User:TARA Homes for Children/TARA Child Protection and Empowerment

TARA Child Protection and Empowerment is the name of the projects conducted jointly by the Indian NGO ONYVA and the French Association Chaya France, both created in 2009. These projects rescue children in need of care and protection (abandoned, orphans, victims of violence and abuse, in danger in their communities...) in four Homes in New Delhi. The children are welcomed to TARA through an order placement by the Child Welfare Committee (Board of Magistrates representing the Governement of India). TARA offers them a family-like shelter, quality food, complete health care and education. The philosophy behind TARA projects is that each child should be given the tools to develop their full potential in life and become independent and educated adults. Today, the four TARA Homes welcome 65 children who are supported by foundations, companies and individual sponsors.

History
The first TARA project was founded by Annick Adam, a retired teacher, and Pascal Fautrat, ,a former social worker for the French Judicial Protection of Juveniles (Protection judiciaire de la Jeunesse) who settled in India in 2006. Pascal Fautrat is now the Executive Director of TARA.

TARA Boys was created in August 2008 and welcomes 20 boys aged from 6 to 18 years old. TARA Tots was launched in 2012 for 20 boys and girls under 10 years old. TARA Big Birds (aftercare program for young adults who grew up in TARA) opened in 2013. Finally, TARA Girls, Home to 20 Girls from 6 to 18 years old, was created in 2015. All the Homes are located in South Delhi in order to maintain the family bond between the siblings welcomed in different TARA Homes.

Context
The children placed to TARA are identified as "children in need of care and protection" by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in accordance with the Indian legislation on Child Protection (Juvenile and Justice Act, 2015).

The Projects
Each TARA Home employs a Project Manager who works with two social worker, a cook, one or several nanny(ies), a cleaning person and a night staff. TARA also welcomes international volunteers who organize and supervise activities and workshops with the children. The administrative team, the polyvalent social workers and the partnerships and communication team are in charge of ensuring the smooth running of all TARA projects, under the supervision of the Executive Director.

The TARA Homes welcomes children without a shelter and a family able to provide for their basic needs. The capacity of each TARA Home is limited to 20 children in order to ensure an individual care to each child. Once the Child Welfare Committee decides to place the children to TARA, the organization provides them with a balanced diet, complete health care and a quality education in Hindi and English in a safe and warm environment allowing the physical and emotional security of the children.

Health Care
A Medical Officer takes care of the health of TARA Children on a daily basis and ensures that each child's specific needs are addressed.

Food
The menus in each Home are set by a nutritionist so that the children receive all the necessary nutrients for a healthy weight and height development.

Education
A specific program called « Bridging the Gap » allows the chidlren to catch up with their schooling when they arrive in TARA. After following this program, the children are enrolled in various schools in Delhi (St. Mary’s School and Blue Bells School for example). In the afternoon, they attend tuitions (45 minutes to 2h hours accoridng to their age and needs) with in-house teachers. They also engage in several extracurricular activities (dance, self-defense, art workshops, music...)

Safety and empowerment
TARA's Child Protection Policy is a code of conduct based on the right to protection, to welfare and to freedom of expression. It aims at establishing procedures to avoid any (physical or psychological) endangerment of the children residing in TARA. In TARA Girls and TARA Boys, the children participate in the decisions and setting of rules implemented in the Home. A Child Representative is elected every six months and is in charge of raising the children's opinion, needs and requests during the staff meetings

Funding
TARA is funded by individual and corporate sponsors.

Communication
In January 2013, TARA received the visit of the French First Lady, Mrs. Valérie Trierweiler,, who insisted on the importance of education and Child Rights in India. TARA is supported by the French Embassy to India, who organized events for the benefit of TARA,. The current Ambassador of France Mr. Alexandre Ziegler, as well as the former Ambassadors Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont and Mr. François Richier have visited TARA Homes several times since the projects were created.

In 2012, TARA received the visit of Mr. Martin Hirsc, former President of the Agence du service civique, Emmaüs France and of the Agence nouvelle des solidarités actives, former Haut-commissaire aux solidarités actives contre la pauvreté and currently Executive Director of the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris. TARA is also supported by the Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, who represented the organization in a public event in Delhi in mars 2014.

The French TV Channels Arte et France 2, the Indian TV Channel Lok Sabha,the online Channel of the association La Chaîne du Cœur and France 24 have shot reportages about TARA.

In March 2017, the French Radio RTL covered TARA's Holi celebration

On 15th June 2017, the President of ONYVA, Dr. Bharti Sharma was made "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the President of France for her commitment for Child and Women Protection in India

Pascal Fautrat, Executive Director of TARA, is often invited for debates on Child Protection in India

Les chaînes de télévision françaises Arte et France 2, la chaîne de télévision indienne Lok Sabha , la chaîne en ligne de l'association La Chaîne du Cœur et France 24 ont fait des reportages sur TARA.

En mars 2017, la chaîne d'information RTL couvre la célébration d'Holi, fête des couleurs à TARA

Le 15 juin 2017, la Présidente d'ONYVA, Bharti Sharma, a été élevée au rang de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur par le Président de la République, pour son combat en faveur de la protection de l'enfant et de la femme en Inde.

Pascal Fautrat, Directeur des projets TARA, est régulièrement invité dans le cadre de discussions autour de la protection de l'enfance en Inde. ,

Liens externes

 * Site officiel