Anushka reclaiming her future through education
In a remote village in Bihar, poverty forced Anushka* to drop out of school in the 10th grade and work in the fields. Besides financial constraints, her school was located far away, making it difficult for her to travel, especially during adverse weather conditions.
CRY America’s project team noticed her irregular school attendance, visited her home, and counseled her hesitant parents, emphasizing the long-term benefits of education. After attending awareness sessions on the consequences of child labor, encouraged by CRY’s staff, Anushka’s parents finally decided to send her back to school.
The project team also connected her family to the Public Distribution System for food security. They enrolled Anushka in a Child Activity Center (CAC) run by the project to help bridge her learning gap. With renewed confidence and with a dream to be a teacher, she now attends both the CAC and school regularly. Anushka’s journey goes beyond securing her own future, it ripples change in her community as she cycles 5 km to advocate for CRY’s education campaigns.
*Name changed and AI image used for representation purpose only.
The Problem
Sarairanjan block is situated in the central part of Samastipur district in Bihar. The agro-based economy is mostly dominated by the upper caste the area sees landless communities depend on daily wage work. The dropout children start to work with their parents in nearby agricultural fields under the ownership of the landlord to support the family income. Migration starts among the boys from the age of 14 from these villages with their relatives to other states. The massive gender disparity is a big challenge in the community. Girls face a lot of discrimination. The fear factor of being harassed and security issues while traveling for higher education becomes a challenge for the girls. Mindset of parents on girl child education is of great concern as they have been considered as liabilities to the family.
The Solution
CRY America’s Project JJBVK works towards enrolment and retention of children in school. The project also focuses on reduction of child labor in the community and runs preventive program for addressing child marriage. Sustainable child driven collectives are formed and peer groups are created to support children. The key activities under the project are identification of children in 3-6 years who are not enrolled in the ICDS centers and initiating process to enroll them in the schools, home visit and motivating the children of 6-18 years age group for online education, campaign against child labor in the villages, discussion with adolescent group members and working on psycho –social issues, child marriage etc.
Impact Of The Project
3,315
children aged 6-14 years retained in schools.
1,104
children aged 3-6 years attending pre-school education
516
children attending remedial support classes.
1,240
children sensitized on child protection issues
1,200
girls benefitted from a national education campaign
90
potential child marriages prevented.
768
families linked with government programs.
242
pregnant and lactating women accessing benefits from AWCs.
2025 Plans
- Ensure the retention of 1,116 children aged 3-6 years in Anganwadi Centers.
- Ensure the retention of 3,315 children aged 6-14 years in schools.
- Ensure the retention of 901 adolescents aged 15-18 years in schools.
- Ensure the enrollment of 54 identified dropout children aged 6-18 years in schools.
- Establish one STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) center in a school, benefiting 200 children.
- Set up a mobile library in all 26 hamlets of the targeted district.
- Link 20 children to the Digital Literacy Center and ensure their certification upon course completion.
- Provide training to 19 AWC workers on Teaching Learning Materials (TLM) and joyful learning.
- Sensitize 26 Child Protection Committees to prevent child marriage and child labor cases.
- Ensure the rescue of 35 identified child laborers and 80 vulnerable children from early marriage.
- Conduct life skills sessions with 1,342 members of children’s collectives.
- Organize 9 health check-ups with the help of the Primary Health Center.
- Refer 4 Severely Underweight (SUW) children to the Nutritional Rehabilitation Center (NRC).
