Subhanarayan Satapathy
Change in voice, physique, genital, skin, emotion, starting menstruation, body hair grow, increasing need for privacy are articulated the child is in adolescent. We know that entrance age of adolescent or adolescent period is at 10 yrs and ends at 19 years. This is one of the crucial periods of life.In such an age of life, it is indispensible to guide, support, educate, entertainment, relationships. If these services to the adolescents will not properly ensured, they may lose their self esteem, self respect, self reliance and their duties and responsibilities towards community etc. To maintain these at the age holistic development including health, hygiene and intellectual health there by reducing risk and vulnerabilities are inevitable requirements. The Government and Non Government agencies working for the age group have been designing and implementing various schemes for the age groups. Though both the genders are vulnerable at the teenage, Girls are often are often inmost risk. Odisha Government’s ADVIKA- Every Girl is Unique is one of the grand initiative of State to empower adolescents through education, leadership, life skills and setting goals to reduce vulnerability to make them self reliant, self sustainable, to prevent child marriage, end violence. A schedule of monthly themes named as Kishori Calender has been worked out at every Anganwadi Centre observing ADVIKA day on every Saturday by the thematic approach like;Nutrition and Anemia for January, Life Skill and Psychosocial wellbeing for February, Knowing your rights and related legislation for March and so on. Adolescents provided with skill building and vocational trainings under this prog so that they can engage themselves in different income generated activities. The themes in calendar aim to eliminate every evil confronting it and to keep them on right path not to deviate the morale of living and aim of life. Scientifically, the biological and physical changes may bring modification in thought, perception, mind etc, but it is natural and common. The caregivers, parents should not try to control over the natural phenomenon. If such changes at this age is not experiencing indicates there is something unusual.
Now a day, unnatural trend is happening. Just like celebrating puberty or 1st menstrual cycle of girls when entering into womanhood in a large gathering of guests including students peers by conferring them invitation cards, discussing there on marriage proposals and to control over the future of the girl etc. Some of parents, relatives want to control over the life of the girl by imposing a narrow responsibility, suggesting for engagement in household chores, , advising for caring of younger children thereby keeping away from education, employable training, job etc. This is vulnerability .Rather providing intellectual, socio-cultural, vocational, educational wellbeing with protecting the rights of adolescents and proper guidance boost up their socio-economic mainstreaming. Though, the adolescent girls are getting this benefit but more often the adolescent boys also confronting lots of physical, emotional, biological coercion going through this age. They become more sensitive. Hence parental support to nurture, imparting education on adolescent behavior & physical changes, develop adolescents in a proper healthy and hygiene manner is fundamental necessity. Peer Leaders of adolescent for the age of 10-14yrs Sakhi and 15 to 19 yrs Sahel iunder ADVIKA are being the agent of change to achieve the objectives. Better facilitation of motto of ADVIKA “every girl is unique” can build a healthy womanhood.
It has been seen in the society, most of the violence against children comes during adolescent age in terms of solemnization of child marriage, increasing trend of child trafficking/ elopement in adolescent, child labour, child sexual abuse, self harm like; suicide etc. World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 24 percent or nearly 19 million adolescent girls who have been in a relationship will have experienced physical and /or sexual intimate partner violence by the time they tune 20 years old.Almost 1 in 6 experienced such violence in the past years. Data says adolescent aged 15 to 19yrs are particularly vulnerable to violence, being three times more likely to die violently than younger adolescents aged 10 to 14 years. In past year 75.3percent of adolescents reported peer violence, 27.6% reported dating violence and 23.5% carried weapon. Physical fighting and bullying are also common among young people. A study of 40 developing countries showed that an average of 42% of boys and 37% of girls were exposed to bullying.Again one in four i;e 24.8% all age interpersonal violence deaths are in adolescents. UNICEF report says one in three of world’s child brides live in India. It has been observed that 4th leading cause of death among late adolescent age group from 15 to 19yrs in India. NCRB 2021 report says total number of 10,730 adolescents below 18yrs of age died due to suicide.
Thus to reduce the risk towards adolescence, collaborative effort of Govt of Odisha, UNICEF, UNFPA and Action Aid carrying out number of activities to achieve strategic action plan. Not only ADVIKA but also so many adolescent empowerment programmes are going on at grasroot levelby non-Government Organisations. They are also focusing on the holistic development of adolescents by ending every threat in coordination with ADVIKA. The stakeholders working to combat local specific challenges, substance abuse, mental health issues, depression, anxiety, odd actions under sexual and reproductive health, academic problems, peer pressure, cyber addiction, violence etc. Still unknowingly the adolescents pushed to peril in many matters. The issues can be eradicated only thorough life skill education, counseling, guidance, awareness in which the grassroot workers, leaders should play key role. They must be healthy versed, fine familiar, well acquainted with the adolescence, concept, society and its outcomes. There must be added standard Implementation strategies including periodical mapping exercise, Home visit, focus group discussion at village level to work on preventive approach and identify vulnerabilities or risks of adolescents, their threats, remedial to be taken etc under supervision of Child Protection Officials, Anganwadi Workers, Health workers. Capacity building competencies of grassroot workers, parents can build up safe and secure environment for the adolescent persons. In this context village leaders, other stakeholders can participate, guide and monitor so that the nuisance illegal trafficking, marriage, sexual abuse can be prevented or removed.
In Recent past when a state level conference of teens called as “Sakhi Saheli Sammelan”under ADVIKA held at Puri by Government of Odisha, UNICEF and Action Aid with a great gathering of adolescent representatives from various districts of Odisha. It was astonishing that maximum representatives were victim of child marriage and came out from the trap, enrolled in education or vocational trainings. In such a beautiful congregation, they were shared their experience as a victim of possible child marriage. They exposed toown plan of action for the society and for self. They set targets to prevent child marriage in their region as an agent of change. The vibration of social responsibility and altruistic approach of adolescent was a key of self motivation. Their performances in mono act, dance, song and other extracurricular activities were commendable. Recovering the adolescents from the fear and accumulation of holistic development approach makes life beautiful. It promotes uniqueness of very girl. This is an instance that the stages of life by age can be maintained. That speaks about healthy Adolescence leads to a healthy Womanhood. Need based approach, implementing strategy, formulation of additional plan accelerate the action of Action Aid, UNICEF, UNFPA and the Government. These safe priorities must be put into practice constantly and rigorously. Bring out adolescents boys and let’s celebrate Sakha Bandhu Sammilani. Apart from this, there are so many adolescent focused programmes like; Rastriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram, Nutrition, IFA supplementation, life skill training, Sudakhya for free technical education, DDU-GKY etc running. ADVIKA is not only Convergence of all schemes to brought up future world but also cross sharing of adolescents at Anagawadi Centre can eliminate child marriage. So, intake or acceptance of the opportunities of unique and innovation ADVIKA Capsule for teenage will definitely empower their adulthood. So, the capsule should reach out at every unreachable target. Similar kind of approaches for empowerment of adolescence should be undertaken at every state so that it would strengthen adulthood. Thus, it proves that ADVIKA Reinforce Adultescent.
