Mobile awareness campaign on child marriage held in Saliasahi of Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: With the aim to prevent child marriages, the Khurda district administration conducted a mobile awareness campaign on child marriage in Saliasahi of Bhubaneswar today.

The campaign on child marriage was held with the theme ‘Say No To Child Marriage… Yes To School.’

Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC)-3 Sanjukta Padhi, Legislative Engagement and Child Rights Advocacy Swati Tanmaya Mishra, and Saliashai sector supervisor Binodini Panda attended the special program at Anganwadi centre of ward no-20 of BMC.

This apart, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers of Ekamra Vihar area, minor girls, members of different SHGs, some local women along with some school students also took part in the event.

Speaking about the aim and objective of the program, Sanjukta Padhi said, “The prime objective of this program is to create awareness among the children and their parents to completely stop the marriage of girls below 18 years and boys under 21. With such program also we wanted to spread the message of the negative impact of child marriage in the lives of the children and society.”

“We had begun the campaign on child marriage with the theme ‘Say No To Child Marriage… Yes To School’ five days ago. During this period of time, we visited different wards of MBC and organised the program in the presence of the local residents and their children and make them aware of child marriages and how to prevent them,” she added.

Swati Tanmaya Mishra said that you will be surprised to know that there is same number of child marriages in the Khurda district as reported in the rural areas of the State. It all happens only because of the parents of the children. Therefore, we mostly target the parents of the children and the members of the Self Help Groups (SHGs). We organise different events for them to create awareness on child marriage and its boons and banes.”

“We have rescued several children from their marriage mandaps and given them new lives. We also have helped several of them to get admitted to the different skill development programs so that they get educated and able to earn their livelihood,” she added.