Krishna District Direct Implementation (KDDI)

Campaign Story

About the project

The 13 villages of Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh face significant gaps in access to early childhood care and education. This is largely due to low community awareness, poor infrastructure, and a lack of trained resources. As children grow older, barriers to secondary and higher education increase. Long distances to schools, travel costs, and limited availability of institutions make it difficult to continue learning. Girls face additional challenges due to prevailing cultural norms. As a result, drop out rates are high after primary education. Many children are pushed into labor or early marriage, affecting the futures of more than 1,700 children in the region.

Making a difference

CRY America’s Project KDDI works to ensure children get a strong start through quality early childhood care and education. It focuses on expanding Anganwadi centres, improving access to resources, and ensuring children receive their nutrition entitlements. Key interventions include enrolling children in preschool, supporting first time learners, and bringing dropouts back into school. The project also works with families to strengthen their access to income opportunities, reducing reliance on children’s contributions. Alongside this, it collaborates with local protection systems to reduce child labor and child marriage, while supporting parents to prioritize their children’s education.

The way forward

● Transform 2 Anganwadi Centers into model Anganwadis and ensure enrollment of all preschool children.
● Mainstream at least 25 children into formal education and provide career counseling during Grades 9 and 10.
● Ensure Child Activity Centers provide continued academic support for children from Grades 6 to 10.
● Mainstream 20 identified child laborers into formal education and withdraw 25 children from labor.
● Strengthen system mechanisms to prevent or stop 30 child marriages.
● Train 640 children through Year 1 life skills modules and 300 parents through modern modules.

Project Impact

106

Children enrolled in preschools

30

Dropout children mainstreamed in schools

11

Children removed from labor and mainstreamed in schools

33

Child marriages averted or stopped

1,555

Children linked to government programs for education aids

906

Children trained through Life Skill modules

This year’s approved budget from Jan 26 to Dec 26 :

Education$13,914

Protection$870

Total Budget$14,784

Vidya’s defying community norms to choose freedom

Vidya* grew up in a remote village in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, where a girl’s education often takes a backseat as she enters adolescence. Marriage, not learning, is seen as the next step. After completing Grade 9, Vidya was asked to drop out. The nearest high school was far, and concerns around safety made her family hesitant to let her continue.

When the CRY America Project KDDI team learned about her situation, they visited her home and counseled her family, emphasizing the importance of continuing her education. They supported her enrollment in a nearby high school and connected her to Children’s Collective sessions to help her stay safe and engaged.

But fear does not fade easily.

Vidya had seen early marriages all around her, within her own family and across her community. The thought of that future slowly pulled her away from school and from the Children’s Collective sessions. When she stopped attending altogether, the risk became clear.

The team stepped in again, this time alongside teachers, Anganwadi workers, and other community stakeholders. Through consistent engagement, they helped her and her family see what an independent future could look like. Not distant, but possible. At the same time, they worked to strengthen local child protection systems, building a safety net around children like Vidya.

Something shifted. With continued guidance and reassurance, Vidya re-enrolled in a nearby high school. The team ensured she had the support needed to continue her education without interruption.

Today, she has cleared her Grade 10 board exams with strong results and has applied to junior college. Her journey reflects what becomes possible when consistent support, community engagement, and stronger protection systems come together so a child is not left to navigate these decisions alone.

*Name changed to protect child’s identity

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