Project Development Education & Environmental Programme (DEEP)

Campaign Story

About the project

Ramnagar in the West Champaran district faces poor road connectivity and substandard educational infrastructure, which hinder access to quality education. The dropout rate among girls is particularly high, with only 53% transitioning from middle to high school due to deep-rooted gender biases that often lead to early marriages. Additionally, the lack of nearby high schools forces many children to discontinue their education after secondary school, leaving them with limited options, either joining the local labor force or migrating to other states in search of employment.

Making a difference

CRY America’s Project DEEP aims to bridge the gap by enhancing access to infrastructure and quality education in Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), primary schools, and secondary schools across villages in this community. Key activities include identifying vulnerable children, enrolling and re-enrolling them in mainstream education, sensitizing School Management Committee (SMC) members on education-related issues, linking families to government programs to ensure financial stability, and strengthening child protection mechanisms to reduce instances of child labor and marriage. Additionally, the project fosters Children’s Collectives and Girls’ Collectives to raise awareness about child marriage and child labor, empowering young individuals to advocate for their rights.

The way forward

● Strengthen 22 School Management Committees (SMCs) to address education-related issues at the school and community levels.
● Monitor the regular attendance of 280 children aged 3–6 years across 7 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres, ensuring access to pre-school education.
● Retain 10,908 children aged 6–18 years in school by strengthening child tracking systems, supporting transitions, and monitoring vulnerable children at risk of dropping out.
● Ensure 120 children enrolled in CRY’s remedial education programme receive adequate learning materials and structured academic support.
● Support the continuity of education for 7 Adolescent Girls’ Collectives comprising 84 members.
● Strengthen 24 Village/Ward Child Protection Committees (CPCs) and track vulnerable children across 5,700 households to reduce instances of child labor and early marriage.
● Conduct orientation sessions with 7 mothers’ groups to address issues of early marriage, child labor, and irregular schooling.
● Ensure child participation through 25 Children’s Collectives and 7 Adolescent Groups (84 members) to address education-related issues.
● Conduct life skills sessions with 480 children, educating them on education rights, child protection issues, and government programmes supporting education.
● Promote sports participation among girls: 20 in badminton, 60 in football, 50 in volleyball, and 30 in kabaddi.
● Establish and operationalise Child Rights Cells within the intervention area, one each for boys and girls, to identify and reduce instances of child marriage and child labor.

Project Impact

1,023

Children enrolled in Anganwadi Centers

5,363

Children aged 6-14 years enrolled in schools

319

Children aged 3-6 years admitted to primary school

114

Out-of-school children enrolled in CRY’s remedial centers for education support

120

Adolescent girls supported with learning sessions and education materials

439

Children cleared their Grade 10 & Grade 12 board exams

220

SMC (School Management Committee) members sensitized on their roles and responsibilities

86

Child marriages prevented

230

Children engaged in seasonal labor removed from work and supported to continue education

500

Adolescent girls engaged in sports

Last year’s grant disbursed for Jan 25’ to Dec ‘25: $31,255

This year’s grant approved for Jan ‘26 to Dec ‘26:

Education$23,885

Administration$5,933

Total Budget$29,818

Bridging the distance to education

Sanjana, a Grade 10 student from a village in the Ramnagar block, faced daily challenges in continuing her education. Her school was 7 kilometres away, and with limited financial resources, commuting was difficult. The route also passed through a forested area, raising safety concerns. As a result, she began missing school frequently and was at risk of dropping out.

When the CRY America project team learned about her situation, they met with her family to discuss the importance of continuing her education and explored ways to support her. Around the same time, the team set up a Girls’ Education Support Centre to help adolescent girls access academic support in a safer and more consistent environment. Sanjana was enrolled at the centre, where she received regular guidance and remedial classes. To address her commuting challenges, she was linked to the Bihar Student Credit Card programme, which helped ease financial barriers and enabled her to travel more safely to school. With this support, Sanjana was able to attend school regularly and focus on her studies.

She went on to perform well in her Grade 10 and Grade 12 examinations. Through career counselling sessions facilitated by the project team, she explored higher education options and enrolled in a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) programme. Today, she is in her fifth semester. Sanjana’s journey, as a first-generation learner pursuing higher education, has encouraged other girls in her community to continue their studies. The Girls’ Education Support Centre now supports 40–50 girls each year in completing their schooling and moving forward with their education.

Project Photo Gallery