Nisha’s journey from adversity to advocacy
Nisha, a bright and ambitious girl from Uttar Pradesh, was forced to drop out after the 11th standard due to her mother’s limited income. Since Nisha’s father was behind bars due to land disputes, she faced immense social stigma and financial challenges arising from community judgment. CRY America’s project team intervened after CRY’s Children’s Collective members informed the staff about her situation.
Through continuous home visits, the project team counseled and convinced her family to re-enroll Nisha and her two sisters in school. The team provided both moral and practical support, addressing the family’s immediate concerns about stigma and safety. To support their transition back to school, Nisha was enrolled in CRY’s Digital Learning Center, while her two sisters joined the Child Activity Center.
The staff members consistently supported her, helping her overcome difficulties in concentrating on her studies after a prolonged gap. Gaining confidence, she attended career counseling sessions organized by the project team to explore higher education opportunities. Today, she has become a role model in her community, advocating for child rights, internet safety, and education.
*Name changed and image used for representation purpose only.
The Problem
District Varanasi is highly critical in violation of child rights in the form of child marriage, child labor, child trafficking and gender discrimination. It has a clear link with the trafficking of girl children which impacts their health and reduces their chances of an education. All this affects their overall development.
The Solution
CRY America Project SSRF is working towards creating an enabling environment that empowers children to influence decision making on issues that affect them, creating informed, sensitized, empowered family members and community to stop child marriage, ensuring vigilant governance for child protection. The key activities taking place under the project are orientation meetings of children groups on child rights issues and developing their understanding, engagement with child protection structures in the district and in the entire state.
Impact Of The Project
4,525
children aged 15-18 retained in schools.
523
children enrolled in remedial education.
150
children attending SMART classes.
274
potential child marriages prevented.
500
community members sensitized on child protection issues.
1,596
children sensitized on Menstrual Hygiene Management.
200
adolescent girls trained in self-defence techniques.
675
adolescents participated in life skills sessions.
2025 Plans
- Conduct life skill session with 36 collective groups followed by 8 government schools
- Adapt Child Activity Center (CAC) module to 9 Bal Paharua centers for supporting learning of 120 children
- Ensure mainstream schooling of 288 out-of-school children of age 6-18 years
- Ensure mainstreaming schooling of 80 identified child laborers
- Implement CAC module to enhance teaching-learning process at 18 activity centers
- Strengthen 9 School Management Committee (SMC) members to actively intervene in school-related issues
- Conduct 9 activity-based learning meetings with SMC members on education barriers
- Enrol 30 identified children in sponsorship programs and fast track their linkage to government programs
- Support functioning of 6 Women and Children Protection Centers, Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards to address child abuse and exploitation cases
