Balsena
Balsena (meaning children’s collective) is Gujarat’s first and longest running democratic children’s collective. It 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.
The need for children’s agency
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, meaning ‘children’s collective’ 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. Formed in 2003, Balsena is built on values of unity, solidarity, and friendship that transcends barriers of caste, class, gender, and religion.
Democratic Structure
Balsena is completely child-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.
Programme Components
Democratic Committees
Children’s collectives in schools and communities with elected leaders.
Exposure Visits & Camps
Nature connects, civic institution visits, and leadership retreats.
Adolescent Empowerment
Life skills training and safe spaces for dialogue, reflection, and growth.
Child Rights Education
Awareness sessions, participatory workshops, and child-led advocacy forums.
Sports Engagement
Weekly coaching, inter-community tournaments, and gender-inclusive sports events.
Wenlido Self-Defense
Holistic safety program for girls covering physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Play-Based Life Skills Modules
Games, storytelling, and drama to build empathy, communication, and safety.
Parent & Stakeholder Meetings
Building supportive adult ecosystems in each locality.
Gender Sensitisation
Workshops, role plays, and mixed-group activities to challenge stereotypes and promote equality.
Impact One of the most powerful outcomes of Balsena is that children have discovered the courage to speak up and lead fearlessly.
In the past two decades, Balsena has demonstrated transformative impact. 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.
children reached
parents engaged
children enrolled back in school
78%
Reduction in Child Labour
90%
Reduction in substance abuse
100%
Eradication of Child Marriage
