[Assam] Is Guwahati a Child-Friendly City

[Nava Thakuria]

Dear editor/friends,
Here is a news item for your information.
Regards,
Nava Thakuria,
Guwahati
 
Discussion on Child-Friendly facet of Guwahati  
 
Guwahati: Snehalaya  with the support of   Guwahati Press Club has organized an interactive session on the issue of children’s safety, comfortability and facilities available  in Guwahati. The workshop titled Is Guwahati a Child-Friendly City to be held at the press club auditorium on  February 28 (Saturday) at 11 am is likely to witness participation of nearly 50 eminent  intellectuals, journalists,  NGO functionaries, lawyers, doctors, educators with others. 
The programme, to  be moderated by D.N. Bezboruah, an eminent journalist of Northeast and  the former chairman of Editors Guild of India, is expected to create greater awareness  among the civil society and the policy makers  about  the problems of children in the region, and the also responsibility for all concerned to create a child-friendly atmosphere in the pre-historic city. 
Mentionable that Snehalaya, an outreach programme of Don Bosco organization, had launched on January 1, 2001, the mission of making Guwahati (as well as the entire Northeast) a child –friendly place. 
Fr. Lukose Cheruvale, the founder director of Snehalaya informed that they had opened five Snehalaya homes for homeless and destitute children in Guwahati. Further, it has a day-care centre at Chandmari,  a Children's Assistance booth at the Guwahati Railway Station and a Children's Assistance Centre at Adabari Bus Station. Snehalaya also gives psycho-social support to children in the  government-run  Children's Home and Observation Homes at Nagaon and Jorhat, added Fr. Lukose.