Dougherty Valley High School | San Ramon Campaign

We are CRY America Dougherty Valley High School, a small fragment of CRY America in the form of a high school club in San Ramon, California. We gathered together for one mission: to help children in India earn the rights they deserve. Many of us have Indian immigrant parents, and some of us have seen injustices with our own eyes. Sitting in the US, thousands of miles away, it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the cruelty many innocent children face. It’s easy to ignore girls our age getting married to men our father’s age. It’s easy to ignore malnourished newborns dying nameless within a matter of days. It’s easy to ignore children that are not even the age of ten, working in large factories while their little lungs accumulate toxins. But not for us.

Life was already a cruel journey, but COVID has been a demon to underprivileged children. Schools have shut down, and without the technology, we have been privileged with, their education halted. Many are stuck in abusive households, and others have lost the little food they used to eat. Some still are sent to work and die from the virus without anyone to care. But we do.

We’re a new group, but our goal is old. CRY, Child Rights and You, is an organization over 4 decades old. CRY addresses children’s critical needs by working with parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, communities, district and state-level governments, as well as the children themselves. At 472 million, children account for 40% of India’s population. And yet, only 3.16% of the 2020 Union Budget was allocated to their development and welfare. In fact, the National Plan of Action for Children recommends that budgetary allocations for children should be 5% of the country’s GDP – India has been stagnant at 0.43% of GDP for the last two years.*

Every year, millions of children in India become victims of some of the most unfathomable atrocities known to man. With a tender hand, they reach out for help, and we grasped it tightly with determination. Our other hand reaches out to you. We cannot do this without your charity. Help us help them.

*from CRY India Wikipedia page