Upasana Child Rights Trust: Overview

Upasana Child Rights trust is a Not-for-profit NGO operating in and around Bangalore, India towards welfare of children and helping the government implement child protection laws and schemes

1. May 31 2014
Upasana Child Rights Trust

2. Introduction
•Upasana Child Rights Trust is a registered Not-
for-profit NGO
•Registered in June 2010
•Formed by 5 Trustees with qualification and
understanding of child rights issues,
procedures, law and prior exposure and
voluntary work with children
•Focused on ‘child protection’
•Working with government childrens’ homes
towards rehabilitation and welfare of children
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3. History
•Formed after 3 trustees completed ‘PG Diploma in
Child Rights Law’ from National Law School,
Bangalore along with 2 others, one a senior High
court Advocate and another Engineer
•Hired first Social Worker in Nov 2010
•Started working with Child Welfare Committee
(CWC) that is in charge of taking decisions on
rehabilitation and welfare of children in need of
care and protection
•Hired second Social Worker in Mar 2011
•Been operating with both social workers fulltime
in supporting the government in implementation
of Juvenile Justice Act, 2000
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4. Focus of work
•Support the government in implementing the
Juvenile Justice Act, 2000 which addresses
the children in need of care and protection by
–Counseling of children received by government
childrens’ homes at bangalore
–Work with children who were rescued from ‘child
labour’, physical or mental abuse, corporal
punishment at schools etc and children who run
away from home due to various reasons
–Make visits to home, work place, schools etc where
children came from to ascertain issues, study
rehabilitation possibilities and recommend same to
Child Welfare Committee
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5. Focus of work
–Support children and parents in rehabilitation
process, getting dues of children, sponsorship from
government in case of need to support education
etc
–Perform follow up visits to childrens’ homes and
schools to ascertain well being of children and
report on the same to the Child Welfare Committee
–Study and report on presence / absence of
caretakers for children and thereby fitness to allow
adoption of children on request by CWC.
–Various other related tasks to support, counsel
children and parents to restore rights of children.
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6. Recognition
•Upasana Child Rights Trust is recognised and
authorised by ‘Department of Women and Child
Development’
•Registered also with Income Tax Department as
an NGO and exempt under section 12 a and also
authorised to provide exemption to donors under
Section 80G
•Received certificates on numerous occasions
from Child Welfare Committee for highly valuable
work done to restore children back home and
ensuring their well being.
–Social workers are qualified (one with MSw and other
with long term experience)

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7. Funding and Accounting
•Upasana Child Rights Trust is funded
completely till date by trustees, friends,
relatives and well wishers (only individuals)
•Maintain complete accounts and almost all
transactions are through our Bank account
with Corporation bank.
•Audit done each year by certified Chartered
Accountant and audit report placed on
website (www.upasanatrust.org)
•Filed income tax returns each year along with
audit report.

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8. Salient points
•Trustees draw no salary or use any benefits from trust
funds.
–Not even telephone bills, petrol / transport expenditure
incurred are charged to trust
–Website maintenance expense is also not charged to trust
•Funds are used fully to pay salary and expenses
incurred by the two social workers and other minor
sundry expenses. Salaries are good and with given
freedom, they very often add significant value to the
work on their own, going beyond normal expectations.
•No brochures, marketing material etc ever prepared
and distributed
•Net effect is to have almost 100% expenditure only to
ensure welfare of children
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9. Our humble request
•‘Child Protection’ is an area of work that receives little
recognition and effort as against funding for ‘education’,
‘health’ etc.
•This happens due to the nature of work in child protection
being more hidden.
•Restoring a child back home and getting them to school,
following up to see they are doing well though is a basic
necessity and hence, our focus on the same. Our effort has
gone towards improving lives of a few thousand children till
date.
•Expenses being mainly towards salary of social workers
does not imply wasted money. True effort, which otherwise
is due from government agencies is being done by them to
ensure welfare of children.
•Request to kindly recognize this and support Upasana Child
Rights Trust in the mission. Our bank account details are
available on the website. Thanks in advance.
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10. Contact
•Contact:
–Amrudesh Santhanam:
[email protected], [phone]
–Meera Madhav: +91 – 99450 69996

–Details of all trustees is provided at our website
(www.upasantrust.org)
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