Project Darjeeling – Direct Intervention

Campaign Story

About the project

As Darjeeling is globally recognized for its tea plantation, the livelihood of majority people depends on the tea gardens. The families here, are mostly casual daily wage earners. The children are deprived of education as most of them are first-generation learners due to financial constraints. Most of the children aged 5 years have never attended pre-primary schools whereas 59% of women have not completed their schooling. The community has a high incidence of elopement and irregular school attendance, gradually leading to child dropouts.

Making a difference

CRY America’s project in Darjeeling, works towards the enrolment and retention of children in school. The project also focuses on reduction of child labor in the community. They run Child Activity Centres (CAC) and non-academic activities like livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship planning, yoga classes, photography sessions, and career counselling to broaden their career spectrum. The key activities include identification of children between 3 to 6 years of age who are not enrolled in schools, home visits and motivating the dropout children to attend online education sessions.

The way forward

● Ensure the retention of all 300 children aged 6-18 years in schools by reaching out to various stakeholders.
● Ensure support classes and track 45 children transitioning from 8th to 9th standard.
● Ensure support classes and track 28 children transitioning from secondary to higher education.
● Conduct a quarterly assessment of all 300 children in the CACs
● Conduct Life Skills Sessions for 30 children to boost their confidence and decision-making skills.
● Conduct training for facilitators of 2 CACs to adapt innovative teaching methods.
● Ensure academic support for 20 more children through 2 CACs.
● Map irregular students in the 8 identified schools.

Project Impact

Children Transition to 1st Grade

2

CACs established that supports digital learning

Children Enrolled for Primary Education

300

children enrolled in 2 CACs

Children Enrolled for Secondary Education

14

children identified for CAC enrolment by 2 children’s collectives

School Management Committee (SMC) members received training on school development plans

20

sessions conduced in each CAC per month

Adolescent Collectives Members Sensitized on Education Issues

8

government schools participated in meetings on education

Last Year’s Approved Grant (Apr to Dec 2024): $5,646

Current Year’s Approved Grant (Jan to Dec 2024):

Education$11,286

Administration$11,864

Total Budget$23,150

A mother’s fight from despair to dreams

Reshmi Sharma, a daily wage earner at a tea estate in Goomtee, Darjeeling, lost her husband at just 32 years of age. With three children to raise and no stable income, poverty forced her to withdraw her children from school and send them to their grandparents.

CRY America’s project team identified the family’s situation through home visits and community meetings. They counseled Reshmi on the importance of education and engaged local stakeholders, including the Tea Garden Manager, to ensure her children remained in school. Once she was finally convinced, the project team re-enrolled her two children, Rajat in the 7th standard and Nikhil in the 8th standard. To bridge their educational gap, the staff enrolled them in CRY’s Child Activity Centers (CACs), conducted by the project, and provided them with study materials.

Reshmi moved to Bangalore for better job opportunities to support her children’s education. Today, Rajat and Nikhil have been promoted to the next grade and attend both school and the CAC regularly. With renewed confidence, Rajat aspires to become a teacher, hoping to advocate for education in his community.

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