Bangalore

Date: 14th May 2026

Place: CRT, Bengaluru

The 4th batch of Dr. Padmini Child Rights Fellows in the year 2025-26 had assembled at CRT and it was a delight to see all the six fellows from various parts of the state together. During the last 10 months they were part of various other programmes and trainings/workshops otherwise with other participants. This meeting was specifically meant for the fellows with an objective of sharing their experiences.  

Objectives of the meeting 

1. Understanding the progress of the Fellowship Programme and its contribution to the community. 
2. Reviewing the progress, learnings, and experiences of the fellows. 
3. Understanding the challenges faced during the fellowship and the strategies adopted to address them. 
4. Discussing and identifying changes or improvements required in the Fellowship Programme

Process:

Dr NV Vasudeva Sharma, Executive Director, CRT welcomed the Dr. Padmini Child Rights Fellows and Mr. Udayakumar Bekal, Azim Premji Foundation, Hosapete and the team members of CRT and gave a brief introduction about CRT, its objectives, programmes and some fo the achievements as well as various partnerships.

The Child Rights Fellowship was informally initiated in 2021 as a pilot with one fellow. The idea was to support an individual to concentrate on a smaller location (around 3 GPs only). The fellow was encouraged to observe the situation of children in the area and identify the intervention requirements – health, education, protection and participation and to develop networks around and motivate the local services providers and Government to act. This experience was later expanded to reach out to five members from 2023 in the memory of Dr Padmini, the Founding member of CRT who passed away in 2022. The programme was renamed as “Dr. Padmini Child Rights Fellowship Programme” and the programme is supported by FCW, USA.

Mr. Udaykumar Bekal, shared about Azim Premji Foundation and its activities and made a special mention about our recent partnership with CRT. He also mentioned that the Foundation is planning to expand the fellowship programmes in various locations while taking Constititonal Values as the core of the issues. Mr. Uday said that he is curious to know about the process and activities of the CRT Fellows. 

Along with the current fellows, CRT had invited two earlier fellows to be part of the discussions. Ms.  Suman Mathew (2023 fellow) from Somavarapete, Kodagu District and Mr. Manjunath Amalagundi (2024 Fellow) from Sira, Tumakuru were part of this particular meet to share their experiences. 

The sharing began with Ms. Suman Mathew giving an account about her journey from her MSW classes and a block placement at CRT and then being a Dr Padmini Child Rights Fellow. She made special mention about the selection and interview process which made every aspiring applicant very comfortable and be part of the flow. She said that the one-year fellowship greatly benefited her personally and professionally with the continuous support given by CRT. She highlighted that the rapport and network built during the fellowship continue to support her work and the organization that she and her husband have evolved. Ms. Suman said that various stakeholders in her work area are recognizing her and her interventions and invite her to be a resource person or facilitator on child centric issues. For that Ms. Suman attributed to the ongoing training, workshops, exposure, literature and connections that CRT provided during the fellowship programme. 

This was followed by the sharing by the current fellows: 

1. Ms.Bhavya Gowda, Tumakuru 
2. Mr. Naveen Kumar, Doddaballapura,  
3. Ms. Manjula Kanakunte, Koppala  
4. Mr. Nagaraj, Vijayanagara 
5. Ms. Gayathri, Chikkaballapura 
6. Mr. Suban Saab, Koppala.

The fellows concentrated on their activities, learnings, challenges, and future plans. The fellows have normally selected three Gram Panchayats covering approximately 15–20 villages. They have made sincere efforts to build strong rapport with communities and local stakeholders. They have actively supported in organising Child Rights Gram Sabhas, conducted awareness programmes in schools and communities on child rights and child protection mechanisms, and intervened in cases of child rights violations.

Some fellows shared success stories from the field. E.g., A Class 10 student who had dropped out of school was persuaded to get readmitted after continuous follow-up and intervention despite many challenges from the school and the family. Now, the child has successfully faired in SSLC examination and now aspiring to continue his education. The child attributes the success to the support given by the fellow. Similarly there are stories about the facilitation provided at the Anganawadi, birth registration, providing information about RTE Act, medical support and disability development support, alerting the authorities about the possible bonded labourers, child marriage, etc. 

The fellows also shared about how the community members approaching them to report child rights violations and seek support. Mr. Naveen from Doddaballapura has pioneered through his network inn the area, in organizing Children’s Nagarasabha for the first time. Fellows have also coordinated Open House programmes in their working areas (Children meeting with police and having an interaction).

The Fellows also said that similar follow up is essential for effective interventions and community mobilization on the field on their part. They also shared innovative methods used for community awareness programmes, including:

• Cycle Jatha on “Rights with Duties” along with Constitutional Values 
• “Marada Kelage Charche” (discussion under a tree in the village) 
• Open discussions and interactive community sessions
• Awareness programmes in schools, House visits 
• Advocacy and letters with stakeholders, media discussions etc;

Fellows also conducted School Health and Wellness Programmes and Life Skills sessions covering topics such as gender justice, decision-making, self-awareness, and child protection.

In another intervention, after rescuing child labourers, a fellow conducted awareness programmes in factories. Based on further requests and follow-up, sports materials were distributed in the district for children’s use. Some fellows also organised summer camps for children in their working areas while joining hands with local governments. 

After the presentations by the six fellows, Mr. Manjunath, former fellow, shared his experiences briefly. He mentioned that the fellowship gave fellows the freedom to choose their field areas and work independently, which helped them work more effectively and creatively. He also shared some impact stories and successful interventions from his fellowship period. He highlighted that because of interventions through Child Rights Gram Sabhas, some Gram Panchayats have now institutionalized the process by maintaining meeting minutes.

Following the sharing in the discussion, fellows said that the fellowship inspired them to continue working in the child rights field. A few have initiated organizations, groups, and initiatives, and are currently preparing proposals for long-term programmes. Some fellows reported that they have reached more than 1,000 children during the fellowship period through awareness programmes, trainings, and interventions. Fellows highlighted about the utility of weekly reporting, regular follow-up meetings (both online and offline) and sustained engagement that supported them to be always alert and learning for change.

Mr. Udaykumar appreciated the fellows for their effective work, innovative ideas, and different approaches to community engagement. He felt that this experience is a very good base to try out something new and also to expand the idea to reach more individuals and so to a larger community. Dr. Vasudeva Sharma acknowledged and appreciated the valuable contributions made by the fellows in strengthening child rights initiatives at the grassroots level.

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks.

Members Present:

• Dr. Vasudeva Sharma   –   Executive Director, CRT
• Mr. Udaykumar            –   Azim Premji Foundation 
• Mr. Sathish                  –   Associate Director, CRT 
• Mrs. Nagamani C.N.      –   Project Coordinator, CRT 
• Ms. Prashanti               –    Project Assistant, CRT 
• Ms. Sowmya                –    Finance and Administration 
• Mrs. Suman Mathew     –    Former Fellow 
• Mr. Manjunath              –   Former Fellow 
• Present Fellows:
• Mrs. Gayathri               –   Current Fellow 
• Mrs. Manjula                –   Current Fellow
• Mrs. Bhavya                 –   Current Fellow 
• Mr. Subhan                  –   Current Fellow  
• Mr. Naveen                  –   Current Fellow
• Mr. Nagaraj                 –    Current Fellow