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Summary: In 2004, members of Bhima Sangha and other
children of the community, had developed the
five-year plans of their Panchayats as part of
the 10th National Five-Year Planning process.
They were facilitated by The Concerned for
Working Children (CWC), Karnataka, India.
Action Research by Children to Improve their Mobility and Access - 2005
A review of the literature on research and information management shows
that there are hardly any examples of children conducting their own
research. In most cases, children's engagement with research, if any at all,
has been as informants or as assistants to data collection. One of the few
exceptions have been the research processes conducted by the members
of Bhima Sangha(see note 1) and Makkala Panchayats (see note 2) of
Karnataka.
In 2004, members of Bhima Sangha and other children of the community,
had developed the five-year plans of their Panchayats as part of the 10th
National Five-Year Planning process. They were facilitated by The
Concerned for Working Children (CWC), Karnataka, India.
'Transport and mobility' related problems ranked high on the children's list
of issues in the five year plans.
In order to develop solutions to these problems, children felt the need to
become aware of the specific nature of transport problems. This led them
seek help from CWC to carry out a research process on the subject. A
project supported by DFID, UK and facilitated by CWC, India, for developing
a participatory child-centred research methodology in order to enable
children themselves to research into mobility issues as thus planned. It
was implemented in India, Ghana and South Africa. The University of
Durham, UK co-ordinated this.
The project took off with a participatory, child-centred workshop organised
by CWC in order to train adult facilitators from South Africa, Ghana and the
UK as well as to enable child participants to design a research
methodology and field-test the same, which they would implement in their
respective field areas.
The participants at the workshop were Professor Albert Abane, Head of the
department of Geography, Tourism and Transport from the University of
Cape Coast , Ghana, Mac Mashiri, a transport engineer by profession from
CSIR, South Africa, Priyanthi Fernando, a gender and transport expert from
IFRTD, UK, Dr. Gina Porter, a faculty and researcher at the University of
Durham, UK and twenty-nine children, aged 9 to 18 from three Gram
Panchayats of Karnataka, India, besides CWC's Resource Persons and field
staff. The adults were all professional experts who had years of experience
in research or programming especially in the area of transport and mobility.
During the five-day workshop, the children were facilitated to design a
research framework and methodology; develop appropriate tools and pilot
three of them for conducting the research. Transect walk (observation
map), focus group discussions and mapping mobility profile for different
children were field tested. During this process, the adult delegates learned
the fundamentals of children's rights, children's participation and
protagonism. The principles and techniques of participatory research and
ways of facilitating research by children were the key issues covered by
the adults.
Our research partners from Ghana and South Africa went back with great
commitment to enable children in their countries to undertake a similar
process.
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"I did not expect such an marvelous experience and it was totally different
from what I thought before coming here. The kids sitting here have been
marvelous. They have taught me things that I have never known before. I
have been doing research in transport for the last 24 years and I have
learned more in these 5 days than those 24 years, from you children. I
have also realised that I had ignored a very significant group of people in
all my research, that is children. The staff here have been excellent. I am
carrying back to Ghana very memorable ideas. Something interesting is
going on here that we have not seen before - 'children planning their own
life'. I will leave a promise with you that I will do my best to uphold what
you are doing here in Ghana as well, which some day you could come and
see."
Prof. Albert Abane
October, 2004,
Namma Bhoomi, Kundapur, India
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The child participants in India returned to their villages and started their
research. They identified more children from their hamlets who were
interested in being part of the research, based on certain criteria they
developed. They conducted massive publicity campaigns about the
research. They also negotiated with the local government, key persons in
the community and school authorities, enlisting support for their research
study.
The project spanned over a period of six months from October 2004 to
March 2005. The children were equipped with research and documentation
skills through a number of training workshops and field pilots. A total
number of 144 children conducted the research. They used six different
methods, namely Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA), Observation Mapping,
Interview, Focus Group Discussion, Traffic Count and Mapping Mobility
Profile of individual children, to conduct the study. The child researchers
collected information from over 300 child respondents from three Gram
Panchayats. The tools to conduct the research were developed by the child
researchers themselves during the course of the training workshops. Each
of the tools were pre-tested before being administered. After data
collection, children compiled and consolidated the information they
collected; categorised them into sub-heads; developed strategies for
advocacy and prepared an action plan to address their issues at different
levels of governance.
They developed their strategies based on the individuals and agencies
they had to work with if they had to solve their problems. Significantly,
they listed themselves and their communities among those who can play
an active role in developing and implementing solutions. There are several
instances where children have initiated discussions related to solving their
problems even as their research was underway.
In April 2005, four representatives of the child researchers from Kundapur
met with children from South Africa and Ghana who had done similar
research (though smaller in scope) in their countries. Over a five day
workshop, they mutually shared their research experiences and
consolidated their findings.
The Ghanian Minister for Transport was present at the final day of the
workshop, in addition to several other senior officials who took part in the
stakeholders meeting. They listened to the outcome of the children's
research with great interest. The discussion at the meeting covered a wide
range of issues - from transport needs of children, children's ability to do
research to the need for enabling children to participate in developing
policies and programmes that affect them. The gathering emphasised the
need to ensure the sustainability of such processes initiated by children.
Back in India, the children of the three Panchayats in Kundapur are gearing
up to put to good use the information they have collected and documented
during the past few months. In the final workshop held from May 26 -28,
children have developed numerous advocacy and communication tools that
will assist them to put across their concerns and issues forcefully to
decision makers. They have also identified the main power centres they
must inform and influence in order proceed further.
On 28th May, 2005 in Namma Bhoomi (see note 3), Kundapur, the children
were preparing to present their findings as well as describe the
methodologies they used to arrive at them to a group of senior
government officials of the Karnataka Education Department. Present at
the meeting were the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), Udupi
District, Block Education Officers (BEO)s of Kundapur and Byandoor and
several Cluster Resource Centre (CRC) and Block Resource Centre (BRC)
officers from that region. The children used skits, songs, role-plays and
posters to effectively present their concerns regarding the state of
transportation in their local areas.
This presentation is the first in the series of interventions they have
planned. We will bring you updates on how children proceed to improve
the nature and quality of transportation available to them.
*******
Note 1: A union of, by and for working children in Karnataka facilitated by
the Concerned for Working Children, with a membership of over 13,000,
striving for the realisation of child rights.
Note 2: A children's Village Council or parallel government of children, set
up in Karnataka jointly by Bhima Sangha and the Concerned for Working
Children. It is a forum for all children to participate in decision-making and
governance at the Panchayat level.
Note 3: CWC's Regional Resource Centre situated in Kundapur, where
about 100 children equip themselves with livelihood skills and education
every year
For a detailed report, contact:
The Concerned for Working Children
303/2, L.B. Shastri Nagar,
Vimanapura Post,
Bangalore - 560 017,
Karnataka, India
Tel: + 91 80 25234611/270
Email: cwc@pobox.com
Website: www.workingchild.org