The Palanhar Plus ApproachStrengthening a Cash Transfer Programme for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children in Dungarpur, Rajasthan

Save the Children

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OUR VISION is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and

participation.

OUR MISSION is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and

lasting change in their lives.

Supported by Official Development Aid, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Finland

Copyright: Save the Children Finland, 2014

Cover photo credit: Harish Chanderiya

Text: Save the Children, N.R. Management Consultants India Pvt. Ltd

Layout: N.R. Management Consultants India Pvt. Ltd

The names of people have been changed to protect their identity.

The PALANhAR PLuS APPROACh 3

The Child Sensitive Social Protection Project in DungarpurChild Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) is a Save the Children initiative aiming to reduce vulnerability and poverty of children by ensuring that social protection measures lead to meaningful investment in children. CSSP is in essence a ‘social protection plus’ approach meaning that cash or other social protection benefits flowing to households is not enough to enhance children’s well-being, but that parents and other caregivers must be induced to invest in and care for children. hence, the CSSP project in Dungarpur is based on a set of interventions that include improving access to social protection; enhancing sensitivity towards children’s development needs and rights with parents, caregivers and other key adults; and advocate with government to improve social protection programming for children. The specific project objectives are to:

nReduce child labour and increase school attendance and retention;

nImprove care for orphans and other vulnerable children; and

nReduce malnutrition.

The project covers 20 Gram Panchayats1 comprising 87 villages located in Bicchiwara and Dungarpur blocks.

1 Gram Panchayat (village council) is the lowest tier of local government in India

4 The PALANhAR PLuS APPROACh

Palanhar Yojana

Palanhar Yojana (caregiver scheme) is a monthly cash transfer programme that aims to nurture, educate and provide health care to orphans and other vulnerable children in a family setting. The programme is available for all children under the age of 18 years who have lost either one2 or both parents, or whose parents fall into any of the following categories - divorced, abandoned or nata3; imprisoned for life, or; suffering from hIV /AIDS, leprosy or disability. The programme is overall coordinated by the Department of Rural Department and Panchayat Raj. Applications are approved by the department and the cash received is conditional on under-five children attending the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme4 and the older children being in school.5 Rajasthan is the first state in India to introduce such a scheme.

Palanhar Yojana is highly relevant in Dungarpur. Ill health and traditional practices like nata have led to a large number of orphaned children6 who live with relatives or grandparents, or in the absence of either, fend for themselves as child-headed households. The uptake of the scheme has however been fairly low.

2 Only widows can receive Palanhar, not widowers.3 Nata - a woman leaving her husband for another man or a widow who remarries. Only widows are eligible for Palanhar. Divorced and abandoned only applies

to women.4 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is India’s primary social welfare scheme to tackle malnutrition and health problems in children below 6 years

of age, and pregnant and lactating mothers.5 Rs 500 for children attending ICDS and Rs 1000 for school going children. An additional annual amount of Rs 2000 is given to caregivers of double

orphans.6 Save the Children identified close to 1,000 orphans in 20 Panchayats in Dungarpur.

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Making the Programme Deliver more for Children – a ‘Palanhar’ Plus ApproachA series of internal assessments of Palanhar Yojana by Save the Children revealed that the programme was not contributing towards improving the lives of orphans and other vulnerable children in the way it was intended to. The reason for this was largely lack of support to caregivers and children, and to the schools and the ICDS centres to promote holistic development and well being of the Palanhar child. Hence, it became clear that merely providing cash to caregivers is not an adequate strategy, but that a ‘cash plus’ approach was needed. Save the Children therefore embarked on a ‘Palanhar plus’ approach which is ultimately meant to illustrate to the Government of Rajasthan how setting up ‘plus’ activities will profoundly enhance Palanhar Yojanas impact on children.

The Palanhar strengthening, or plus programme, intends to enable caregivers to cater to the Palanhar child’s unique needs by creating a safe, healthy and happy environment for the child to grow and thrive in. With Palanhar children, the focus is on making the child less vulnerable to the changed circumstances through knowledge and skills that help him or her adapt to the caregiver’s family. Sensitization with the community is

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Schools and ICDS centre – engages with and monitors the development

and well-being of the child

Community – supports caregivers and promotes inclusion of the children

Caregiver – provides a happy, safe and nurturing family

environment

The child – has skills to communicate, solve problems

and take decisions and feels cared for

important to ensure understanding of and support to both caregivers and children. The roles and responsibilities of the school and ICDS centre, where children spend a fair amount of time, are crucial in supporting and monitoring the well-being of the children. The figure below summarises the framework of the Palanhar plus programme.

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Training Modules for Caregivers and ChildrenTo take the Palanhar plus programme forward, a training manual is being developed comprising six training modules for caregivers and children respectively. These are being tested and refined through various participatory activities carried out by social workers engaged by the CSSP project. A few of the activities in each module are illustrated below.

Overall, 37 activities have been designed for Palanhar children and 20 activities for caregivers. Training modules for school, ICDS and the community are under development and will be taken forward shortly.

Caregivers’ Manual Palanhar Children’s Manual

Module – My Child and MeActivity 1: My Unique Child encourages the caregiver to appreciate the good qualities of the child.

Activity 2: My New Family helps the caregiver to understand what can be done better when the child enters the family.

Activity 3: My River of Life makes the caregiver recall own childhood experiences to understand the Palanhar child’s perspective and needs.

Purpose: Encourages the caregiver to understand the vulnerability and needs of the child.

Focus: The child’s sense of belonging.

Module – Me and My FamilyActivity 1: Finding Friends helps the child to form groups and bond with his/ her peers.

Activity 2: I am Special celebrates the uniqueness of each child.

Activity 3: I Belong to a Community takes the child on a village walk to help develop a sense of belonging to the community.

Purpose: Instills child’s self-confidence and self-awareness, builds empathy and opens up communication with the family and larger community.

Focus: The child’s sense of belonging.

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Caregivers’ Manual

Palanhar Children’s Manual

Module – My Healthy Child

Activity 1: Food and Nutrition encourages the caregiver to use the best local food for protein and nutrient intake of the child.

Activity 2: Stopping the Contamination Route makes aware the caregiver of how to prevent contamination of food and water and the spread of related diseases.

Purpose: Encourages behaviour change and builds awareness of linkages between health, nutrition and hygiene.

Focus: The child’s health and physical well-being.

Module – A Healthy Me

Activity 1: My Clean Hands teaches the child the importance of hand washing with soap.

Activity 2: The Best Food I Can Eat teaches the child how food is critical for the body and mind by categorizing food that helps the child grow.

Activity 3: Safe Homes makes the child understand how everyday life in the home can be safe and secure.

Purpose: Makes the child responsible for personal health and hygiene, and aware of diseases, nutrition, safety and security.

Focus: The child’s health and physical well-being.

The PALANhAR PLuS APPROACh 9

Caregivers’ Manual

Palanhar Children’s Manual

Module – My Happy Child

Activity 1: Positive, Only Positive encourages the caregiver to develop a caring and respectful attitude towards the child and lead by example.

Activity 2: What I Say and How encourages the caregiver to learn new ways of expression and communication.

Activity 3: A Drop in the Bucket makes the caregiver realise how a positive or negative remark can affect the self-esteem of the child.

Purpose: Encourages caregivers to communicate with and listen to the child, adopt positive values and discipline techniques.

Focus: The child’s self-expression and self-worth.

Module – A Happy Me

Activity 1: Opportunities Chart emphasises problems the child faces, and how it can be resolved by seeking help.

Activity 2: I Can Cope helps the child learn about emotions of fear and sadness and ways of coping.

Activity 3: Who is My Friend helps the child to differentiate between a good and a bad friend.

Purpose: Enables the child to express and cope with emotions, understand problems and constructively contribute to improving the situation.

Focus: The child’s self-expression and self-worth.

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Improving communication skills and relationships

MeeNu is 11 years old and studies in class 6.

Both her parents have passed away. Her mother

died at the time of delivering Meenu’s younger

brother and her father died afterwards due to long

term illness. After her parents’ death, Meenu’s

paternal uncle took custody of her and her

younger brother. Both were linked to the Palanhar

scheme by a field associate of the CSSP project.

Meenu and her uncle are regular participants in

the Palanhar plus programme and till date they

have attended eight sessions. Her uncle is highly

appreciative of the activities undertaken. Meenu

has shown a lot of improvement in her personality

and communication skills. It has also been observed

that Meenu’s relationship with her uncle’s children

has improved.

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o:

To take the Palanhra plus programme forward, a training manual is being developed comprising six training modules for caregivers and children respectively. These are being tested and refined through various participatory activities carried out by social workers engaged by the CSSP project. A few of the activities in each module are illustrated in the table below.

Overall, 37 activities have been designed for Palanhar children and 20 activities for caregivers. Training modules for school, ICDS and the community are under development and will be taken forward shortly.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Save the Children, Bal Raksha BharatRajasthan State Programme Office42 Vrindavan Vihar, King’s RoadJaipur 302021Rajasthan, IndiaPhone: +91-141-4035881, 3220881

www.savethechildren.in

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