Dipali’s Journey to Education and Empowerment

Dipali, a 14-year-old girl residing in Birsa Basti, Jamshedpur, had faced numerous challenges in her life. Her father left the family, leaving her mother to shoulder the economic responsibilities alone. Her mother worked as a construction laborer and took up domestic help jobs to support her family. Dipali had four siblings – three sisters and two brothers. Despite the hardships, she remained determined to create a better future for herself.

She was studying in the 6th standard and became involved with Bal Sangathan, a children’s collective. The collective meetings provided her with life skills sessions and raised awareness about various child rights issues, including child labor and child marriage. Dipali actively participated in these meetings, realizing the importance of education and her rights as a child.

Sometime later, unfortunately she got involved in bad company, which led her to drop out of school. In order to make some money, she soon started working as domestic help. The collective members along with the project team intervened and provided counseling support to her, encouraging her to continue her education.

CRY America’s Project ASES is working in the urban slum of Jamshedpur, Jharkhand where there are zero infrastructural facilities available in 25 urban slums. All the centers are run from Anganwadi workers’ own houses. Children in these vulnerable urban segments often indulge in risky behaviors like gradually dropping out of school, being irregular to classes, finding ways of earning quick money and early marriage.

The project team has been making consistent efforts via capacity building programs and community mobilizations. The efforts are being made for enrollment of children and retention of children in schools. Preventive programs have been implemented to address child labor and child marriage.

47

drop out children re enrolled in schools

124

children passed grade
th10 examinations

318

children trained in CRY’s child center module

94

children enrolled in remedial centers

13

children collectives raised issues related to child rights violations

18

child laborers mainstreamed into formal education

13

slums child marriage free

● Meeting with teachers and 30 SMC members on drop out, transit & irregular children towards re-enrolment in school
● Capacity building of children on Child Empowerment Module with 3 boys groups
● Running 3 Children Activity Center for 150 children from 10 to 18yrs age group
● Enrollment of 4456 children in the age group of 6-14 yrs
● Re-enrollment of 70 out of school children in the age group of 6-14 yrs
● Organize 4 meeting on child protection issues in 23 slums
● Organize parent meetings on 5 Parents Modules in 3 slums
● Organizing URBAN SOCCER “Run & Kick” for combating child abuse covering 200 children
● Organize half yearly meeting of 50 child leaders on yearly planning

2023 Grant Disbursed $21,516

Budget spent on diffrent areas