Every child deserves a childhood adorned with laughter, learning, and a safe and secure environment that helps them to grow up and learn. 

However, it’s unfortunate that over 33 million children in India between the ages of 5 and 18 years are entangled in a web of labor work, in their pursuit of survival. Working child laborers at tea stalls, factories, construction sites, and as domestic help. Not only are they deprived of the opportunity to go to school and chase their dreams but are also vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. 

Together, we can give children the childhood they deserve, where they not only survive but thrive.

With your support, we will ensure that children in India #LearnNotEarn!

Imagine, being only 14 years old, being forced into work, falling sick, recovering, and getting back to work quickly. All this, so you could help your family make ends meet. This is exactly what happened to Himanshu, an aspiring student and the youngest of 3 siblings. Himanshu had to drop out of school in 8th grade and was forced to migrate to Gujarat, over a thousand miles away from his hometown, to aid his family financially and work as a child laborer for minimum wage. While working in Gujarat, he fell ill, and even after this incident, Himanshu was treated and sent right back to work.

 

Living in the United States, education feels normal, and is by law, a right given to us. However, what we don’t often realize is that in some countries, access to education is not a right, but rather a privilege.

 

After hearing about Himanshu and his unfortunate circumstances, CRY Project DEEP reached out to Himanshu’s contractor to discuss the situation more in-depth. CRY’s team convinced Himanshu’s parents to bring him back home, where they enrolled him in 9th grade so he could continue his educational journey. Himanshu was also enrolled in CRY’s Child & Adolescent Resource Center where he is being helped to bridge the gap in his education.

 

With Himanshu’s entire family working to barely make ends meet, every day is another day in the vicious cycle of poverty. Empower Himanshu with the gift of education. Not only will Himanshu’s life change, but also his family’s life. Help him break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for himself.

 

Currently in India, over 10 million children are working 80+ hours a week, getting paid less than a dollar a day in harsh conditions to help their families. Let’s join hands to fight and change this reality.

Many girls cannot complete their education. The parents of these children also don’t find it as important for a girl to go to school because of the discrimination and bias. They don’t view girls on the same academic or social level as boys and subsequently don’t make an effort to send their child to school. People believe that these girls should just get married off and their purpose in life is over. However, many others disagree strongly with this belief including myself.

I believe that women can in fact have an education, have a career, and be just as good as men. Families neglect their daughter’s education more because they believe that their son can succeed. To help these girls finish their education, we need to make a change in our mindset. We should help many families understand that daughters can achieve the same as sons. They deserve the same education and freedom in their life as anybody else.

For example, my own mother and her two sisters could have not been given an education. However, their parents believed in them and let them pursue and complete their education, unlike many other people in that time. And those sisters became successful, all because their parents’ mindset was correct. So like these parents, many others should strive to be the same and allow their daughters the same freedom as their sons or other boys.

Help me in trying to make a meaningful difference for girl’s education,

Neha Deshpande

 

##What do Girls want

“We don’t want to get married early” “We want our schools to have toilets and proper water facility”.  “We want safe transportation to school”

Clean drinking water, safe transportation, education are basic rights, that are denied to the underprivileged girls. Covid 19 and its disruption has widened the education gap for girls even more. Through this campaign, my mission is to create a lasting impact by ensuring access to education for girls who face significant challenges. YOUR small contribution can make a positive lasting impact.

In particular, I would highlight the story of 5 year old girl Anoushka, whose grandmother works as a maid in my grandparents’ house in India. Anoushka’s mother was married at 15, had a baby at 16. She could not cope with the burden of raising a child and disappeared.  Anoushka’s grandmother is committed to not repeating the same mistake and pledges to provide her with an education. She faces many challenges. Despite working in 12 hour days, she finds it difficult to pay the fees, buy books, and school uniform. She fears that as she grows older, she will no longer be able to provide the education Anoushka deserves.

There are countless Anoushka’s across India who dream of an education and a better future. In the face of poverty and hunger, girls education is the first sacrifice the parents make. Girls are expected to work to support their brothers’ education and are married off at an early age. Even when parents are supportive, lack of schools, transportation and basic amenities, make education a far-fetched dream for many.

Education is not only a fundamental right but also a transformative force that breaks the cycle of poverty and empowers individuals and communities. Here is a short video from Asha who beat all odds to become the 1st woman from her village to join the police force: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMijQHN7Vpg

No donation is too small as every contribution counts towards creating meaningful change. Together we can empower these girls, instill hope in their hearts, and create a ripple effect that will impact generations to come. Your support will help CRY continue its important work, reaching out to more girls in need and providing them the education they deserver. Together we can build a better future one girl at a time.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to transforming lives through education. Please donate!!

 

Hello everyone! My name is Mauryan Khatri and I am currently a junior in high school. I was born in India but moved to the United States when I was 18 months old. Growing up in the U.S, I am privileged to have a great education, clean water, shelter, food, and more.

 

But not every kid in the world is this fortunate.

 

The reality in India is that many kids aren’t as privileged and don’t have access to education or even basic healthcare. I want to work with you, to change this reality, and improve the lives of underprivileged kids in India.

I want to share with you the story of Bikram. Bikram was born into a family of lower socio-economic standing. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother was a commercial sex worker. He grew up among many siblings, always fighting, vying for attention, and dropping in and out of school. Bikram turned to make money to help his family but ended up falling into the wrong crowd because kids do not get social acceptance if they belong to a family known to be involved in commercial sex work, in fact, they get bullied for it. He felt stuck in this situation and couldn’t see a way out. We’ve all had times when we’ve felt trapped with no exit in sight, but in this case, with the help of CRY America, Bikram was able to push through this challenging situation and was enrolled in a school so he could pursue his education. At first, Bikram didn’t enjoy going to school and started missing his classes, but eventually, he took an interest in sports, specifically soccer. CRY America team noticed his love for the sport and used it as motivation to call him to school regularly.

 

Slowly, he started showing interest in other classes as well, and now he loves coming to school to learn and play. He dreams to become a soccer player one day. With our help, a young boy who was born into unfortunate conditions can reach for the stars and achieve something great

Together, we are not only helping Bikram, but also his family, and creating hope for many more Bikrams in society.

 

I truly believe that our society in the US has empathy for such underprivileged kids in developing countries and when we open our hearts to make the life of such kids better, it makes the world a better place to live in, one kid at a time. I would like to share last year’s success story from another such campaign that I ran to help 2 underprivileged girls in India – In last year’s campaign, I was able to raise $1630 to help fund the education of young girls across CRY America Projects in India. (you can share stories of these girls as an example but don’t mention 2 girls in specific as the funds would go toward all the children in CRY America Projects & not just the 2 girls)

 

Our support makes a difference in someone’s world. Please join me in this mission to make education accessible to those who deserve it, but can’t reach it today. Thanks for all your love and support

Of the 250 million children worldwide who cannot read or write, around 100 million reside in India. We would like to contribute to alleviate this crisis.

In India, there are countless children who don’t have the equipment to further enhance their learning. There are even more children who don’t receive a proper education due to the funds they lack. We want to contribute to their education by providing the funds we raise by our summer STEM courses. These courses are offered virtually and target middle school students.

This may not be the complete solution, but it’s a start. We hope to make an impact for the better in any way we can, no matter how big or how small it is. Illiteracy in India is the root of many problems. If we can alleviate this crisis, we can spark socio-economic empowerment.

Incapsulate is pleased to support the #WomenofTomorrow campaign within our global community so girls can invest in their future. The CRY organization ensures that basic right of education, healthcare, and protection from exploitation and abuse are restored to underprivileged children, wherever he or she might be, in India or America. Education plays a significant role in our lives so we can learn from each other’s experiences and inspire our community.

Please learn more from Priya’s story:

Priyadarshini is a bright young girl in Tamil Nadu whose parents are bonded laborers. During the lockdown when schools were shut & classes became online, Priyadarshini started accompanying her parents to work as they could not afford a phone for her studies. Priyadarshini was expected to drop out of school and become a child laborer.

However, she was destined for so much more.

Through persistent counseling, the team at CRY America Project SPT convinced Priyadarshini’s parents to enroll her back in school. They also helped her cope with her studies.

Today, she is living life on her own terms as a 3rd year university student and is the first to go to college in her entire family!

Girls like Priyadarshini deserve a chance to change their lives and the lives of those around them- invest in them to create more #WomenofTomorrow!

 

Hello friends,

I’m ringing in nearly a half-century (!) on February 13, and Child Rights and You (CRY) America has been a major part of my life for the past 18 years. I’ve also recently started as an employee of the organization, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to work toward CRY America’s goal of restoring basic rights to children in India and the U.S.

All children have a right to education. And CRY America’s experience has shown that connecting children to viable primary and secondary schooling plays a major role in preventing child marriage and child labor – both serious issues that continue to afflict marginalized communities throughout India.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have met children who have benefited from CRY America’s support on the educational front. That particular project’s work to ensure that schools are open, and that parents realize the importance of enrolling their children, produced a dramatic change. These boys and girls spoke of their future plans with confidence, optimism and through enthusiastic smiles. Their accomplishments – in the face of dire alternatives – continue to inspire me to this day.

With your donation to CRY America, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating not just my birthday, but more importantly, their bright futures and those of children yet to be reached.

In solidarity,

Adam MacGregor

 Thank you so much for supporting this great cause and funding an opportunity for a child in need.

Meet Chandni. As a child, she grew up within the walls of her small community, where the only way to survive was through sex work. One by one, every young girl’s freedom of choice was taken by this precedent. Chandni watched as her aunts and elder sister were coerced into this lifestyle, dreading the moment she would be forced to do the same.

CRY America’s Project Samvedna opened new doors for Chandni. After discovering her plight, CRY emphasized the boundless opportunities Chandni will have through completing her education, convincing her family to take a different path.

Chandni had been given back the reins to her life, with which she opened door after door to follow her dreams. With her education and freedom, she reached her goal of becoming a part of India’s paramilitary forces. She is not only surviving, but chasing her potential and becoming the best version of herself.

There are many other girls like Chandni struggling to break free of their confinement and pursue their passion. This disparity between choices given to girls and boys has widened because of the COVID pandemic. Girls are being pushed into child marriage and child labor more frequently, especially in underprivileged sectors of society.

CRY America is actively working to ensure that every girl has the opportunity to get an education and follow their dreams. Please donate to this campaign to support our future leaders, doctors, teachers, and dreamers. 

Every penny makes a difference. Donate now to help open doors for girls like Chandni. #WomenofTomorrow