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| Sunday, 13 July 2003 |
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Giving children their birthright by LAKMAL WELABADA Why you need a birth certificate To prove your identity "The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents," says Article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Have you ever reflected on the importance of your birth certificate; a simple sheet of paper which plays a big role in providing you with the first ever identity to be recognised as an individual in this world? And what happens to those who don't have birth certificates? According to UN records, about three per cent - four per cent in the births in Sri Lanka do not get registered. Sri Lanka is said to be far better than other countries in Asia when compared. Yet isn't it pathetic? Jezima Nalim, Chairperson and the Executive Director of the Inspiration Child Rights Organisation seemed to be the only person who realised this tragedy. She spoke up for a practical solution for the 'unregistered persons of this country'; which included street children, children in the orphanages and detention homes, children of illegitimate parents in remote villages as well as towns (slums and shanties) and all the children with various misfortunes who were faced with a pathetic situation throughout their lives since they could not claim a 'registration of birth'. "Poverty, child abuse, health and many other issues have been some of the talking points of the elite groups, politicians, NGOs and many other social service sectors in this country. But the issue of 'birth certificates' has been neglected for years and years," Jezima said. "I learnt that though the government circular issued in 1997 says that the birth certificate is not a requirement for school admissions, still it is the most significant document for school principals. So it hinders even the brilliant students from sitting for government exams like grade five scholarship and O/Level. Orphans and other unfortunates are prey to this situation," she said. Jezima launched her NGO 'Inspiration Child Rights' with an advisory board of 11 in 1997, and started the battle. She had gone to 32 slums out of the 1500 shanty towns situated in Colombo and collected details of unregistered children and helped them to obtain their birth rights. The 'Inspiration Child Rights' has been working with state institutions - detention homes like 'Meth Sevana' and other homes at Halpathota and Ambalangoda; the Certified Schools at Ranmuthugala, Hikkaduwa and Makola and all the other government and non-government organisations dealing with street children. "Since dates of birth of most of these children are unknown a method has been devised to determine their approximate ages by a certain examination of teeth and bones. A doctor's certificate issued on this detection is used to prove a child's identity. So instead of the 'exact' birth certificate, a 'Probable Age Certificate' is issued for them which is equally valid to the normal birth certificate," explained Jezima. when Jezima founded the 'Inspiration Child Births in 1997 for the first time in the social service history, 50 children got the 'Probable Age Certificates' (and also 'Birth Certificates' of those who could prove their date of births, but were unregistered). And it was sponsored by the UNICEF alongwith the Save the Children Fund (SCF) UK. In 1999, along with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Child Rights Convention of the United Nations, 350 Sri Lankan children got 'Probable Age / Birth Certificates. Likewise in 2001, another 600 children got their birth rights through the state institutional partnership with UNICEF. And another 115 children and youth will be handed over 'Probable Age/Birth Certificate' in a ceremony at Darusalm Maha Vidyalaya, Jumma Masjid Road, Colombo on July 19. As a result of Jezima's sweat and toil now the Registrar General Department of Sri Lanka accepts the following documents as proof when issuing a birth certificate; Triple/ Polio vaccine card, school record sheet, horoscope/baptism certificate and hospital birth chit. Her next goal is to secure birth rights of the children and youth in the North and East who have languished in the clouds of gunsmoke due to the war in the past two decades. "When I see a child, I feel he or she is my own," says Jezima. "I became a widow when all my five children were very small. But I brought them up to be good citizens and gave them the best education. So I always think I should help other children also to come up in life. I believe one's birth certificate is the first most important thing in life. So I'm helping them to get it," she said. |
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