ECHO-Balagrama is the name of ECHO's Rehabilitation Center which is located in Sumanahalli, Bangalore. Children who successfully complete their transitional period in our Transitional Home come to live in Sumanahalli. The staff of ECHO thoroughly discusses the path the inmates want to follow. Whatever the path, we’ll always look for the best interest of the child. ECHO's staff counsels all the children to help them improving their lives.
Our younger inmates are encouraged to go to a nearby regular school, whereas elder inmates can write the Karnataka Open School (KOS) exam to pass their S.S.L.C. For those who are less interested in studies, we provide vocational training in various trades such as tailoring, printing, ITI, leather making, etc. ECHO's best known vocational programme is the Traffic Police Assistant Programme. Other opportunities ECHO provides are passing of the
driving license and computer courses. Just like in our Transitional Home children participate in cultural programmes and help in gardening.
Furthermore, the boys attend Bala Panchayat every Sunday to discuss their behavior in the previous week and to look for ways to improve their life in the week to come. After vocational training ECHO’s staff help the boys with job placements. Only after completing one or more of the rehabilitative measures, the inmates are reintegrated to family or society. At this point ECHO helps with home placements and even thereafter ECHO’s staff visit the juveniles in order to prevent them from falling back into the former life-style that had brought them trouble.
ECHO-Balagrama also participates in the National Child Labor Project (NCLP) by giving basic education to 50 children from hazardous working areas. This secures them basic learning skills and protects them from child labour. The children are stimulated to attend normal schools for a better future.
