Executive Summary Sathi Impact Study

The team is happy to share with the Deshpande Foundation the findings of the impact study conducted for  “ Open Shelter and Home Placement  Project” in Hubli and Bangalore, Karnataka.

The study was carried out to understand Sathi’s work and gage its impact on the lives of disadvantaged children.An effort has been made to identify gaps, study ways to increase efficiency levels, verify and validate their theory of change and see that it conforms to the ground reality.

                We visited Sathi Hubli and Sathi Bangalore. We met almost staff members cutting across hierarchy, from the driver to the founder Mr Pramod Kulkarni. We visited partner NGO’s and talked to staff and children referred from Sathi. Our visit to NIMHANS gave insights into the psychology of the children and brought out the critical need of such a partnership, one that Sathi is fruitfully engaged in.

We conducted several focused group discussion, read several case studies, met some beneficiaries ,were involved in referring one sensory ailing woman with a 2 month kid to a women’s home.

Based on our observations,our experience and result of our studies ,In all humbleness we recommend Sathi the following

Infrastructure and Facilities Related Recommendations

1. Shelter should be opened for female children since a fulltime shelter infrastructure for them does not exist and they are more vulnerable.

2. Participation of Home placed children by involving them in making suggestions to improve the shelter

3. The shelter must be open shelter in spirit and word; methodologies need to be evolved to make sure that the the child’s right for freedom is not curbed unknowingly.

4. 24 Hours supports at Railway station since lot of children arrive on Station late in the night.

5. Timing of Food at Shelter must be complied and a scientific planning of diets would help.

6. Variation in physical environment for children who have spent a long time in Shelter.Spending a long time indoors for children used to be completely free is surely daunting hence spending days in open spaces would give them the needed break.

Human Resources Related Recommendations

1. Assessment of skill level of staff and plugging in of Competency lacunas’.

2. More authority to staff members at the platforms to reduce time to respond,some cases need emergency action and hence the freedom to take critical decisions must rest on the person at field.

3. Sign Language skills to handle the critical cases of runaway children with sensory ailments.Children with Sensory Ailments form the most vulnerable lot and at a must greater psychological distress and it would be great if Sathi is well equipped to handle such cases. 

 Broader Recommendations that need more contemplation before execution

1. Advocacy efforts to lobby printing of warning labels in whiteners and solutions, commonly used as a drug by Run away children

2. Scientific study on the impact of individual camp activity and  on child psychology.