Banikund in Jagatsinghpur is home to about 120 households with a diverse population, including Scheduled Caste (SC), Muslim, and General caste communities. The majority of families rely on agriculture and daily wage labor for their livelihoods.
In this village, the Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC)—an active body consisting of parents, Self-Help Group (SHG) members and Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members—meets regularly to discuss and respond to child protection concerns.
During a VCPC meeting in September 2024, members were oriented on the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and the sponsorship support available for children in need of care and protection. The following month, tragedy struck a family in the community when the father, the sole earning member, passed away. His wife, Bapina Bhoi, was left to care for their two children—Ayush (9 years) and Pooja (13 years)—with no financial stability. The family is landless, economically distressed, and resides in a one-room semi-pucca house. To sustain her family, Bapina took up work as an agricultural labourer on daily wages, but her income remained insufficient to support both children adequately.
Recognizing the family's vulnerability, VCPC members- Pallipushpa (an SHG member) and Lakshmi Priya Swain (SHG) conducted a home visit. They enquired whether Bapina had obtained her husband's death certificate, as it was a crucial document for accessing social welfare schemes. Bapina shared that she had already approached the Sarpanch and was expecting to receive it soon. The VCPC followed up with the Sarpanch to track progress.
During a routine VCPC meeting, members discussed how to secure financial support for the family. With assistance from the facilitator, the VCPC decided to apply for sponsorship support for Ayush and Pooja. The facilitator guided them through the process, explaining that the application required several documents, including:
- Death certificate of the father
- Aadhaar cards of the children
- Income certificate of the mother
To obtain the income certificate, the VCPC approached the Sarpanch, who coordinated with the Revenue Officer to facilitate the process at the Tehsil office. A home visit for income verification was then conducted by Tehsil officials. Once the income certificate was issued, the VCPC and the facilitator submitted the sponsorship application to the DCPU.
In January 2025, the Sponsorship and Foster Committee/CWC approved the application, but only for Pooja. She began receiving ₹4,000 per month from February 2025. While Ayush did not receive sponsorship, the likely reason for approving support for only one sibling may be to ensure more vulnerable children/families are benefited within the available limited funds.
This case highlights how timely community-led action, facilitated by the VCPC, played a crucial role in securing financial assistance for a child in need. The process also demonstrated the importance of navigating local governance structures—from engaging with the Sarpanch and Revenue Officer to coordinating with Tehsil officials—to access government welfare schemes. Through timely intervention, persistent follow-ups, and collaborative efforts, the VCPC ensured that at least one child in the family received long-term financial support, easing the burden on their struggling mother and securing a better future for Pooja. The VCPC is working with the Panchayat to identify other social protection schemes to support the family.
