Project Darjeeling – Direct Intervention

Campaign Story

About the project

As Darjeeling is globally recognized for its tea plantation, the livelihood of majority people depends on the tea gardens. The families here, are mostly casual daily wage earners. The children are deprived of education as most of them are first-generation learners due to financial constraints. Most of the children aged 5 years have never attended pre-primary schools whereas 59% of women have not completed their schooling. The community has a high incidence of elopement and irregular school attendance, gradually leading to child dropouts.

Making a difference

CRY America’s project in Darjeeling, works towards the enrollment and retention of children in school. The project also focuses on reduction of child labor in the community. They run Child Activity Centres (CAC) and non-academic activities like livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship planning, yoga classes, photography sessions, and career counselling to broaden their career spectrum. The key activities include identification of children between 3 to 6 years of age who are not enrolled in schools, home visits and motivating the dropout children to attend online education sessions, and strengthening of School Management Committees (SMCs) to reduce instances of dropouts.

The way forward

● Provide educational support to 350 children through the continued operation of 2 Child Activity Centers.
● Distribute education and sports materials to 350 children.
● Ensure the enrollment of 350 children and re-enrollment of 20 out-of-school children.
● Strengthen 5 School Management Committees (SMCs) to reduce instances of dropout.
● Orient 80 Community-Based Organization (CBO) members across 8 operational hamlets on education and child rights.
● Strengthen 2 Adolescent Collectives (40 children aged 15–18 years) and 6 Children’s Collectives (90 children aged 11–14 years) across 2 Child Activity Centers.
● Form and strengthen 2 Parent Collectives, engaging 50 members, and train them through the Parent Module.

Project Impact

300

Children accessing support classes

320

Children enrolled in Child Activity centers & supported with education materials

250

Children participated in cyber safety & poster designing activities

180

Children in Children’s Collectives

Last year’s grant approved for Jan 25 to Dec 25: $11,864

This year’s budget for Jan 26 to Dec 26: $11,318

A mother’s fight from despair to dreams

Reshmi Sharma was left to care for her two children, Rajat in Grade 7 and Nikhil in Grade 8, after the sudden loss of her husband. In order to support the family, she had to spend long hours outside the home, leaving the children in the care of their elderly grandparents. In the absence of consistent guidance and support, Rajat gradually began losing interest in his studies and became irregular at school.

When CRY America’s project team identified Rajat as being at high risk of dropping out, they stepped in with timely support. They counselled Reshmi and the grandparents, gently reinforcing the importance of education and consistent parental involvement. Through regular parent meetings, Reshmi and others found a space to share their challenges, be it migration, financial stress, or concerns about their children’s learning. At the same time, the team worked closely with the school and local stakeholders to strengthen monitoring systems, ensuring that children like Rajat received both academic support and emotional care. To help him catch up, Rajat was enrolled in CRY’s Child Activity Center for remedial education. It was not just a space for support learning, but also one where he received essential learning and sports materials that helped reignite his interest. More importantly, it became a safe and nurturing environment where he could rebuild his motivation and regain emotional stability.

Over time, Rajat began to rediscover his interest in education. Today, he is attending school regularly and has been promoted to Grade 8, taking steady steps toward a more hopeful future.

Project Photo Gallery