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Child In Need Institute (CINI)
Encyclopedia
CINI, known internationally as Child In Need India and in India as the Child In Need Institute, is an international humanitarian organisation aimed at promoting "sustainable development in health, nutrition and education of child, adolescent and woman in need" in India. The India-based Child In Need Institute is headquartered in Kolkata
and operating in some of the poorest areas in India, whereas its international arm Fondazione CINI International is based in Italy.
Founded by pediatrician Samir Chaudhuri
in 1974, CINI is involved in several major community development
focused projects in India, driving at the underlying social causes of poverty. It focuses primarily on the issues of health, nutrition, education and protection of children and mothers. The organisation is increasingly also involved in projects in other countries in Asia and Africa, in cooperation with other aid organisations and UN agencies.
CINI shares its approaches with other organisations working in related fields, especially smaller NGOs also based on the local community, and has twice been awarded the Indian Government’s National Award for Child Welfare.
CINI has around 400 employees and additionally around 100 volunteers.
CINI emerged in part from the work of its founder, Dr. Samir Chaudhuri, who began his medical career working in the village
s and slums of West Bengal
in the 1970s. His professional collaboration with Sister Pauline Prince, an Australian Loreto
nun and nutritionist, and Rev Fr J. Henrichs S. J., lead to the Child In Need Institute’s foundation in 1974. CINI has gone on to become one of the leading humanitarian NGOs of India.
In 1998 CINI was recognised as a National Mother NGO, under the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) program by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. That same year it was also recognized as a collaborative training institute by the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, and now constitututes the largest training facility in West Bengal for training health workers in nutrition, safe motherhood and HIV awareness. This training facility was extended from CINI’s own staff training centre to teach workers from other NGOs and government.
Having grown from humble roots, CINI's work has achieved increasing recognition. The organisation has twice been awarded the National Award of Child Welfare by the Government of India
. In 2007, Dr. Chaudhuri received the World of Children Health Award
for making "a significant lifetime contribution to children in the fields of health, medicine or the sciences."
While the Indian organisation is known as the Child In Need Institute, the organisation and its national chapters use the name Child In Need India outside India.
.
Independent national associations have been formed in several countries to support CINI's work. There are national associations in Australia, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Norway, Uganda, the United States and the United Kingdom, and additionally regional associations in Scotland and Wales. The British association is the largest national association outside India.
CINI UK was founded by Lady Odile Slynn
, whose husband, Lord Slynn of Hadley
, was a patron of the organisation. The organisation is chaired by Lady Slynn; Lady Susan Forsyth of Drumlean
is vice chair. The patrons include Nasser Azam
, Lord Bilimoria
, Cherie Booth, Lord Dholakia
, Lady Flather
, Lord Puttnam
, Sir Mark Tully
, Lady Catherine Young, Lord Forsyth
(who has raised funds for the organisation by climbing the highest mountain of Antarctica) and Lord Hastings
, as well as the deceased Ambassador Sir Peter Wakefield
.
CINI Italia is chaired by Eliana Riggio
.
CINI’s work tackles malnutrition from the root, focusing on poor maternal nutritional status at conception; low maternal weight gain during pregnancy due to inadequate dietary intake; and short maternal stature due to the mother’s own chronic malnutrition since childhood .
(DfID) believes the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters by 2015 remains the greatest challenge , CINI continues to remain active in the field of improving maternal health. Specifically it runs an emergency ward that provides emergency nutrition for the dangerously underweight and counselling for new mothers.
areas.
CINI Asha has mainstreamed over 10,000 children into formal schools, both residential and non-residential. The majority of these children are from the slums, squatter colonies, railway platforms and red light areas.
.
Community-based HIV/AIDS initiatives of CINI are geared towards minimizing risk behaviors in order to contain the spread of the disease and to ensure better quality of life for HIV/AIDS-infected women, young people and children in a holistic manner through a life-cycle based approach.
, UNICEF, CARE, the UK Department for International Development
, the World Bank
, the India
n government and various Indian state governments. CINI additionally receives funding from private corporations and individual donors in India and abroad. Around 90% of CINI's funds goes directly into programmes, while the remainder is used for administration and fundraising.
have received many awards over the years, including
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and operating in some of the poorest areas in India, whereas its international arm Fondazione CINI International is based in Italy.
Founded by pediatrician Samir Chaudhuri
Samir Chaudhuri
Samir Chaudhuri is an Indian pediatrician and humanitarian. He is the founder and director of the Child In Need Institute , also known as Child In Need India, an organisation that works to facilitate sustainable development in health, nutrition, education and protection of children, adolescents...
in 1974, CINI is involved in several major community development
Community development
Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
focused projects in India, driving at the underlying social causes of poverty. It focuses primarily on the issues of health, nutrition, education and protection of children and mothers. The organisation is increasingly also involved in projects in other countries in Asia and Africa, in cooperation with other aid organisations and UN agencies.
CINI shares its approaches with other organisations working in related fields, especially smaller NGOs also based on the local community, and has twice been awarded the Indian Government’s National Award for Child Welfare.
CINI has around 400 employees and additionally around 100 volunteers.
History
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s and slums of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
in the 1970s. His professional collaboration with Sister Pauline Prince, an Australian Loreto
Sisters of Loreto
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as the Loreto Sisters , is a women's Catholic religious order founded by an Englishwoman, Mary Ward, in 1609 at Saint-Omer in northern France...
nun and nutritionist, and Rev Fr J. Henrichs S. J., lead to the Child In Need Institute’s foundation in 1974. CINI has gone on to become one of the leading humanitarian NGOs of India.
In 1998 CINI was recognised as a National Mother NGO, under the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) program by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. That same year it was also recognized as a collaborative training institute by the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, and now constitututes the largest training facility in West Bengal for training health workers in nutrition, safe motherhood and HIV awareness. This training facility was extended from CINI’s own staff training centre to teach workers from other NGOs and government.
Having grown from humble roots, CINI's work has achieved increasing recognition. The organisation has twice been awarded the National Award of Child Welfare by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. In 2007, Dr. Chaudhuri received the World of Children Health Award
World of Children Awards
The World of Children Awards is a global recognition and funding program for people specifically and exclusively serving the needs of children. Sometimes referred to as the "Nobel Prize© for Child Advocacy," the San Francisco Bay Area based non-profit was founded in 1996 and is led by Co-Founder's...
for making "a significant lifetime contribution to children in the fields of health, medicine or the sciences."
While the Indian organisation is known as the Child In Need Institute, the organisation and its national chapters use the name Child In Need India outside India.
Fondazione CINI International
A globally focused NGO, Fondazione CINI International, was launched on 1 February 2000 in Italy. CINI International works to establish North-South and South-South linkages to facilitate sharing and learning among partners working for children, adolescents and women in different parts of the world. Its president is Samir ChaudhuriSamir Chaudhuri
Samir Chaudhuri is an Indian pediatrician and humanitarian. He is the founder and director of the Child In Need Institute , also known as Child In Need India, an organisation that works to facilitate sustainable development in health, nutrition, education and protection of children, adolescents...
.
National associations
CINI UK was founded by Lady Odile Slynn
Odile Slynn
Odile Slynn, Lady Slynn of Hadley is a French-born British humanitarian and philanthropist, involved in several organisations advocating children's rights and wildlife preservation...
, whose husband, Lord Slynn of Hadley
Gordon Slynn, Baron Slynn of Hadley
Gordon Slynn, Baron Slynn of Hadley, GBE, PC, QC was a British jurist specialising in European and International Law, and a former judge of the European Court of Justice and Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.-Early life:...
, was a patron of the organisation. The organisation is chaired by Lady Slynn; Lady Susan Forsyth of Drumlean
Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean
Michael Bruce Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean PC, Kt is a British financier and politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Stirling from 1983 to 1997 and served in the cabinet of John Major as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1995 to 1997...
is vice chair. The patrons include Nasser Azam
Nasser Azam
Nasser Azam is a British contemporary artist, living and working in .-Biography:Nasser Azam was born in Jhelum, Pakistan in 1963, and moved to London with his parents in 1970. He began painting seriously in 1980, and in the same year embarked on a business degree at the University of Birmingham...
, Lord Bilimoria
Karan Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria
Karan Faridoon Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria CBE is an entrepreneur and a life peer. He is best known as one of the two founders and chairman of Cobra Beer.-Early life:Bilimoria was born in Hyderabad, India of Parsi Zoroastrian descent....
, Cherie Booth, Lord Dholakia
Navnit Dholakia, Baron Dholakia
Navnit Dholakia, Baron Dholakia OBE PC DL is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. Lord Dholakia is one of the most senior Asian politicians in Britain.-Education:...
, Lady Flather
Shreela Flather, Baroness Flather
Shreela Flather, Baroness Flather is a teacher and British politician.She became a life peer for the Conservative party in 11 June 1990 as Baroness Flather, of Windsor and Maidenhead in the Royal County of Berkshire. She was the first Asian woman to receive a peerage...
, Lord Puttnam
David Puttnam
David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam, CBE, FRSA is a British film producer. He sits on the Labour benches in the House of Lords, although he is not principally a politician.-Early life:...
, Sir Mark Tully
Mark Tully
Sir William "Mark" Tully, OBE is the former Chief of Bureau, BBC, New Delhi. He worked for BBC for a period of 30 years before resigning in July 1994. He held the position of Chief of Bureau, BBC, Delhi for 20 years. Since 1994 he has been working as a freelance journalist and broadcaster based in...
, Lady Catherine Young, Lord Forsyth
Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean
Michael Bruce Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean PC, Kt is a British financier and politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Stirling from 1983 to 1997 and served in the cabinet of John Major as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1995 to 1997...
(who has raised funds for the organisation by climbing the highest mountain of Antarctica) and Lord Hastings
Michael Hastings, Baron Hastings of Scarisbrick
Michael John Hastings, Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE is KPMG’s Global Head of Citizenship and Diversity. He was previously the BBC’s first Head of Corporate Social Responsibility having been the BBC’s Head of Public Affairs...
, as well as the deceased Ambassador Sir Peter Wakefield
Peter Wakefield (diplomat)
Sir Peter George Arthur Wakefield CMG KBE was a British diplomat and art fund director. He served as a diplomat in Amman, Nicosia, Cairo, Vienna, Tokyo and Benghazi and as the United Kingdom's Ambassador in Lebanon and Belgium...
.
CINI Italia is chaired by Eliana Riggio
Eliana Riggio
Eliana Riggio, also known as Eliana Riggio Chaudhuri, is an Italian UN official, humanitarian and author. She worked for UNICEF in India for ten years, coordinating field projects in urban areas, helping to develop city plans which focused on basic services for children and women...
.
| Association | Website |
|---|---|
| CINI UK | |
 CINI Italia |
|
 CINI Australia |
|
 CINI Belgium |
|
 CINI Holland |
|
 CINI Norway |
|
 CINI USA |
Work
All of CINI’s work aims for the sensitization of the local self-government (the Panchayat) about the health and education needs of the community and the development of effective communication at different levels of the community - especially between the Panchayat and the government health systems .Malnutrition
‘Maternal and child under-nutrition have a life-long impact on the health and prospects of the child, potentially affecting future generations’ and India has one of the worst records in terms malnutrition among its population, despite its recent economic growth.CINI’s work tackles malnutrition from the root, focusing on poor maternal nutritional status at conception; low maternal weight gain during pregnancy due to inadequate dietary intake; and short maternal stature due to the mother’s own chronic malnutrition since childhood .
Maternal Health
India accounts for one fifth of maternal deaths globally and the link between underdevelopment, poverty and maternal health has been clear for more than a century according to the Lancet . Though the Department for International DevelopmentDepartment for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
(DfID) believes the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters by 2015 remains the greatest challenge , CINI continues to remain active in the field of improving maternal health. Specifically it runs an emergency ward that provides emergency nutrition for the dangerously underweight and counselling for new mothers.
Education for all (CINI Asha)
The urban wing of CINI was launched in 1989, in order to meet the needs of deprived urban children. A critical review of primary education in India in 2004 pointed out that CINI ASHA works to improve education, health, and the basic need for survival, protection, growth, and development among slums, squatter colonies, railway platforms and red lightRed-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
areas.
CINI Asha has mainstreamed over 10,000 children into formal schools, both residential and non-residential. The majority of these children are from the slums, squatter colonies, railway platforms and red light areas.
HIV/AIDS prevention CINI Bandhan
With the creation of Bandhan, CINI has become involved in reducing the increasing magnitude of HIV/AIDS in rural belt of South 24 Parganas district and other parts of West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
.
Community-based HIV/AIDS initiatives of CINI are geared towards minimizing risk behaviors in order to contain the spread of the disease and to ensure better quality of life for HIV/AIDS-infected women, young people and children in a holistic manner through a life-cycle based approach.
Funding
CINI's projects are funded by grants from other aid organisations, international organisations and governments, among them Save the ChildrenSave the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, UNICEF, CARE, the UK Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n government and various Indian state governments. CINI additionally receives funding from private corporations and individual donors in India and abroad. Around 90% of CINI's funds goes directly into programmes, while the remainder is used for administration and fundraising.
Awards
CINI or its founder and director Samir ChaudhuriSamir Chaudhuri
Samir Chaudhuri is an Indian pediatrician and humanitarian. He is the founder and director of the Child In Need Institute , also known as Child In Need India, an organisation that works to facilitate sustainable development in health, nutrition, education and protection of children, adolescents...
have received many awards over the years, including
- 2008 Annual Rotary India Award for making the most significant contribution in reducing child mortality
- 2008 Ellis Island Medal of HonorEllis Island Medal of HonorThe Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children...
Global Humanitarian Award awarded to Samir Chaudhuri - 2007 World of Children Health AwardWorld of Children AwardsThe World of Children Awards is a global recognition and funding program for people specifically and exclusively serving the needs of children. Sometimes referred to as the "Nobel Prize© for Child Advocacy," the San Francisco Bay Area based non-profit was founded in 1996 and is led by Co-Founder's...
awarded to Samir Chaudhuri - 2005 Parliament prize for infants from the Italian Parliament Commission for Infants awarded to Samir Chaudhuri
- 2004 The National Award in the field of Child Welfare awarded by the Government of IndiaGovernment of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
(CINI is the only NGO to have won this award twice) - 1994 Allen Feinstein Hunger Award, Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, USA - 1991 Jal Modi Grant, Rotary Club of Calcutta
- 1991 The Liguria Prize from the International Centre for Development of Culture of People, Genoa, Italy
- 1985 The National Award in the field of Child Welfare awarded by the Government of IndiaGovernment of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...