Mudita Foundation

Kickstarting our work with the Loreto schools with an interaction with 38 principals and school leaders with critical conversations on safe schools and workspaces during their Annual Principals Meet at Shillong! Watch for more updates as we work with their Child Protection Officers and their Internal Committee members over the next few months to strengthen mechanisms for safeguarding and protection of children and women.

Several times the youth of our country, especially young women refrain from joining the workforce considering the potential risks to their safety in different workplaces.

In our work with youth-trainees with different civil society organisations, we encourage them to always enquire about the POSH Policy before or when they join any new work place.

A good practice, this small step can help us be more alert and aware of where we can seek help from in case we feel unsafe or face sexual harassment at the workplace.

The recent r**e and murder case of a doctor in the hospital in Kolkata has not only horrified each one of us but also forced us to ask the question- 'Can women actually join the workforce anywhere considering how unsafe all workplaces are?'
Crimes like sexual assualt always begin with everyday actions and behaviour that make women feel unsafe but are often normalised or trivialised.

The statements above are real experiences shared by participants during our awareness sessions on POSH.

Do you also have an experience to share?
Comment below as we try to amplify the need for safe workspaces for all women.

**ecase

An interesting conversation on child protection as a part of our program Pahal, was organised for the educators of Learning By Local (LBL) last week.
LBL works towards empowering today's youth by helping to develop personal and professional skills.

During our session, one of the educators shared that learning about different types of abuses was new to them and that they never knew that child sexual abuse is such a serious problem.

We are looking forward to more such conversations and collaborative interventions towards child safety and protection with LBL.

Sharing glimpses from our follow up training with the teachers at Ritinjali, as a part of our program Leher.
An insightful day with demonstrations, exploring tools and resources creatively to maximise the impact of initiating safety conversations within classrooms and some deep reflection on the power of collaborative work and peer learning.

Do you wish to build safe learning spaces too? Contact us to know more about our capacity building program at [email protected]

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Educators play a significant role in ensuring that children thrive and grow to their full potential. Yet, several times they are not given the opportunity to discuss safety, an aspect that is critical to the holistic development of every child.
We have been interacting with educators from different fields through our interventions. Here is what they had to share after our sessions.


Deepalaya Lotus Petal Foundation Y-Ultimate

New partners, new conversation, same conviction - that we can create safe spaces every where, for everyone.

Glimpses from our Pahal interventions last week with the teams of Tex Fasteners and the women of Gulmeher. Both the sessions focused on understanding of the POSH Act, with an aim to identify and tackle situations of sexual harassment and abuse in work places.

What are you doing to prevent and tackle child abuse? Tell us in the comment section below and inspire action against child labour.

माना बच्चे हैं हम यार, सुरक्षा हमारा भी है अधिकार।
डराने से ना डरेंगे हम , हिम्मत से 'ना' कहेंगे हम।
अपनी आवाज़ उठाएंगे, शोषण से खुद को बचाएंगे I
मदद का हाथ बढ़ाएंगे, मदद के लिए शोर मचाएंगे I
सब के लिए सुरक्षित समाज बनाएंगे।

A safe space, a safe home, a safe school, a safe community, is every child's right.

More conversations on safety, with simpler tools.

Last month, we initiated a new partnership with Deepalaya (an organisation working to provide education to low income communities) to conduct a session for 65 children in the age group 2-6 years. They heard sheru's story to learn about Unsafe touch and behaviour and learnt a poem on the body parts and personal safety. About 50 parents of the same group attended a session on child protection. The session helped them understand the risks to children today and how to keep their children safe from abuse. The session ended with a game to emphasise collective responsibility and action.

A session on personal safety was also conducted for 35 children in the age group 10-13 years.

Deepalaya

We are pleased to announce that our co-founder Neha Pradhan Arora has taken on the role of the Executive Director with effect from 1st April 2024.

A social worker from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a teacher, Neha has worked on issues related to social justice, education, gender and adolescent empowerment with organisations and schools across the country, for over 20 years towards building safe, inclusive, and resilient communities.

As co-founder and erstwhile Trustee of Mudita Foundation, since inception, she has been involved in strategising, designing and executing the programmes and building the organisation.  Studying the issue, interacting and collaborating with other experts, building partnerships, conducting action research and designing simple and effective tools have helped her strengthen the organisation's interventions and take them to over 8000 children, youth and adults across 150 organisations and communities.

We look forward to the team continuing their committed efforts of working towards a world where each individual is living up to their full potential without the fear of abuse, violence and exploitation; and your continued support.

In 1 month we have raised 64% of our target! Help us raise the remaining in the next 15 days! Make your contribution today to help more young men and women enter the workforce with a commitment towards safe and respectful workspaces for all.

As these young adults get trained and prepared for employability in diverse sectors and entrepreneurship, help us give them critical information on keeping themselves and others around them safe.

Click here to donate - https://r.give.do/UY8MTWTy !

A post to share an update on everything that happened in January 2024.

We started the year with a busy and impactful month as we interacted with close to 200 adolescents, 60 youth and 75 adult animators who work with children through our Safe Spaces , Leher and Pahal programmes.

Swipe right to see our month in pictures !

1. Puppets created during the puppet camp by adolescents as part of the Safe Spaces Project on rural Haryana with
2. Games and activities used in the camp to build collective identity and strength.
3. One of the puppet shows, done in the village on the last day of the camp!
4 - 7 - Art expression of adolescents from the Safe Spaces as they visited and interacted with children in Delhi. The art work represents the current reality of the children and their dreams for their future.
8. Child advocates attending the training for the National Inclusive Children's Parliament with
9. Adult animators attending the training for the NICP
10. Sessions with youth at

May the dawn of the new year bring with it a greater sense of collective responsibility towards a safer, freer and more peaceful world! We are also happy and proud to share with you the Annual Report of 2022-2023. Regards and best wishes from the Mudita Team!

Find the report on our linktree - https://linktr.ee/ngomuditafoundation

#2024

Continuing to take pride and joy in the completion of 5 years of Mudita Foundation this month, we are delighted to share with you some of the comments and feedback given by some of our supporters, partners, and volunteers.
Are you also one of them ? Have you attended our workshops too? If yes, please share your experience of working with us below.

The being of Mudita Foundation stands strong on the conviction and belief that there will come a day when every individual is safe, happy and living without fear.

Today, 5 years from the day Mudita Foundation was founded, we are filled with pride as we acknowledge that every step taken is bringing us closer to this vision.

As we celebrate 5 years of our efforts towards building a safer world, we realise that it is just the first milestone. We want to thank each of our supporters and partners, all those who have been a part of our programmes - organisations, educators, children, youth and others across the country who have been a part of our journey and continue to share our vision and encourage us to only move forward.

If you have been a part of our sessions or events, worked or volunteered with us, we would love to hear from you on our special day. Comment below and share your experience.


KutumbFoundation Ngo Ritinjali ETASHA Society Navjyoti India Foundation

The being of Mudita Foundation stands strong on the conviction and belief that there will come a day when every individual is safe, happy and living without fear.

Today, 5 years from the day Mudita Foundation was founded, we are filled with pride as we acknowledge that every step taken is bringing us closer to this vision.

As we celebrate 5 years of our efforts towards building a safer world, we realise that it is just the first milestone. We want to thank each of our supporters and partners, all those who have been a part of our programmes - organisations, educators, children, youth and others across the country who have been a part of our journey and continue to share our vision and encourage us to only move forward.

If you have been a part of our sessions or events, worked or volunteered with us, we would love to hear from you on our special day. Leave a comment below.

To know more about us, contact [email protected]

Celebrating the , children at our partner organisations created some expressive posters conveying the importance of being able to say NO to protect themselves.
Some partners also facilitated a game ‘Mera Suraksha Kawach’ with the children to help them understand the concept of personal boundary and situations that call for us to say ‘NO’. The game also reiterated that it is absolutely to what crosses our personal boundary and makes us feel unsafe.

Sharing the glimpses of the same.

Some children like to express affection physically. Some appreciate distance. By respecting their boundaries we help them feel safe about their choices.

Acknowledging a child’s ‘No’ without judgment can help them become more confident, firm in communication and decisive. These skills play a protective role in situations that may pose any risk of abuse to children.

Let us make our children believe .

A NO means NO even when a child says it.

When children refuse to visit a place or meet a person repeatedly, it is a sign to start a conversation about their safety and acknowledge the boundary they want to create.

Let us make our children believe that their choice always stands first. if a child is uncomfortable going to a certain place or meeting a certain person.

#2023

Several children fall victim to child sexual abuse because they find it difficult to say NO especially when the abuser is known to them. Even if they do say “No” to meet and greet a relative it is labeled as bad manners.

Let us make our children believe that their choice always stands first. to what makes them uncomfortable even when it is a person in authority or in a relationship of trust.

The recent cases of abuse in the news tell us that children across the country face child abuse in forms of sexual abuse, corporal punishment, discrimination and physical abuse everyday.

We cannot look away! We owe our children learning spaces that our absolutely free from abuse. We need to ensure that all schools are safe and encourage holistic learning and development.
Tell us what would you suggest to make schools safer for children. Comment Below.

Highlights from the 6 month follow up of our capacity building program with Navjyoti India Foundation, Delhi (Urban Program).
Reflection on changes in members trained (teachers and children who are student leaders) and the organisation –
- Community Learning Centre teachers feeling more aware of risks and initiating conversations on safety with children.
- Community Learning Centre teachers being more observant of their students’ behaviour.
- Student leaders who were also trained, being more aware and confident as they know their rights.
- Student leaders identifying abusive behaviour and calling it out even if it is they themselves who showed it.
- The organisation now taking consent of the parents before using photos of the children in their own communication material.

What was most encouraging was that the children had initiated awareness sessions in the community to create awareness on rights of children especially risks and protection. They reached out to 280 children in their own community while also conducting a session for 50 children at their sister organisation. Both groups made specific plans for the next seven months till March 2024 and we are excited to see their plans to make their community safer, take shape.

An ideal work space brings out the best in an individual. But in reality, abuse and exploitation at the work place, continues to haunt many. It maybe unfair to say that abuse be it physical, sexual or emotional only affects women victims. Men too fall victim to work place abuse, violence and exploitation.
Our small efforts can make any place safe for ourselves and other.
Tell us about one thing you would do to make your work place safe from any form of abuse.
Comment below.

We are happy to share with you an encouraging feedback from a participant who recently attended our awareness session on 'Risks to youth'. This session was organised for all the centre heads of the Etasha Society, one of our partner organisations. 
The interaction focussed on equipping the participants with the knowledge of identifying and tackling issues of abuse with youth as each centre head mentors 20+ new youth as trainees every month  as a part of their youth empowerment program. Sexual abuse, harassment at work place, in public plqces and online abuse were the key issues discussed during this session. 
If you are an organisation working with children, adolescents, youth or women and would like to organise awareness sessions for the stakeholders, reach out to us at [email protected] or DM us.

In a recent article, our co founder Ms Neha Pradhan Arora shared- 'In all the conversations we at Mudita Foundation have had on safety with diverse stakeholders, the vulnerabilities of the youth have stood out for us in many ways.'
She emphasises that we must recognize these vulnerabilities and even as we work towards making young people skilled and employable, we must create safe spaces for young people to be able to access information and resources for their own safety.

Read the full article or our Linkedin page (muditafoundationngo) or click on the link in bio.