Arpan

Arpan's training and capacity-building initiatives aim to create transformative change by equipping partners with the Personal Safety Education (PSE) model, enabling them to reach millions of children with personal safety messages. Through training programmes for various stakeholders and a focus on teachers, mental health professionals, and social workers, Arpan has trained 209,958 professionals who have reached over 1.7 million children and adults, working towards mainstreaming child protection and effectively addressing child sexual abuse and trauma.

Arpan has been focusing on systemic-level policy advocacy and Government partnerships to draw attention to child sexual abuse (CSA). It has successfully integrated its Personal Safety Education (PSE) into the National School Health and Wellness Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The PSE content was also integrated into state-level modules and digital platforms such as MSCERT and CBSE's DIKSHA platform. Arpan has established partnerships with Government entities in Bihar, Konkan, Haryana, and Delhi to further expand their programs. Currently, their work is concentrated in three states with a high prevalence of CSA, based on a WCD Study conducted in 2007.

The Online Learning for Awareness and Prevention programme was initiated as part of Arpan's Personal Safety Education Programme, aiming to scale its efforts through technology. It began by creating ebooks and an interactive flipbook, exploring the potential of digitalization. In 2018-19, it developed an independent online child protection curriculum, shifting towards a more interactive and collaborative learning approach. It launched a responsive website, www.arpanelearn.com, which offers child-friendly resources for Child Sexual Abuse prevention and intervention. The platform allows children, parents, teachers, and adults to access personal safety education from anywhere, fostering communication on this sensitive topic. Through the Digital Learning Programme, over 153,672 individuals have accessed Arpan's digital content, including partnerships with UNICEF and integration into platforms like DIKSHA.

Arpan's Personal Safety Education (PSE) Programme is a comprehensive model aimed at empowering children to prevent and respond to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). The programme provides children with knowledge and skills to prevent CSA, sensitizes adult caregivers to create a safe environment, offers a safe space for disclosure, and provides healing support for victims. It is conducted in schools and communities, targeting both boys and girls aged 4 to 15. It focuses on strengthening protective factors, reducing risk factors, and building life skills such as decision-making and critical thinking. It also offers counselling and support to both victims and perpetrators. The PSE program is implemented through the school system in Maharashtra, delivering age-appropriate content and reinforcing key concepts over time.