To sensitise children about child and sexual abuse and to encourage them to report abuse of any kind that they experience, Young Indians (Yi) launched a nationwide Project ‘Masoom’. The Coimbatore Chapter of Yi is working on this campaign.

As part of this campaign, volunteers from PSGR Krishnammal College for Women organised an awareness drive in all 41 Corporation Elementary Schools in Coimbatore. More than 10,000 children were made aware of child abuse and were encouraged to report abuse that was targeted at them.

The Coimbatore Yi Chapter has plans of screening slides to sensitise children about child and sexual abuse. A team of volunteers will conduct workshops on good touch and bad touch for the children studying in the 41 Corporation Elementary Schools.

This awareness drive is supported by Dr. K. Vijayakarthikeyan, Corporation Commissioner, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, and R. Ravi, Chief Educational Officer.

Lack of awareness and fear of loss of reputation are the major reasons why parents and the girl child victim choose not to bring to light the abuse. “Often parents choose not to complain,” says Swathy Rohit, Chair, Young Indians (Yi) Coimbatore Chapter, “and also discourage their children from talking about it. This gives an undue advantage to the abusers.”