By Ms Linciya Rumao for BIS Mumbai

On April 15, 2026, a vital CSO/NGO Meet themed "Family Strengthening within Child-Friendly and Safe Cities: Community Perspectives and Youth Voices" was successfully hosted at Bosco Boys Home, Borivali. Organised by Bosco Boys Home, facilitated by the Don Bosco National Forum for the Young at Risk (DB YaR Forum), and coordinated by the Prerana organization, the event brought together 38 representatives from various NGOs. The gathering aimed to build collaborative, community-based approaches to child protection, emphasizing family strengthening as the core foundation for creating safe and inclusive urban spaces.

The seminar was graced by esteemed dignitaries, including Ms Priti Patkar and Dr Pravin Patkar, Founders of Prerana. Following a warm welcome speech by Fr Roshan Gonsalves, Director of Bosco Boys Home, the dignitaries were honoured with a plant sapling. The inaugural session then set a reflective and urgent tone, highlighting the collective responsibility shared by institutions, families, and communities in protecting vulnerable children.

A foundational context-setting session was led by Ms Pooja Yadav, Senior Program Manager at Prerana. She challenged traditional definitions of urban development, urging attendees to evaluate city safety through the lenses of availability, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability. Ms Yadav underscored that true child safety begins at home, framing family strengthening—through livelihood support, positive parenting, and emotional care—as the most critical preventive strategy against child vulnerability.

The highlight of the morning was the highly engaging "Youth Panel: Voices from the Community," moderated by Ms Saraswati Pagade. Young panelists, including Zainab, Yamuna, and Satya Prakash, brought lived realities to the forefront. They articulately redefined a "safe city" as an environment featuring functional street lighting, clean sanitation, and freedom from fear and gendered restrictions. The youth bravely shared how organizational support and Children's Parliaments helped them find their voices, transforming them from hesitant observers to active community advocates.

Post-lunch, the focus shifted to harnessing modern technology for social impact with a comprehensive presentation on Homelink DIGI (Data Intelligence for Global Interface), delivered by Ms Linciya Rumao, Hub Coordinator for the DB YaR Forum. Tracing its origins back to a 1998 child rehabilitation database, the Homelink Network—an initiative of the DB YaR Forum (established in 2002)—has evolved into a robust unified digital platform currently operating with 60 partners. Attendees learned how this modern tool, equipped with customizable interfaces, facial recognition, instant reporting, and web/mobile applications, facilitates data-driven intervention planning, systematic documentation, and effective advocacy. The session highlighted the critical shift from manual documentation to a streamlined, technology-based system that ensures an accurate, real-time response to the needs of the young at risk.

The enriching day concluded with a valedictory session and the distribution of certificates to the participants. Attendees departed with a renewed sense of purpose and several key takeaways: that youth voices are indispensable in shaping interventions, that child-friendly cities require shared civic responsibility, and that data-driven, family-centric approaches are the bedrock of child safety. The event stood as a powerful reminder that inclusive city-making must always prioritize the dignity, rights, and lived experiences of its youngest citizens.