Project Samagra Vikas Sansthan (SVS)

Campaign Story

About the project

The minority community in the Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh faces discrimination and dominance from the upper-caste people. The inequality in employment opportunities compels them to migrate seasonally to support their insecure livelihood. The community has a 48% dropout rate among children aged 15-18 years due to a lack of secondary schools and the distant location of primary schools. Girls are often subjected to sexual abuse and eve-teasing, making it difficult for their parents to send them to faraway schools, thereby hindering their education and well-being. Additionally, the lack of proper school infrastructure and the unavailability of textbooks affect children’s access to education in the Budaun district.

Making a difference

CRY America’s Project Samagra Vikas Sansthan (SVS) aims to provide education and protection to children and adolescent girls in the Budaun district. The key activities under this project include identifying dropout children, re-enrolling them in schools, sensitizing School Management Committee (SMC) members on the Right to Education (RTE), establishing new Anganwadi Centers, and improving school infrastructure through government programs. Another key focus is forming Adolescent Girl Collectives and Children’s Collectives to raise awareness about child safety, protection, school dropouts, and child marriage.

CRY America Project Samagra Vikas Sansthan (SVS)

Ensure the enrollment of 2751 children aged 15-18 years in secondary schools.

The way forward

● Sensitize 420 School Management Committee (SMC) members on their roles and responsibilities
● Ensure retention of 5,678 children aged 6–14 years in schools
● Re-enrol 210 dropout children aged 6–14 years and 222 first-time learners into schools
● Mainstream 945 dropout children aged 15–18 years and ensure continued education support
● Extend academic support to 196 children through 3 CRY’s Child Activity Centres and to 500 children aged 6–14 years across 13 CRY’s Learning Corners
● Conduct pre-learning assessments for 96 children attending Child Activity Centres and develop plans to enhance their learning outcomes
● Engage with the education department to address teacher recruitment and infrastructural development in 2 secondary schools
Prevent at least 10 child marriages and withdraw 30 children from full-time labor
● Activate child welfare committees in 10 villages to strengthen child protection mechanisms
● Train 862 children through Life Skills sessions
● Conduct sessions with the Labor Department and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) to identify and support the removal of 167 children engaged in agricultural labor

Project Impact

8.267

Children aged 6-18 years in schools

742

School Management Committee members sensitized on their roles & responsibilities

723

Children accessing education support at Child Activity Centers & Learning Corners

317

Children cleared their grade 10 & Grade 12 board exams

206

Boys and girls participated in an awareness event on World Menstrual Hygiene Day

156

Sanitary pads distributed amongst adolescent girls

9

Child marriages stopped

18

Children removed from labor

1,074

Children & adolescents in collectives

750

Children accessing preschool education at Anganwadi Centers

4,348

Children trained through Life Skill sessions

Last year’s disbursed grant for Jan ‘25 to Dec ‘25: $36,735

This year’s approved budget for Jan 26 to Dec 26:

Education$25,459

Administration$3,806

Protection$3,149

Participation$49

Total Budget$32,463

From school dropout to lab owner

Rahul dropped out of school in Grade XX due to low confidence, limited interest in studies, and lack of guidance at home. When CRY America’s project team learned about his situation, they visited his family and helped them understand how education could shape Rahul’s future and improve their circumstances.

To support him, Rahul was enrolled in CRY’s Adolescent Collective, where he received peer encouragement and life skills training. These sessions helped him rebuild confidence, make informed decisions, and gradually re-engage with learning. With consistent support from his peers and the project team, Rahul became more vocal and self-assured. Recognising his growth, he was elected President of the collective, where he began advocating for education within his community.

During this time, Rahul also became aware of the challenges people faced in accessing basic healthcare services. He completed his secondary and higher secondary education, performing well in his Grade 10 and 12 board exams. With guidance from the project team, he pursued a professional lab technician training course.

Today, Rahul runs his own diagnostic laboratory, providing essential health services to nearby villages. He continues to stay connected with the Adolescent Collective, mentoring others and encouraging children to pursue education, helping sustain the change he once experienced.

Project Photo Gallery