Rekindling dreams through education
In a small village in Tamil Nadu, poverty forced Janki* and her two brothers to abandon their education and work in the salt pans to support their visually impaired parent. Though finances were a constraint, health was also a significant barrier for the 14-year-old girl and her elder brother, Dev*. Janki’s prolonged menstrual cycles and Dev’s skin condition caused them to miss school frequently, leading them to lose interest and drop out of the 9th and 8th standards, respectively. Following in their footsteps, their younger brother, Dishan*, also dropped out of school in the 7th standard and worked as a part-time laborer.
Upon identifying Janki and her brother’s situation, CRY America’s project team counseled their hesitant mother on the importance of education. When the team engaged other parents to assure her of the support and benefits of schooling, she finally agreed to re-enroll her three children. The staff members coordinated with school authorities and successfully re-enrolled Janki, Dev, and Dishan in their respective classes.
Today, Janki and her two brothers also receive academic assistance at the Child Activity Center, supported by the project, to bridge their educational gap. The three of them attend school regularly, determined to shape a bright future and break the shackles of poverty.
*Names changed and AI image used for representation purpose only.
The Problem
One of the key problems of Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu is the high number of child laborers. The reasons being, lack of livelihood opportunities, indebtedness, door pick up for child laborers working in salt pans and seafood processing units, and no access to schools nearby. In addition to it, high cost for transport adds on to the severity of the problem that children and communities face.
The Solution
CRY America’s Project RWDS focuses on increasing school retention rates by ensuring better physical access to schools, improving infrastructure and quality within schools and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centers, and promoting greater child participation. The project supports community engagement by forming groups in all 52 villages, consisting of community volunteers, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), local youth, and Panchayat members. Key activities include facilitating regular immunization, initiating supplementary classes, and implementing measures to prevent school dropout rates.
Impact Of The Project
1,196
Children retained in schools.
976
Community-Based Organization members attended child protection sessions.
98
Parents attended sessions on Parents’ Module.
440
Children attended Life Skills Education sessions.
1,118
Adolescent girls participating in collectives.
2,140
Children participated in World Day Against Child Labor campaign.
2025 Plans
- Ensure the enrollment of 188 children in Anganwadi Centers (AWCs).
- Ensure the enrollment of 147 children in primary schools.
- Ensure the retention of 1,196 children in schools.
- Re-enroll 20 dropout children in schools.
- Ensure the sanctioning of infrastructural facilities in schools and AWCs in at least two Gram Panchayats, covering 10 schools.
- Conduct meetings with 134 households to sensitize them on the consequences of child labor.
- Ensure the removal of 54 children from child labor practices and mainstream 30 of them into schools.
- Implement the Parents’ Module with the engagement of at least 100 parents in the sessions.
2025 Total Budget
