Projects
Houston Gala 2023
Renewing commitment, celebrating generosity!
CRY’s work for child rights would not be possible without you, the donors and volunteers and community organisers. It is your belief in the potential of India’s children, your empathy for the most vulnerable of them, your generosity whenever we ask, that helps to together make a real impact.
Join CRY America for a memorable evening in which we celebrate the year just past and pledge to make an even bigger difference.
Chetan Patel | houston@cryamerica.org
Friday, April 28 | 6:30 PM PST Onwards
Sunday, May 21, 5.30PM CST onwards
Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria,2222 West Loop South, Houston, TX
Neelam Kothari Soni
Actress
Cocktail hour
Auction sneak peek
Welcome by MC
CRY talk
Talk by project partner
Talk by celebrity
Pledge session
Dinner service
Auction
Entertainment
Music & dancing
Thank you & closing remarks
Budget – $21,820
Budget – $36,444
Budget – $24,672
Budget – $43,097
Budget – $30,630
Budget – $30,893
Budget – $297,425
Seattle Gala 2023
Renewing commitment, celebrating generosity!
CRY’s work for child rights would not be possible without you, the donors and volunteers and community organisers. It is your belief in the potential of India’s children, your empathy for the most vulnerable of them, your generosity whenever we ask, that helps to together make a real impact.
Join CRY America for a memorable evening in which we celebrate the year just past and pledge to make an even bigger difference.
Friday, April 28 | 6:30 PM PST Onwards
Friday, April 28 | 6:30 PM PST Onwards
Neelam Kothari Soni
Actress
Message by CRY America
president Shefali Sunderlal
Keynote Speaker
– Murali Narayanan
Talk by Project Partner
& Young Adult
Celebrity speech & pledge session – Neelam Kothari Soni
Youth chapter updates
Online auction
Budget – $21,423
Budget – $57,685
Budget – $39,861
Budget – $42,850
Budget – $43,287
Budget -$297,425
Project Pragathi Gala 2023
Breaking the Cycle of Child Labor
Project Pragathi Empowering The Community
CRY America project Pragathi has been working with the Yanadi tribe for the last 24 years. People from the tribe majorly work as agricultural laborers, mango garden watchers and non-timber forest product collectors. Most of the time, they have to leave their village for work, resulting in dropouts and increased child labor. The pandemic made the situation worse.
Children who were involved in child labor for the long term, the chances of re-enrollment become lesser for them. Parents who sent their children to work often depended on their earnings, creating a burden on the children, and they could not cope with these responsibilities at a young age. Children lost their learning capacity, leisure for play, and recreation.
To address the issue, the team worked innovatively to resolve the issue. Team conducted awareness sessions and home visits towards a government scheme which provides financial assistance to families to educate their children. A multi-stakeholder approach to re-enrol child laborers back in school was taken.
In the past year, the project has successfully mainstreamed 116 dropouts, removed 28 children from labor and averted 64 child marriages.
The Problem
The project works in the Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. It has been observed that though the Anganwadi teachers are providing Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), currently, it needs to be better. The preschool readiness program is not being implemented due to a lack of skills in Anganwadi workers, which needs to be addressed. Also, children are dropping out of school and moving towards child labor.
The Solution
CRY America’s Project Pragathi is working to ensure quality education for children of the intervention area, reduction of child labor, formation of child’s collectives and developing life skills in the children. The activities taken under the project are ensuring admission of 3+ children into the preschool programme of Anganwadi, sensitizing parents of dropout children on the importance of education and encouraging teachers to visit families with child laborers to urge parents to send them back to school.
Impact of the Project
● 12 centers transformed into Model Anganwadi centers
● 116 children mainstreamed in education
● 1456 parents were sensitized on importance of education
● 9 children collectives were strengthened
● 23 children removed from child labor
2023 Plans
● Mainstream 120 dropouts
● Ensure admission of children above 3 years, into preschool
● Ensure children are removed from labor
● Sensitize parents of dropouts on the importance of education
● Implement life skills modules in children and adolescent
2022 Grant Disbursed – $38,398
2023 Budget
Project Samvedna Gala 2023
A Champion in the Making
Nita’s Rise to Success on the Badminton Court
Nita, an adolescent girl from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, is a first – generation learner in her family. She is one of three children from her community to get selected in the Junior Badminton Championship tournament in Delhi.
Unfortunately, Nita’s family faced a deteriorating financial condition that forced her elder sister and brother out of school. She could’ve had a similar fate but CRY’s education intervention ensured a different future for her. Through the education support class Nita was able to strengthen her foundation in education. Despite the challenges, she works hard to excel in whatever she does, whether it’s academics or sports. In her last annual examination, she stood third in her class.
Nita has also received the Junior Badminton Championship scholarship. The project team supported her to learn everything about badminton, provided her the coach and then she represented her state. She has set an example for other youth in her village, showing them and their parents that new doors can open through hard work in any field.
Despite her personal obstacles, including the need to travel far distances to practice badminton, Nita’s drive and love for the sport helped her excel to new heights. She also secured second position in the National Sport for Change competition conducted by the HCL Foundation.
Her badminton coach, Hemant, said, “In the initial days, she didn’t even know how to hold the racket, but now if you see her, you can easily conclude that she not only knows about the racket and shuttle but also knows how to make a game plan to win the matches.” Nita is determined to continue improving her game and achieve success in the future.
The Problem
Girl children from the Bedia community are at multiple risks and vulnerabilities as the community is engaged in commercial sex as the primary source of livelihood. Girls aged 10-15 years are most susceptible to being pushed into commercial sex by family, thus being denied education. This leads to early pregnancies, physical abuse, malnutrition and other psychological problems.
The Solution
CRY America’s Project Samvedna has a two-pronged approach – working with the survivors for their rehabilitation and reintegration and prioritizing prevention for the vulnerable members of the community through advocacy and direct intervention. Education, mentoring, and counselling have been taken as primary tools. The key activities are running children’s activity centers, establishing digital learning centers, connecting vulnerable children to open schools, and awareness generation with parents and the community on back-to-school safety campaigns in the villages.
Impact of the Project
● 1303 children retained in schools (6 to 18 years)
● 180 adolescent girls participated in the life skill module
● 90% adults received Covid vaccination
● 91 out-of-school children from 16-18 years enrolled in school
● 270 children participated in the summer camp
2023 Plans
● Increased access to educational institutions at the village, district and state level
● Enrolment of children aged between 6 to 14 years in village schools
● Regular interface with SMC members and their orientation on their roles and responsibilities
● Supporting girls above 18 years in selecting alternative dignified livelihood options
2022 Grant Disbursed – $33,088
2023 Budget
Project KMAGVS - Gala 2023
The Girls Who Changed Their Community
A Story of Education and Determination
In Sevapur Tana, a small village, only one school offers education until the fourth grade. Children who want to study beyond the fourth grade have to walk 7 kms one way to reach the nearest school. Due to the long distance to school, parents often don’t let their children go to school and end up marrying them early.
CRY America project KMAGVS is strengthening adolescent groups in the village. They hold awareness sessions for girls, explaining the importance of education and their rights.
During one such session, girls discussed they couldn’t continue to travel such a long distance to attend school. Some girls in the group even received bicycles from KMAGVS, but that wasn’t enough. The girls knew their rights and decided to contact the principal of the school and members of the School Management Committee (SMC) to ask for transportation services.
After much discussion thanks to the girls’ confidence and determination, they agreed to provide free transportation services for these students. As a result, 48 children in the village could now continue their education without having to travel such long distances.
The girls’ small act of bravery and determination significantly impacted their community. They showed that with determination and perseverance they can bring positive change in many children’s lives.
The Problem
The villages in the Latur district face various challenges; one of the biggest challenges is that people don’t have livelihood opportunities, and families have to migrate to sugarcane farms for cultivation. Children have to leave their schools for 3 to 4 months and go with their parents. For higher classes, children have to travel very far, which is unsafe and causes a financial burden on the family. The rate of child marriage in the area is also 30-35%.
The Solution
Through the support of CRY America project KMAGVS, the community has found hope to overcome the challenges. The project works directly to provide residential hostels and enroll children in school. The project also works towards strengthening community-based organizations and sensitizing stakeholders on child rights issues focusing on child marriage and child labor.
Impact of the Project
● 1727 children were enrolled in residential hostels
● 669 girls enrolled in school
● 594 community-based organizations members were sensitized
● 137 families were developed as role models for the prevention of child labor
● 61 children collectives were formed
2023 Plans
● Enhance enrolment, retention, regularity and transition through community engagement
● Improve educational outcome achievements and results in board examinations
● Strengthen communities to protect children from child labor, child marriage, child sexual abuse, substance abuse and physical abuses
● Formation and strengthening of child collective and adolescent collectives in the operational area
2022 Grant Disbursed – $27,779
2023 Budget
