Project Dwarka – Direct Intervention

Campaign Story

About the project

Fishing is the primary livelihood for the 6 villages on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch in Dwarka, Gujarat. Lack of parental awareness and financial constraints have been compelling factors in child labor and student dropouts. Children mostly leave school after 5th standard and get engaged in fishing activities with their parents to save on labor costs. Child marriage remains prevalent in this community, interfering with girls’ education.

Making a difference

CRY America’s project in Dwarka is working to at influencing parental decisions on child marriage and child labor through vigilant governance for child protection. Key activities include the enrolment and re-enrolment of children aged 3-6 years and 6-18 years, respectively, in anganwadi centers. Moreover, the project also monitors education facilities and school infrastructure with School Management Committee (SMC) members. Another key focus area is forming children’s collectives, adolescent boys’ collectives, and adolescent girls’ collectives to sensitize them to issues related to primary education, child labor, and child marriage.

The way forward

● Enrol 504 children aged 3-6 years in Anganwadi centers for preschool education.
● Identify 1,372 children aged 6-18 years and enrol them in remedial classes with educational support materials.
● Provide vocational training to 23 school children aged 15-18 years.
● Sensitize all 100 members of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) on children’s education issues.
● Sensitize the existing 9 children’s collectives and initiate 10 new children’s collectives through monthly meetings on education issues.
● Address child labor and child marriage issues by creating 2 new adolescent boys’ groups and retaining all 7 existing adolescent girls’ collectives.

Project Impact

Children Transition to 1st Grade

1,154

Children aged 6-18 years re-enrolled in school.

Children Enrolled for Secondary Education

298

Children enrolled in anganwadis.

Adolescent Collectives Members Sensitized on Education Issues

21

Out of 25 SMC members sensitized on enrollment drives and infrastructure monitoring.

Children Enrolled for Primary Education

16

Regular meetings with children’s and adolescent collectives on education.

children’s and adolescent collectives attended sessions on online safety.

4

Children’s and adolescent collectives attended sessions on online safety.

Current Year’s Approved Grant (April to Dec 2024): $19,512

Last Year’s Grant Disbursed (Jan to Dec, 2023) – $297,425

From collecting mica to aspiring to join the military

12 years old, Badri Routh, lived in a small village of Jharkhand. After his father’s accidental demise, his mother found it challenging to run a family of five by working at a brick factory. To ease up his mother’s efforts, Badri, the eldest, started working in a mica factory. His desire for learning caught the attention of CRY America’s CARC (Child Adolescent Research Center) through the children’s collective in his village. When Badri met with the project team, he expressed his willingness to study despite the financial constraints. The team counselled him along with his mother. He got to know about the facilities available at the CARC including free books, computer courses, and support tuitions.

With a vision to end their vicious cycle of poverty, Badri’s mother agreed to re-enrol him in middle school. Badri has now learnt the basics of computer applications like MS Office and uses them to optimize his tasks. Badri has also applied for the Sponsorship Scholarship for Children of Single Parents, a scheme run by the Jharkhand Government.

Badri’s success does not stop with his journey back to school. He takes care of his fitness with his stunning football skills as he dreams to join the Indian Army after completing his education.

*Name changed to protect child’s identity and AI generated pic used.

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