Child Safety in the Hands of Caring Community Members

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” Don’t be a passive onlooker when you encounter a child in distress. Be an active, caring community member and report the situation to the local authorities. Your actions can make a world of difference.

Realising what sanitation workers, auto drivers, shopkeepers, public transport personnel and the public in general (which includes you and me) could contribute to safeguarding children in the neighbourhood, the Child Safety Net (a BREADS programme) team of DBCLM Davanagere, Karnataka, organised an empowering training session for over 100 municipal sanitation workers in collaboration with the local Municipal Corporation on 28 February.

The training enables them to play a key gatekeeping role in their communities, ensuring no child goes unnoticed or left in distress. This proactive approach focuses on prevention and promotion, encouraging community members to step up when witnessing harmful situations.

During the training, Dr Chandramohan, the Municipal Corporation Health Officer, and Mrs Shailashree, from the Shree Shakthi Association, emphasised how sanitation workers, who often work in public spaces, schools, and neighbourhoods, are uniquely positioned to observe situations that others might miss. Fr. Regi, Director of DBCLM, focused on child protection laws and how the community can be part of the solution.

Ms Sujatha, a sanitation worker, said, “I never realised how important my role could be. I now feel empowered to help children in need.” Another participant, Mr Jagdish, shared, “We can all do something to keep our community safe. It’s about being aware and speaking up.”

The training enabled the participants to recognise signs of child abuse and intervene when necessary. Social workers cannot be present everywhere; therefore, caring community members become the eyes and ears on the ground and are ready to act when they see something wrong. The session reinforced that an active bystander goes beyond just noticing harmful actions. They act immediately, reporting to authorities and stepping in when necessary. The Child Safety Net programme promotes the formation and training of 15 caring communities in each city as part of its commitment to ensure every child is free from harm.