Project Society for Rural Agriculturalists and Mass Awareness (SRAMA)

Campaign Story

About the project

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program faces challenges in effective implementation due to limited infrastructure and manpower at Anganwadi Centres. Although primary and upper primary schools exist in the region, several barriers prevent children from attending, including inadequate school buildings, poor maintenance, and a shortage of classrooms. The lack of sufficient higher secondary schools further forces adolescent boys and girls to drop out, often pushing them into child labor or early marriage.

Making a difference

CRY America’s Project SRAMA is working towards providing quality education to children and keeping them out of the vicious cycle of child labor and child marriage. Key activities under the project include identifying children with irregular school attendance and taking measures to reintegrate them, sensitizing parents of school dropouts on the importance of education, and engaging with community stakeholders including village secretariats, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Community-Based Organization (CBO) members on child rights and protection issues. Another important activity is the formation of Children’s Collectives and Adolescent Collectives to raise awareness within the community about child protection issues.

The way forward

● Orient 900 parents of children aged 3-6 years on the importance of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program
● Enroll 81 children in Anganwadi Centres for preschool education
● Ensure the transition of 135 children from Anganwadi Centres to Grade 1
● Mainstream 40 dropout children into schools by engaging 16 Panchayat members across 21 villages and 80 teachers
● Strengthen 13 Community Based Organizations across 21 villages on education issues
● Remove 40 children from labor and mainstream 35 child laborers into schools by engaging 110 Panchayati Raj Institution members
● Strengthen 100 members from 16 Village Child Protection Committees (VCPCs) to reduce instances of child marriage and child labor
● Prevent or avert 40 child marriages

Project Impact

198

Children enrolled in Anganwadi Centers for preschool education

42

Dropout children mainstreamed in schools

372

Children cleared their Grade 10 and Grade 12 exams

39

Children removed from labor

55

Child marriages averted or stopped

865

Children trained through Year 2 and year 3 Life Skill Sessions

340

Parents trained through Parent’s Modules

166

Families linked to social protection programs

Last year’s disbursed grant for Jan ‘25 to Dec ‘25: $33,330

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

Education$22,221

Administration$7,207

Protection$6,886

Total Budget$36,314

From near dropout to aspiring engineer

Amol*, a bright adolescent from a remote village in Andhra Pradesh, was on the verge of discontinuing his intermediate education despite performing well in Grade 10. Financial constraints stood in the way of his aspirations, and he considered taking up work to support his family.

When CRY America’s project team learned about his situation, they visited his home and spoke with Amol and his parents about the long-term value of continuing education. While Amol was willing to reconsider, he remained unsure about choosing a career path that would be financially feasible. The team supported him through career counselling sessions and introduced him to government institutions offering affordable education. Although Amol leaned towards continuing his studies, his family remained hesitant. The project team then involved local secretariat staff and health workers to counsel them on future employment opportunities and the risks of early labor, including its impact on health and long-term stability. Through consistent engagement, his family’s perspective gradually shifted. Amol enrolled in a junior college and completed his studies with strong results. The experience built his confidence and encouraged him to aim higher. He went on to appear for an engineering entrance exam, secured a good rank, and gained admission to a reputed college in Andhra Pradesh.

Today, Amol is in his third year of B.Tech. As he says, “I will continue my studies until I achieve my goal of empowering myself and lifting my family out of poverty.”

*Name changed to protect child’s identity