Maintaining an open channel of communication between the people and the government is essential. Kishori Leaders belonging to the Devadasi community, who advocate for change and 31 duty bearers from Kugidi, Karnataka, including Taluk Legal Service Authority members, Anganwadi supervisors, ASHA workers, the Child Development Project Officer, and others, participated in a dialogue hosted by...

Though the Devadasi practice was outlawed nearly one hundred years ago, in 1924, it continues to exist in certain parts of the country due to continuous underreporting and its underground nature. The Devadasi system is the “offering” of girl children, after which they become sex workers.  The Devadasi Security Act of 1934 makes this practice...

Prostitution in temples, such as the Devadasis cult, has occurred in India since the country’s inception.  This occupation degraded into temple prostitution in the present times. This practice is illegal in India under the Devadasi Security Act of 1934. This prohibition was reinforced in the 1980s, although the law is still violated on a daily basis....

Police Brutality has always been a problem in India. The police are given powers in order for them to properly enforce the law and safeguard the public. However, they use it unlawfully for a variety of reasons, including the urge to conclude a case as quickly as possible and sheer greed. Article 21 of the...

During the pandemic, reaching out to the poor and affected people has been difficult, especially owing to COVID 19 restrictions.  Children of India Foundation’s Children GOOD project planned an awareness programme in the Vijayapura district on August 27, 2021, to help with this process. The programme’s major goal was to increase awareness about all anti-social...

When the SSLC board exams were to take place, children of Devadasis from our Children GOOD project were very anxious. To take these kids out of fear, boost their confidence, and guide them on how to write exams, the Children GOOD team conducted a virtual consultation with counselors Mahesh and Veena Mohan. Both of them...

During the last few months, the state of Karnataka has been enforcing curfews and lockdowns due to the surge of COVID cases in the country. Schools and colleges have been shut down, the unemployment rate has increased, and the number of COVID cases has been rapidly rising. People are experiencing isolation, loneliness and frustration created...

With an average of 50,000 new cases daily in the month of May, Karnataka witnessed a new peak in the COVID pandemic. The second wave did not spare children, teenagers, and youth in their 20s, who accounted for a large number of infections and fatalities. According to the official data, 7,06,449 people got infected between...

Year-end Child-Led Evaluation Program was organized by project GOOD at three operating districts Vijayapura on 19 March 2021, Belgaum and Bagalkot, on 21 March 2021. It involved Kishori leaders, community members, kishori mothers, government school teachers, panchayat members, and 180 children per location. The program was organized by Children of India and was inaugurated by...

One of the most tragic outcomes of the pandemic was the loss of livelihood, leaving poor families in a worse situation. Seventeen-year-old Karunya* from the Devadasi community rose against the odds to provide for her family in these trying circumstances. Karunya hails from a community where girls and young women face abuse, discrimination and exploitation....