Danish
Introduction
An inspiring story of resilience and community care unfolds in the serene yet isolated village of Kambiyar, North Kashmir, which is located 25 kilometers away from Srinagar. Eight-year-old Danish (Name Changed) is an orphan who found hope through the child sponsorship and family strengthening initiative of the Child Protection Group (CPG). His journey reveals the transformative impact of early intervention, collaboration, and holistic support for vulnerable children.
Background
Danish is a third-standard student at a local private school and lives with his mother and elder sister, who is in sixth standard. He lives in a small, single-room house carrying the burden of his father’s absence. Danish’s father was the sole bread earner of his family, as he was a daily wage laborer. He has been suffering from chronic illness since a long time but died in the year 2021. His death placed the family in an extremely dire position, making them seek temporary refuge with the mother’s relatives while surviving on minimal support.
As there was no source of income and mounting pressure from the family and the relatives and neighbors on the mother to institutionalize the children for proper care, she faced a scaring dilemma of survival or separation.
The Intervention
Kambiyar is an intervention village under the UNICEF-supported project, “Building Community-based Care Mechanism for Children in Need of Care and Protection.” It had a Child Protection Group (CPG) established and trained in child protection and family-based alternative care strategies.
During one of the CPG meetings, a community member brought up Danish’s case. The HWVO team and the CPG members immediately visited Danish’s house. The assessment revealed that the family did not have essential documents such as an Aadhaar card, income certificate, and bank account—barriers preventing access to crucial government schemes.
A detailed case plan was created, which included:
Acquiring essential documents
Exploring financial assistance opportunities
Empowering the mother’s financial autonomy
Transformational Support
The CPG members proactively guided the family through the documentation process with consistent follow-ups. Once the documents were secured, Danish’s application for financial aid was submitted under Mission Vatsalya’s preventive sponsorship scheme.
After proper verification, Danish was sanctioned for INR 4000/month sponsorship, which became a lifeline for the struggling family. But the intervention did not end there. The CPG also advocated for the employment of Danish’s mother as a helper (AAYA) in a local government school. After proper verification, she was successfully appointed, earning a stable income along with Danish’s sponsorship support.
Impact and Empowerment
With a secure income and educational sponsorship, Danish’s mother says: “Now I can protect my children from being taken away. No one can suggest institutionalizing them anymore. I can educate them myself with the support we receive.
The sponsorship ensures that Danish can continue his education without interruption, while his mother’s employment secures the family’s financial footing. Regular follow-ups and case monitoring by the CPG ensure sustained support, identifying and resolving any challenges that arise.
Conclusion
Danish’s story presents a testimony about the power of community-driven support, collaboration, and timely intervention in protecting children who are on the edge and vulnerable. Prevention of family break-up has saved a mother from such a fate with her children secure for the rest of their future. This child protection case stands as a vindication of overall, family-centered responses to child welfare issues—letting no one grow up unembraced in the warmth of their family.
