Rewriting dreams through education
Arif*, a 6th standard dropout from Rajasthan, faced harsh realities from a young age due to his parents’ meager daily wages. To support his family, the 13-year-old boy began working at a welding shop for 8-10 hours a day, enduring physical strain and delayed wages.
CRY America’s project team identified Arif’s situation during an adolescent meeting and immediately intervened. They tracked his employer, educated him about the legal implications of child labor, and filed a complaint, resulting in a fine. The team also counseled Arif’s reluctant father stressing on the long-term consequences of child labor. Through persistent efforts, they convinced his parents, and Arif was re-enrolled in 7th grade. The staff members also provided him with school supplies, and linked his family to government welfare programs to ensure financial stability.
Today, Arif attends school regularly, with teachers supporting his learning. His parents now stand by his education to give him a future filled with hope.
*Name changed and AI image used for representation purpose only.
The Problem
The project area of Nagar block has very low awareness levels. The religious beliefs and cultural practices have kept them away from immunization among the children and pregnant women which lead to a large number of maternal and neonatal deaths. The people strongly believe that using family planning methods is against their religion and thus they have extremely large family sizes varying from 8 – 10 children to each couple. The traditional practices like pardah, child marriage is widely prevalent in the intervention area and women occupy an extremely low status in the society as well as in the family. The educational status is dismal. Usually, girls dropout after primary grades and are forced into household chores and sibling care. There is lack of information and sensitivity amongst the community regarding the available government programs for promotion of girls’ education among the community people.
The Solution
CRY America Project SJJKS focuses towards reducing socio-economic vulnerability, ensuring children are in schools, working towards mainstreaming child labor, implementing protection systems and mechanisms at district level and bringing attitudinal changes in community in context of child marriage and child labor over a period of 3 years.
Impact Of The Project
268
preschool children re-enrolled in Anganwadi Centres
351
dropped out children re-enrolled in schools
915
community members linked to employment programs
2,255
families linked to health insurance program
141
children rescued from child labor
169
children attending Digital Learning Centers (DLCs)
469
children benefitted from life skills sessions
1,099
members of women’s groups sensitized on child protection
2025 Plans
- Enroll 318 out-of-school children of age 6-18 years
- Sensitize 360 SMC members on their roles and responsibilities.
- Support 5 SMCs in developing and implementing School Development Plans (SDPs)
- Conduct impact assessments in 30 villages on status of education
- Implement innovative teaching-learning methods in 10 schools.
- Organize women’s group meetings for 1,099 participants on socio-economic issues and support programs.
- Remove 141 children from child labor and mainstream them into schools.
- Establish a child-friendly police station in collaboration with Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs)
- Prevent 215 child marriages through family and community sensitization.
- Conduct regular adolescent collective meetings with full attendance of 4,400 members.
- Facilitate life skills sessions for 244 adolescents and leadership training for 264 adolescents.
- Ensure 220 children attend sessions at 2 Digital Learning centers and 300 children at 5 Child Activity Centers.
2025 Total Budget
