Balsena
Balsena
Gujarat’s first and longest-running autonomous children’s collective.
Launched in 2003, Balsena was born out of a simple but powerful idea that came from children themselves, when they learned about their rights—particularly their right to form associations under Article 15 of the UNCRC.
Why Balsena
Children, especially from marginalised communities, face multiple barriers to development:
- 32.2 million children in India (6–17 years) are out of school (UNICEF, 2020).
- Dropout rates are 31.6% among Scheduled Tribes and 24.3% among Scheduled Castes.
- Over half of Grade 5 children in rural India cannot read a Grade 2 text (ASER 2023).
For girls, challenges are compounded: 23.3% married before 18, and 59.1% of adolescents anaemic (NFHS-5).
Despite legislative progress like the Right to Education (RTE) and the National Education Policy (NEP), children in urban slums continue to face systemic exclusion—from poor-quality schooling and lack of safe spaces to rising behavioural addictions and gender-based violence. Mental health issues, digital addiction, child labour and early marriage are often interconnected, especially for children from low-income households.
Balsena offers a platform for children to develop values, skills, and confidence to participate in building a more just, equal, and empathetic society—from the grassroots upward. At its core, Balsena is built on values of unity, solidarity, and friendship that transcends barriers of caste, class, gender, and religion.
How it works
Balsena is completely children-led. Children elect their own leaders, design and run their own programs, and represent themselves in civic forums and child protection bodies. They decide what they want to learn, which issues matter most to them, and how they want to take action. Shaishav’s role is to facilitate—providing life skills education, child rights awareness, gender sensitization, and civic engagement through a participatory, play-based approach that is guided by children’s own feedback and voices.
Balsena recognises children as active agents of change, capable of leading, questioning, and transforming their own lives and communities.
- 600+ active members
- 2800+ children in schools
- 16 communities
- 13 schoolsÂ
Inclusive & Democratic
- Open to children aged 6–18, across caste, religion, gender, and class.
- Lifetime membership for just ₹25.
Each community team elects its leaders; leaders form a Council & Executive Board, which elects the President and Vice President.
- Equal gender representation is built into the process.
Child-Led, Not Adult-Driven
- Children decide priorities, create rules, and lead activities.
- Shaishav acts only as a facilitator—providing tools, training, and support.
Programme Activities
- Democratic Committees – Children’s collectives in schools and communities with elected leaders.
- Play-Based Life Skills Modules – Games, storytelling, and drama to build empathy, communication, and safety.
- Wenlido (Self-Defense) Training – Holistic safety program for girls covering physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
- Exposure Visits & Camps – Nature connects, civic institution visits, and leadership retreats.
- Sports Engagement – Weekly coaching, inter-community tournaments, and gender-inclusive sports events.
- Parents & Stakeholder Meetings – Building supportive adult ecosystems in each locality.
- Child Rights Education – Awareness sessions, participatory workshops, and child-led advocacy forums.
- Adolescent Empowerment – Life skills training and safe spaces for dialogue, reflection, and growth.
- Gender Sensitization – Workshops, role plays, and mixed-group activities to challenge stereotypes and promote equality.
Our Reach
Active Members
Children in Schools
Slum Communities & Schools
Impact
In the past two decades, Balsena has demonstrated transformative impact. Its efforts have enabled over 18,000 children to access and remain in formal schooling—opening doors to dignity, opportunity, and empowerment.
Many of these children have gone on to achieve remarkable milestones: bringing schools to their communities, combating alcoholism and abuse, challenging regressive gender norms, and driving change far beyond their own lives.
- 20,000+ children empowered through BalsenaÂ
- 18,000 women & girls empowered through Wenlido self-defence trainingÂ
- 18,000+parents engaged
- 80% of children continued their higher education beyond the 10th grade Â
- 78% Reduction in child labour
- 90% Reduction in substance abuse
- 100% Eradication of child marriage (Balsena girls)
One of the most powerful outcomes of Balsena is that children have discovered the courage to speak up and lead fearlessly.
The Way Forward
Leadership Academy & Citywide Programmes
Set up a dedicated Leadership Academy and expand Balsena’s activities to engage all children across Bhavnagar. The academy will focus on leadership training, civic engagement, democratic participation, and strengthening children’s role in local governance.
Sports for Development
Develop community sports spaces that foster teamwork, discipline, and inclusion. Through structured coaching in sports like Ultimate Frisbee, kabaddi, and traditional games, children will learn cooperation, resilience, and gender equity in action.
