Sivasagar: Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) has inaugurated a Child Friendly Space (CFS) at Bamunpukhuri in Sivasagar’s Nazira subdivision to provide psychosocial support to children affected by the recent floods in Assam.
The facility was inaugurated by Sivasagar District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Dr Bikash Ranjan Konwar in the presence of school teachers, social workers, labour union representatives, representatives of AATSA, tea garden management and community members.
Konwar said children affected by disasters need more than material assistance and require safe spaces where they can play, learn, interact with peers and receive emotional and psychosocial support.
“Children require more than material assistance; amidst the crisis they need a safe space where they can play, learn, express themselves, interact with peers and receive emotional and psychosocial support,” he said.
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He added that such spaces are particularly important after disasters, when children may experience fear, anxiety, disruption of routine, separation from caregivers and other forms of emotional distress.
Kritanjali Kashyap, State Lead-cum-Programme Manager, Bal Raksha Bharat, PIU Assam, said children are among the most vulnerable during crises, while their emotional and psychological needs are often overlooked.
She said the Child Friendly Space was intended to help children regain a sense of normalcy, express their feelings, build confidence and cope with difficult experiences.
“Through this initiative, we want to strengthen community-based child protection and ensure that every child affected by adversity has an opportunity to feel safe, heard and supported,” Kashyap said.
The initiative is part of Bal Raksha Bharat’s wider humanitarian response to the floods in Assam.
Recently, with support from Salesforce, the organisation reached 300 flood-affected households in No. 1 Jonaki Mandal Gaon under the Titabar Assembly constituency in Jorhat. The households were provided essential hygiene and dignity kits in coordination with local government authorities.
Sitaram Das, a flood-affected resident, said the disaster had left his family struggling to rebuild their lives.
“The flood has taken away almost everything. There is no field to farm or house to live in; it has left me and my family in a great struggle to start everything from scratch again,” he said.
Das said the hygiene and dignity kit had provided some relief, particularly as his family had lost much of what they needed.
“Even small things become very important when you have lost almost everything. I have my wife and daughter to look after and some of the specialised items in this kit such as undergarments, sanitary napkins will be very useful for them,” he said.
“This support gives us some relief and helps us maintain our dignity and take care of our family during this difficult time,” he added.
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