According to staff of the centre, some parents still prevent children from visiting this centre because they do not like to lose money earned by their children by prostitution. "Some parents encourage their children to go with foreigners because they believe that there is no harm caused by it. They said some parents encourage their children to visit this centre. |
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