Shristi Pandey

Tree plantation can be the most basic way to restore the beauty of the nation. And more fruitful is involving children in tree plantation because it is learning opportunity for kids to get knowledge about the environment and conservation of  our natural resources.

´When Kids Plant trees, they naturally develop attachment with environment and grow more responsible and sincere towards protecting environment.´

When kids plant trees, they identify themselves in the structure of trees as their consciousness is so pure. They learn about the trees and observes how they grow. It could be best example and motivation for their life. Planting trees plays vital role in protecting environment but it is more fruitful if children are also involved in it because the planting process, growing process and tree maturity can be related what they learned in books in visible and living example. And will also help them to make intelligent decision about the conservation and use of valuable resources in future.

¨Recent scientific studies has also proved that children grow more effectively when they explore, play and learn in natural setting. They become healthy, are able to concentrate well, become sincere and responsible¨

DHARAPANI: TOWARDS DESTRUCTION

Every living being has deep love and attachment with the place where they belong. Memories, moments, places, peoples bind us. No matter wherever you are, your heart and soul always lies in that very part of the world where you grew up irrespective to it´s material prosperity. Even the tiny breeze of wind or dusts of the muddy roads is incomparably special than any other lavish streets and skyscrapers in any part of the world.

Everyone dream to see their village, town or city being recognized for it´s natural and material prosperity. It´s, in fact, an identity which can´t be ignored. Very often people judge you according to the place where you belong. It´s an amazing feeling to describe your friends and  acquaintance about how rich is your place in culture, natural beauty and prosperity.

¨Our locality is an integral part of our identity. We have to protect, preserve and promote our locality as well in order to groom our personality.¨

Every places have their own riches in natural, cultural and material heritage. If they are identified preserved and promoted it will play vital role in grooming the locality. It is not merely the responsibility of government to preserve and promote the heritage but it is also responsibility of all the citizen. Unfortunately, sometime citizens ignorance and activities damages the heritage more. One of the example of such cases is Dharapani Forest located in Kanchanrup-12 of saptari district which is one of the famous picnic destination for not only the people of the locality but also attracts thousands  tourists from neighboring districts and India annually.

Dharapani is an small section of  the forested Churia foothills located in west-north of Kanchanrup Municipality, ward 12. It is 2 Km north from Simara Chowk, one can reach there on private transportation or may choose walking. On foot it´s accessible from multiple places. For the local people of plane, it´s like a bonus where they can enjoy vibes of hills few minutes away. For many decades it has been famous picnic hub for the locals and full of surprises for kids. 

Dharapani has very mesmerizing beautiful landscape. Beautiful multiple river streams flowing between the hills which looks like being guarded by the hills by either sides is surrounded by wonderful vegetation which is home to many animals noticeably monkeys.  It´s banks have adequate space where people can do different activities in calm natural setting. It has many small wonderful springs. The forest is also home to threaten species of various plants and animals. It has been source of firewood, timber for local and grazing spot for the local domesticate animals.

Every year on 1st January thousands of people from different places visit for new year celebration. November to February is considered as the picnic season and  the best time to visit the place. Hundreds of group visits Dharapani in this duration. In recent years, the place has been used as the venue for the meeting and assemblies for different organization and even for political gatherings. People enjoy the beautiful views, rejoices and in returns they leave lots of trashes.

¨If locals and concerned authorities works together, Dharapani can be one of the best center of attraction for tourists in Eastern Nepal ¨

The ecosystem of the Dharapani is being damaged so rapidly that we can easily notice the deterioration that it has gone through in recent deacade . Green hills are partially barren now. We hardly encounter any monkeys and birds which used wondering around in good numbers few years back. We can see lots of trashes scattered all around: bottles, leftovers, plastic bags etc. Illegal deforestation, people´s carelessness , management committee´s ignorance and vague rules and lack of government monitoring has placed the place in danger which has lots of possibilities. Though they charge some amount to the visiting groups but seems least interested in clearing the trashes. 

      WHAT MAY BE DONE TO KEEP THE DHARAPANI CLEAN AND BALANCED?

• Every visiting group should be provided with two large bags (bora) where they can put their degradable and non degradable trashes separately. They can be charged for the bags.
•  At least ten gathering spots should be spotted and required infrastructure should be developed without destroying the environment. Haphazard gathering spots where groups randomly settles is very destructive. 
• Public toilets should be constructed.
• Clean drinking water should be provided at the picnic spots like tube-well so that people wouldn’t bring plastic bottles and leave as non degradable garbage.
• Management committee should organize cleaning campaign periodically.
• Promotional activities should be conducted.
• Deforestation should be stopped immediately. 
• Visitors should be strictly instructed and monitored so that they won´t disturb the birds and animals.
• Trash bin should be kept near all the picnic spots.
• And most importantly the locals living out of the town have to promote and support the place.

It´s our collective responsibility to save the declining ecosystem of Dharapani area. The place has lots of possibilities. People have to care about it. Little care and attention is needed. The beautiful Dharapani is the charm of Kanchanrup Municipality. Little management can double the number of visitors. It can be also used for the educational purpose. Kids can learn lot´s of things.

CONCEPT AND IMPORTANCE

Sweta Tiwari

Touch is bringing body parts in contact to experience through perceptible senses. We touch ourselves and we touch others too. Generally, we touch others in order to appreciate or understand or for other genuine purposes (for example doctors touching patients for clinical purposes, helping disables to cross the roads etc.). Based on intention, purpose and consequence touches are classified into two categories: 1. GOOD TOUCH OR SAFE TOUCH AND 2. BAD TOUCH OR UNSAFE TOUCH. Good touch and bad touch is commonly used concept to teach children what type of touch is okay and what type of touch is not okay in order to protect them from falling victim of child sexual abuse.

Generally a pedophile use unsafe or bad touch to initiate abusing children sexually. If the children are aware about the touches and knows how to react than they can protect themselves in the most of the cases.

1. GOOD TOUCH OR SAFE TOUCH

Good touches are touches that make children feel cared, protected and appreciated. Good touches play vital role in effective upbringing of any kid. Good touches may include: hugs, pats on back, an arm around the shoulder, parental kisses etc. Sometime good touches may hurt but still they are necessary to keep children healthy (example medical processes, removing foreign particles etc.).

2. BAD TOUCH OR UNSAFE TOUCH

Bad touches are the touches which are intended to hurt kids. Bad touches make children feel uncomfortable, insecure and unpleasant. Bad touches may include hitting, pushing, pinching, kicking and touching the private parts. Bad touches sometime may bring fatal consequences which may last throughout the life and effect upbringing and health of the kid negatively.

IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT GOOD TOUCH AND BAD TOUCH

• Generally a pedophile use unsafe or bad touch to initiate abusing children sexually. If the children are aware about the touches and knows how to react than they can protect themselves as the incidence takes place when a pedophile and a child are alone.
• Most of the time victims are minor( 4-7 years old) and cannot differentiate between what is wrong and what is right and remains in chaos about the incident. The concept of good touch and bad touch is easy to understand and implement for the minors.
• Good touch and bad touch teaches children how to react to the bad touches , get to the safe place and to report the concerned.
• It effectively minimizes the incidents of child sexual abuse.

Everyone wants to to see their kids safe and protected making best of their childhood. We want to protect them against all odds. Our children come in contact with many people every day and there are good and bad people around them.

So, it becomes our responsibility to teach them, train them so that they are ready to face and handle any odd situation or person coming their way.

THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL AND EFFECTIVE TOOL TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM GETTING ABUSED SEXUALLY

FACILITATING GOOD TOUCH AND BAD TOUCH WORKSHOP

Binju Baral

Child sexual abuse is one of the most sensitive issue in our community. The cases of child sexual abuse has increased dramatically over the past decade. Unfortunately, children are found to be abused by relatives and acquaintances in 90% cases. Touch is the prior tool paedophile uses to abuse children. If the children are taught to distinguish between various types of touches and how to react through well structured program, abuses can be prevented effectively. We can organize awareness raising campaign against child sexual abuse through rallies, street drama, orientation classes on violence etc.

The most effective way is to train teachers about various aspects of child sexual abuse as they have imparted most of their time for the children. They are close to them and have deep impact in kids upbringing. The teachers can be prepared for delivering sessions on good touch and bad touch by the experts so that they can teach their children about the touches . Educating children about their sensitive body parts and sharing definitions of good and bad type of touches is necessary. We can conduct few demonstrations as well while conducting sessions because visual learning seems to be more effective using person, dummy or pictures.

Sometimes, the stories by facilitator of their own or some imaginary yet practical examples can also be shared to make children clear about the situations in which bad touch can occur. Facilitator has to be very aware about the fact that some children may have been through such touch .So, before delivering sessions,  facilitator should ask permission and if its relevant to somebody than its just a coincidence. There should be excessive knowledge with facilitator about scenario in which bad touch can be felt by children.

After educating about good and bad touch, facilitator should also start a complain hearing mechanism discussion which will help in identifying problems in school and then resolve accordingly. Making use of “complain box “to drop issues synonymously could be one of the best strategy in school to address problems on bad touch and child sexual abuse.

Some self defense techniques can be shared to children as well for being protected from abusive behavior by people. Video related to abuse and way to resolve those issues can be shown in projector as well. “Komal” named video is one of the best video to show to children.

Short term and long term impact should also be shared and clearly explained to children while delivering sessions on good and bad touch. Mental problems, physical problems and social problems should be shared to the children. Information should be shared according to their age group because too small children may not be able to understand about concept of abuse and its impact.

Parents should be educated as well regarding good and bad touch because abuse can occur anywhere like in home, public places, friend and relative house, etc. so parents should be taught to be friendly and concerned with their children about bad touch and touch talk in their house.

In this way sessions on good touch and bad touch for reducing child sexual abuse can be implemented by the person who is well trained by experts in workshop, events or orientation programs.

Child sexual abuse is one of the most sensitive yet ignored social problem. Lots of kids are abused by their own acquaintance, still they don’t realize what they are going through unless symptoms are prominent. Most of the times consequences are fatal.

Parents and teachers should learn about child sexual abuse and the serious situation that it can bring to their kids in order to minimize the risks. And children should be taught about touches. It’s very sensitive and shameful social problem. Unfortunately we are ignoring it.