Boys of Kodaikanal rekindling dreams through education
Vikas*, a 7th-grade student, lived with his grandfather while his parents worked outside the village to support their livelihood. Over time, he lost interest in education, dropped out of school, and began working on farms. Similarly, Sudip*, a boy from the same community, lost interest in education, dropped out in the 9th grade, and started working as well.
During a community outreach initiative, CRY America’s project team identified their cases and intervened. The team conducted multiple home visits, counseling Vikas’s grandfather and Sudip’s parents on the consequences of child labor and the importance of education. Their persistent efforts ultimately convinced the families to support the boys’ return to school.
To ensure their re-enrollment and retention in school, the project team collaborated with teachers, headmasters, and village leaders to build a strong support system. With the collective efforts of community stakeholders and CRY staff, Vikas and Sudip successfully returned to school. Today, not only do they attend school regularly, but they also advocate for education within their community, inspiring other children to stay in school.
*Name changed and AI image used for representative purpose only.
The Problem
The community consists of 973 children from 660 households across 26 villages in the Kodaikanal block of Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. Most community members work as daily wage laborers in coffee, pepper, and orange estates. Child dropouts are frequent due to unstable family incomes. Although parents aspire to educate their children, financial constraints remain a significant barrier. Many families take out high-interest loans from moneylenders to fund their children’s education but struggle with repayment. As a result, children drop out of school to work as child laborers and support their families, while girls often face the risk of child marriage.
The Solution
CRY America’s project in Kodaikanal aims to provide education and protection for children and nutrition for pregnant and lactating mothers. The project also focuses on reducing child labor and child marriage by re-enrolling drop-out children back into school. Key activities include identifying drop-out children, setting up supplementary education centers, monitoring children’s immunization, and linking women with maternity programs. Additionally, the project works to form children’s and adolescents’ collectives to raise awareness about child labor and child marriage.
Impact Of The Project
583
children retained in schools
2
children removed from child labor and mainstreamed into schools
280
children (aged 0-5 years) covered under nutritional assessment
102
community members received medical insurance certificates
35
children received complete immunization
376
members of children’s collectives sensitized on child rights
2025 Plans
- Engage with 14 Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and parents to identify & enroll children in Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) for pre-school education.
- Conduct Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) across 14 AWCs to promote quality nutrition.
- Sensitize 11 pregnant women and 21 lactating mothers on importance of immunization and nutrition.
- Conduct regular meetings with 14 children’s and 10 adolescent collectives and organize life skills sessions for them.
- Orient 24 women’s collectives on the Parents’ Module to help them support children’s education and health.
- Conduct meetings with AWWs and 25 AWC helpers to discuss the facilities provided to children during growth monitoring.
