Caroline Audoir De Valter, founder of Hope For the Children Foundation, and staff during a counselling session at the child-friendly space in Pune railway station on Friday (Express photo by Arul Horizon)The Pune Railway Division and Hope For the Children Foundation (HFCF) have jointly set up a child-friendly space at Pune Railway Station. The space is a room designed to ensure that the child feels comfortable and consists of a small pantry arrangement and library, among others, the authorities said. The facility will also provide counselling to kids in distress.
Divisional Railway Manager Renu Sharma inaugurated the child-friendly space located near the entry/exit Gate No. 1 of Pune Railway Station Friday. On this occasion, five child-friendly jackets were handed over to local police officials.
Pune Divisional Railway Manager Renu Sharma, Udaysingh Pawar (RPF) and Caroline Audoir De Valter during the inauguration of the child-friendly space (Express photo by Arul Horizon) The event was attended by HFCF head Caroline Audoir de Valter and senior officials from the Pune Railway Division.
After inaugurating the child-friendly room, Sharma said: “Only infrastructural development will not work, everyone in the society has to play their part in having a child-friendly mindset.”
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Railway police personnel wearing child-friendly jackets (Express photo by Arul Horizon) “Thousands of children go missing or are trafficked in India for sexual and labour exploitation. The railways are often the most convenient way to transport these children. Many children who arrive at railway stations are subjected to severe violence or abuse…” Valter said.
Further, awareness and advocacy initiatives will be implemented throughout the railway station premises to ensure that parents, children, general passengers, and the community are all aware of the violence that children face and they can act as a safety net, when necessary, she added.
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