The Legal Services Clinic at NLSIU launched  “Project Parihara,” an outreach initiative launched in collaboration with the District Child Protection Officer, Bangalore Urban, under the guidance of the ICare Foundation, from November to December 2025.

About the Project

Project Parihara involved volunteers from the Legal Services Clinic organising weekly visits to the state-run Child Care Institutions (CCIs) Complex in Bangalore Urban. The initiative targets children in need of care and protection (CNCP) across three major institutions: Shishu Mandir (0-6 years), The State Girls’ Home (6-18 years), and The State Boys’ Home (6-18 years). During their visits, LSC volunteers conducted a series of interactive sessions that focused on life skills and legal awareness. Before undertaking the visits, all volunteers completed a sensitisation workshop on “Trauma-Informed Communication,” conducted by Dr. Madhubanti Sadhya (Professor in charge, Chair on Juvenile Justice, NLSIU) and Ms. Amaidhi Devaraj (Director, Centre for Child and the Law, NLSIU) on November 27, 2025.

The initial visits were observational, with volunteers attending the Children’s Day programme organised by the DCPO and spending time familiarising themselves with the institutional environment, children, and caregivers. On December 6, 2025, LSC volunteers joined employees from a corporate firm during a CSR visit to the institution. Subsequent visits shifted focus towards structured capacity-building. Bhavya, one of the volunteers, observed that the state houseparents and staff were ‘actively involved’ and driven by empathy, ensuring that the burden of their responsibilities did not reflect on the children’s upbringing.

On December 10, 2025, the volunteers conducted a financial literacy session at the State Girls’ Home. Through flashcards and role-playing, the session unpacked the distinction between needs and wants, introduced the income, expenditure, and savings cycle. Volunteers also addressed issues like fraud awareness, including the dangers of sharing OTPs and engaging with suspicious links. The session was marked by active participation. Neha Kumari, one of the LSC volunteers, noted that the girls participated enthusiastically in the games and emphasised that these sessions are “a vital way to educate and empower these bright young minds.” Neil Bruce and Yashasvi Bharadwaj, two of the LSC members, also had the opportunity to observe CWC proceedings on the same day.

Building on this, the visit on December 20 focussed on internet safety and cyber awareness. Volunteers discussed digital footprints, online boundaries, and the importance of safeguarding personal information. The final visit on December 24 brought the project to a close by combining practical life skills with a sense of festivity. Volunteers conducted a first aid workshop covering common emergencies such as nosebleeds, fainting, sprains, burns, and bee stings. The day concluded with Christmas carols, lending a celebratory cadence to the end of the project.

Takeaways

Collectively, Project Parihara offered LSC members a grounded understanding of state welfare beyond the classroom. The project sensitised volunteers to the importance of informed, patient, and respectful communication with children in institutional settings.

A Note of Gratitude

The LSC extends its gratitude to Ms Shilpa Spoorthy of ICare Foundation for her guidance and support throughout the initiative, to the staff of the District Child Protection Unit for their cooperation, and to all student volunteers whose commitment animated the project. We thank our coordinators, Mantrana Mahi Agarwal and Managya Sinha for leading the project, and all our volunteers (Akella Divya, Akshat Shraff, Aman Balhwan, Annie Mary Jacob, Anushka Ghatak, Asmita Sree, Bhavya Parameswaran Lakshmi, Daiwik Agarwal, Daiwik Agarwala, Disha GR, Izzuddin Qassam, Jigyasa, Kaushiki Pathak, Minchu B, Neil Bruce, Neha Kumari, Nischal Srinivasan, Pooja Rawat, Purva Pradeep, Sanketh GR, Siya Saurabh, Sneha Gupta, Sriya J Naik, Suchethna H, Tanisha Meena, Tushit Trijal, Yashaas B, Yashasvi Bhardwaj).

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