Every child has a right to live in a safer and healthier living condition, including those living in urban poverty,” said Housing and Urban Development Minister Devi Prasad Mishra, while launching Humara Bachpan, a national campaign on young children living in urban poverty here on Monday. Mishra assured the support of his department in building safe and healthy physical environment for children in the State.
Gracing the occasion, Magsaysay awarded and International Slum Federation president Padmashree Jockin Arputham emphasised on a child-friendly neighbourhood which could be guaranteed by providing access to housing and basic services to the urban poor with practical planning.
Bernard van leer Foundation Executive Director lisa Jordan said in India every eighth child lives in slums in vulnerable conditions and is exposed to physical hazards. She said that children and communities need to be empowered and the Government and business houses also need to play their roles in making the neighbourhoods child- friendly.
‘Humara Bachpan’ is a national campaign of Bernard van leer Foundation that advocates for making the children reeling under urban poverty visible to urban governance policies and supporting the Government in adopting the models to make their living conditions safe and healthy.
It is a platform for young children voices to be heard in urban governance.
17 per cent of Odisha’s population are living in urban areas out of which 10 per cent children live in informal settlements like slum in inhuman condition, said National Coordinator of the campaign Mihir Mohanty.
On the eventful day, the Minister launched the campaign website ‘humarabachpan.org’ and released a budget analysis of the State Housing and Urban Development and ‘Governance and Urban Poor’, a policy watch. Mishra also inaugurated a two-day photograph, painting and clay model exhibition on the theme of safe and healthy physical environment for young urban poor children.
A short documentary ‘City’s Step Child’ was screened on the eve of the launching ceremony directed by Pranab Kumar Aich which has six inspiring children who are living in slums of Delhi, Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad.