Updated 10/17/2011
Visit of ChildFund's President and CEO
ChildFund International President and CEO Anne Goddard visited India from Sept. 26 to 30 to get to know India staff and programs, build influential relationships and explore opportunities for strategic collaborations to contribute toward ChildFund India's profile and visibility.
On the first day of her visit, she was in the National Office in Bangalore. A meeting was held with all staff and included a general overview of the country, ChildFund's history in India and a brief on India operations. Anne also planted a sapling in the garden marking the 60th year of ChildFund in India. Following this, a group of youth from Grama Vikas (a project partner in Kolar district of Karnataka), who have been trained in multimedia and have produced their own films highlighting issues in their village, met with Anne.
Anne flew to Chennai to visit the programs of one of our project partners, K K Social Welfare Society. She visited a child friendly school to see the programs for slow learners, Reading Improvement Program and the School Quality Improvement Program and interacted with the children who were mostly from the Dalit community. She then visited a gypsy settlement that ChildFund India has supported and interacted with the children and community there. Anne said she was impressed with the change in the lifestyle of the gypsies due to ChildFund's interventions. Following the field visit, Anne met with all the ChildFund India partners working in Tamil Nadu.
The President's next stop was Delhi where several meetings and events had been arranged for her. The first one was a joint event by ChildFund India and Voluntary Action Network India at which Anne released the NGO institutional policies. The President also shared about self certification and accreditation process with the CEOs of other NGOs who had been invited to the event.
An evening event was organized for the President to which CEOs of INGOs, board members, corporate heads and other officials were invited. During this event named "Listening together to the voices of children in India," a multimedia film produced by children was screened. The children also produced an exhibition of photographs they had taken. The evening provided an overview of the NGO environment in India, the issues and challenges faced and also the opportunities available.
Anne also met with several organizations, including USAID, SIDA & UNICEF. During these meetings, she highlighted ChildFund's program areas and explored potential areas for partnership and collaboration with them.
At the Delhi office, a meeting was arranged with technical agencies where the "Pehla Ek Ghanta" campaign on maternal and child health was shared.
On the last day of the visit, Anne flew to Lucknow for the 60 years North Region event of ChildFund in India. She shared with the audience the global perspective of ChildFund. Later in the day, she gave out the Prerana Excellence awards for categories of Star Child Changemaker and Excellence in Community Participation.
Since 1951 ChildFund has improved the lives of more than a million Indian children in 1,600 communities, regardless of their ethnicity or social caste. We work through 75 local partners across 15 of India's 28 states, with more than 400 grassroots organizations. A hallmark of ChildFund's work in India is Children's Clubs, which give voice to children through education and empowerment. The more than 1,000 Children's Clubs in the areas where we work help raise awareness about child rights, health and hygiene, nutrition and education.
During the week, Anne will travel to Bangalore to meet with the National Office staff and learn about the challenges and opportunities for children in India. She'll visit Kolar to see a children's bank and meet women's self-help groups. In Chennai, she'll visit the gypsy project and launch the Caterpillar Foundation grant. In New Delhi she'll meet with government leaders and visit a Gender Resource Centre. On her final day, Anne will join in celebrating ChildFund India's 60th anniversary during a regional event in Lucknow.
Read more about India on the India country page.