UNICEF child reporters save Class 9 schoolmate from child marriage in Jamshedpur
Shreya led a group of girls, including Laxmi Karmakar, to Rabni’s house and met her mother as her father was working in the farmland.
A group of class-9 girls from state-sponsored Plus-2 High School in Lava panchayat in Patamda Block of East Singhbhum district, about 30 km from district headquarter Jamshedpur, successfully saved their classmate Rabni Tudu from child marriage on Sunday.
Interestingly, the group of UNICEF’s child reporters also included Laxmi Karmakar from nearby Rahedih village who was saved from the menace of child marriage by same group when they were in class-8.
Rabni’s father had fixed her marriage in February next year though the final date was not fixed as yet. The preparation for Rabni’s marriage was on in full swing in their house when this group of her half a dozen schoolmates led by Shreya Varma visited her house at Kiyabohal village on Sunday, accompanied by their former teacher Pankaj Kumar who is now posted at a Jamsehdpur school.
“For past few days, Rabni was secretly crying in the school but couldn’t muster the courage to tell us her problem. After much effort, she revealed that she would be married off in February and her study would end soon. We immediately decided to visit her house and convince her parents against it,” Shreya Varma told HT on Monday.
“This mission of education first, then marriage (pehle padhai, fir sagai) must go forward. I am happy that my schoolmates stood up for me and stopped my marriage. I will now join the movement against child marriage too. Pankaj Sir also did a lot to convince my father against it,” an elated Rabni said.
Rabni’s father Indu Tudu said in their community girls are married off at tender age and hence he had fixed his daughter’s marriage in February next year. “But I realised what her schoolmates are saying is right. So, I have decided to defer the marriage till my daughter completes her education. I have also intimated the groom’s family about our decision,” Tudu said.
Shreya led a group of girls, including Laxmi Karmakar, to Rabni’s house and met her mother as her father was working in the farmland.
“Her mother told us that she too didn’t want Rabni to stop her studies and get married at such tender age. We then called her father and told him the harms, ill effects of child marriage and that her daughter was a brilliant student. Though he was angry and reluctant initially, he eventually agreed not to marry Rabni off before attaining adulthood,” said Shreya.
UNICEF observer from Adarsh Seva Sanstha (an NGO) Uttam Kumar Mahto said all the girls were UNICEF child reporters and wearing its badges when they visited Abani’s house.
“They have been spreading awareness on child marriage, child labour and such issues in the schools and villages under UNICEF programme. We visit at least two schools a day out of 15 identified in Patamda Block. Earlier they had stopped Laxmi Karmakar’s marriage too when she was in class-8,” said Uttam.
Uttam added that a private coaching centre would felicitate the brave girls and Rabni Tudu on Tuesday. “Owner of the institute has also announced to bear the cost of Rabni’s education up to plus-2 level. We also took Rabni to children friendly Patamda police station today(Monday),” added Uttam.
Highlights
UNICEF introduced its child reporter programme in East Singhbhum in 2009
It was started in Patamda block of East Singhbhum district in 2017
The child reporters programme covered over 1,500 adolescents (900 girls and 600 boys) in 70 schools in Jamshedpur, in East Singbhum.
As per NGO Adarsh Seva Sansthan, engaged with UNICEF, 10 cases of child marriage, whose names are public, were stopped in 2018, while i another 15 cases, credentials of the parties were kept secret
As per Jamshedpur Child Line, 61 cases of child marriage were reported to them in 2018. 85% of those child marriages were stopped.
