CRY IN ACTION2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5

Dear Friend,

When Rippan Kapur and his friends started CRY in 1979, they were clear about one thing – change could only come about through collective participation. They were convinced that without YOU, there would be no CRY. Even today, over three decades later, that has remained unchanged. We continue to rely on you to take a stand for child rights.

Your support holds the key to a child’s future. For instance, your participation makes all the di�erence to a girl child in Kalighat, Kolkata, who will either be coerced into a life of sexual slavery or become a con�dent, educated adult in a career of her choice. That’s because, through CRY, you are lending a hand to CRY-supported project Diksha, an organisation that works in the red-light areas of Kalighat.

Since 1994, Diksha has been working steadily to stop the inevitable cycle of abuse and sexual slavery that was rampant in Kalighat. The team set about rewriting the norm in an inclusive manner, where the community itself took on the role of a teacher. With support and guidance, the community

was empowered to spearhead the much-needed change; with the result that today there are no second-generation sex workers in Kalighat.

Stop by Kalighat today, and you will �nd young people from the community who work with Diksha. Alert, con�dent and articulate, they are the custodians of the community’s future. No more stigmatised by their past, the children participate eagerly in their own education, form children’s groups and engage with people inside and outside the community.

Diksha owes its success as much to you and your contributions, as to its leaders. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “We must become the change we wish to see in the world.” If change has been possible in an area like Kalighat, it’s because YOU ARE THE CHANGE.

In this issue of ‘CRY in Action’, we are proud to share your stories of how YOU - our donors, supporters and well wishers - have actively participated in our work with children. We hope that it will inspire many others as well as serve as a

reminder of what is possible when people come together to make a di�erence.

Thank you for your unstinted support.

Puja Marwaha Chief Executive CRY – Child Rights and You.

You Are The Change

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You Contribute To Lives

In terms of age and seniority, I’m what they call a ‘senior citizen’, but my mind and heart beg to di�er. I feel young at heart. I want to do something to make a di�erence, especially when it concerns children. They are our future, and I feel it is my duty, our duty, to nurture them. My body sometimes cannot keep up with everything I want to do, but I don’t let it stop me. If not time and e�ort, I can surely contribute money to CRY, and so reach out to those who need my help the most.

- Mrs. Tarunima Gupta Donor, West Bengal

Sure, I would contribute money to CRY, but I felt I wasn’t doing enough. So I convinced a few of my friends and business associates to make a contribution as well. As they say, many drops make an ocean. But honestly, once again, I felt that there was more that I could do. I am not one of those who can give a donation and feel satis�ed. I wanted to get involved, so my friends and I started visiting the projects that we supported and interacting with the children to get a �rst hand view of what our support meant. Now, I feel connected to the children and to what my contribution means to them.

- Mr. Vijay Shah Donor, Mumbai

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You Get InvolvedWe also got a glimpse of the stringent monitoring and reporting that’s done at any CRY-supported project through the meticulously maintained anganwadi register. We returned with a new respect for the work and have pledged to continue our support to the cause.”

Parthasarathi Changdar CSR ManagerAkzo Nobel,Corporate partner

You Brighten Up Spaces“When we �rst visited the Anganwadi centre at Notchikuppam in Santhome, Chennai, last year, we were in for a surprise. The makeshift structure constructed with asbestos and tin was dingy, with paint peeling from the walls. There were no proper lights and fans, and educational aids were few and far between. How were the children expected to study here, we wondered?

A group of us from the company got together and decided to give the centre a makeover. We cleaned the rooms, �xed lights and fans, and gave the walls a bright coat of paint. We planted �owering plants outside the centre for an added splash of colour. Our most memorable moment was when we presented the children with enough stationery to last a year. The delight on their face was something we carried home with us.

This experience brought us together as a team, and also awakened us to the joy of service. We cannot wait to

come back again this year.”

Jayadev V. NairSenior Sourcing Manager- India & South East Asia,Newell Rubbermail, Corporate partner

You Rise Up To The Challenge“When we made the decision to work with children in Jammu and Kashmir through CRY, we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy road. The constant state of unrest, the unexpected volatile atmosphere and harsh terrain make it a di�cult backdrop against which to ensure children get access to their rights. But it was the inherent challenge that strengthened our resolve to work with underprivileged children in Jammu & Kashmir to help them realise their full potential and lead a better life.

We recognise that the scope is vast, so we’ve been open to newer and bigger challenges. Whether it’s rehabilitation

during �oods or the setting up of Child Activity centres, trauma-counseling sessions, health camps and reactivation work, we venture beyond our area of intervention. We’ve also taken on long-term goals through CRY to improve the overall education and health system in the state by supporting a study to analyse gaps and suggest improvements.”

- Pooja Khan Associate Director – Corporate Communications, PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd., Corporate partner

“We joined hands with CRY as a corporate partner, because we wanted to make a di�erence beyond just signing a cheque, we wanted to understand exactly how our money goes into making a di�erence, so we took our entire team to visit CRY-supported project, Saksham in Delhi. It was an eye-opening experience for all of us. We had read about the work that they do, but when we walked around the project and interacted with the people there, we gained a more meaningful understanding of the work. We saw �rst hand the challenges the children face, their hopes and aspirations and how they persevere in the face of opposition.

,

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“Each one of us has also been through numerous instances of witnessing child labour and abuse. Young boys working at tea-stalls, young girls working as house-maids. We turn our eyes away from this bitter truth. Child abuse is not physical exploitation alone, but exploitation of the rights of these children to live a happy childhood, to be able to go to school. So every time we are direct or indirect employers, we are responsible for child labour and abuse.

A famous quote says, "The biggest problem is that we do not think there is a problem”. I wanted to show everyone how disturbing the truth is - how tomorrow's India is sleeping on streets. These children, who we call the future of India, are being devoid of opportunities for education. It is an issue that impedes a developed India, and more importantly, an issue of grave concern on humanitarian grounds. Where every citizen should have been a changemaker in the country, each one of them has turned a blind eye to the issue, whilst taking our own comforted lives and privileges for granted.

After completing a full marathon, and several cycling rides, I was zealous to

You Ride For Children’s Rightsful�ll my hunger for peace within myself - this peace could only emanate from the knowledge that I had put all my e�orts, pushed myself to the extremes and done something worthwhile for the cause I believed in.

This is how the cross-country Kolkata to Mumbai 2500km cycle journey came about. People would call me 'mad', call the task 'impossible', show the shortcomings of me not being a 'trained athlete'. But I was determined, and the fact that I was just an ordinary guy was not a hindrance, but a motivation to me. That if I can do something like this, so can you, so can everyone.

From the cycling trip, I was able to raise funds, cover several stories and raise awareness which was ampli�ed through media, and word-of-mouth. What everyone saw as an extraordinary feat, to me was a challenge that I had to complete being just an ordinary guy, just so that everyone who constricts their e�orts and puts limitations to his or her own self, can understand

that there are no bounds to human potential and our ability to bring about change.

It was a change within me on several levels and phases. Through the times

where sweat beads would �ow from our brows to our chins through the grueling day of 45 centigrade summer heat and cycling e�ort, to the times where we would be greeted by hospitable locals and children who resonated excitement and enthusiasm in our e�orts; I enjoyed everything alike. The diverse terrain and people were enchanting and so incredible, that I was always energetic to keep pushing every day. At the same time, I would witness the di�erent and diverse issues regarding child rights plaguing the society, each place infested with its own typical problems - from lack of teacher attendance in schools and ine�ective implementation of midday meals, to lack of opportunities, grave poverty and child labour and abuse among underprivileged sections of the society. All these prodded me to keep moving with more ardor and zeal, to really bring about a change in such an abysmal state of a�air.

Now at the end of the trip, my mind wanders, to questions like did I bring about a change, to answers that each

one of us has to stand up and �ght for a developed country. And while my mind wanders, my heart is back to yearning for the peace again, the peace I found doing something worthwhile for someone else, for a cause I believed in, for a better country. It is an e�ort that should never stop, it is a spirit that should never die, and it is a goal we should not stop before we reach it.”

- Ujjawal Chauhan Volunteer, Kolkata

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“When I joined CRY in 2011, my interests were purely professional. My goal as a law student was to gain practical experience in the development sector. But soon enough, it became personal for me, and long after my internship ended, I continued to volunteer with CRY.

My �rst visit to an anganwadi located in the slums of Bangalore, evoked both excitement and despair. I was exhilarated to have the opportunity to visit a marginalised community on my own, but I was dismayed to see children crammed into a tiny space. Worse, the anganwadi was adjacent to a drain. In

You Champion Our Cause another anganwadi, I found rats running around sacks of ration stored to feed children. These experiences during my internship drew me to the ‘rights based’ approach to social change (as championed by CRY) as opposed to a ‘relief based’ approach.

As a volunteer, I took part in street plays and saw �rst hand the monumental e�ect it had in raising awareness in the community. Personally, as well, it played a huge part in ridding me of stage fright. However, my most memorable experience as a volunteer was of working alongside a CRY representative to set up an

“I was part of a 10-person team that conducted an in-depth Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) survey in Delhi among employers who hire children as labourers, either as helpers in tea stalls, mechanical workshops or in their homes. As part of our survey, I visited the slums in West Delhi, and was struck by the cramped living conditions and struggle for survival. I was glad that there are

NGOs like Saksham and CRY that reach out to them. The survey was physically, mentally and emotionally challenging, but the experience was totally worth it. The memories of their faces are something I will always take with me. The results of our survey were released at a press conference in Delhi and received overwhelming media coverage. I’m glad my e�orts helped spotlight the

“Enrolling children in school is easy. Getting them to stay in school is the challenge. In the CRY-supported project, Aakar, the community is made up of homeless people in North Mumbai and it’s a challenge we’ve faced for a while. If there’s a festival or a function, the children immediately drop out and do unskilled labour to earn money. We tackled this challenge by accompanying the children to school every day, and it made a dramatic di�erence to the

attendance in school. We also started a weekend fun activity for the children, to boost their interest in school. Today, after two years of steadfast e�ort, the children have begun to reciprocate. They eagerly wait for us to arrive and joyfully participate in the programme.”

- Malvika Saini Volunteer, Mumbai

“When we met 7-year-old Naveen, he was a school dropout who drifted aimlessly in Notchikuppam, a �shing hamlet near the Marina Beach in Chennai. His father was a �sherman, but also struggled with alcoholism. We worked at convincing his mother about the importance of education. While she was keen that he go to school, Naveen himself seemed indi�erent. We didn’t give up but continued persuading and encouraging him. We shared with him the importance of education and the joy of going to school. Our e�orts bore fruit fruit and he �nally agreed.

We then approached the Head Master, who at �rst refused to enroll him as classes had already begun. However, when he heard Naveen’s story, he decided to give him a chance. Naveen is now a happy school-goer. His mother is extremely happy that her son is back in school.”

- Abirami Ramdoss, Shruti Mishra Volunteers, Chennai

anganwadi in Yeshwantpur.”

- Anjali Shivanand Volunteer, Bangalore

“‘Humney socha nahin tha ki humari beti phir se school ja sakegi’. (We never thought our daughter would go to school again), said the mother of 10-year-old Rina, as her daughter packed her bag.

It was a statement that echoed through Bellilious Lane in Howrah, Kolkata, an area that was plagued with a high rate of school dropouts, working children and children who didn’t go to school.

As CRY volunteers, when we stepped in to take stock of the situation, we realised that we’d have to tackle the issue on several di�erent levels. First, we started weekly sessions with children, where we made learning fun again

through craft, songs, dance and games. Next, we worked at building a rapport with parents and the community. Most often, it’s the lack of awareness or interest from the parents that somehow a�ects the children. Our next task was to make a list of government schools in the area, and contact the authorities to �nd out procedures for re-admission of dropouts.

We then took on the toughest challenge yet: convincing the children and their parents of the importance of formal education. After several denials, dismissals and disappointments, we succeeded in changing their perspective. 10 children who had dropped out, were now back in school.

A small victory for us, but a bigger triumph for a bright student like Rina.”

- Lalit Mundhra, Shreya Upadhyay Pallavi Roy and Shubham Killa Volunteers, Kolkata

challenges that child labourers face.”

- Anisha Shekhar Volunteer, Delhi

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“When we started coaching boys from the slum in Vysarpardi, an area inhabited primarily by marginalised Dalits, we had an unlikely spectator in the stands. It was a young girl called Shakti, who had an uncommon passion for football. A passion that was equally matched by her desire to excel in the classroom.

Seeing her interest and unmistakable talent for the game, we invited her to train alongside the boys and her eyes shone as she raced after the ball and scored goal after goal, demolishing stereotypes and myths about girls and sport.

Unfortunately for Shakti, the economics of survival got in the way. In order to support her family’s meager income, she was forced to drop out of school and her beloved football training, and join a �sh-packing company where she worked long hours until her �ngers bled.

We decided to intervene. Along with the support of her parents, the local school and the community, we worked ceaselessly to get her back to school and to the game she loved. We stood by her in the face of challenges over the years. Today, she is the shining star in her community, a strong, con�dent young lady, a leader and a beacon of strength for other women, with a dizzying list of achievement that belies her tender years:

1. She is the �rst graduate in her family and has completed her B.Sc. She is currently pursuing an LLB through distance education.

2. She is the �rst girl child in her family to cross 18 years and break away from Child Marriage

3. She has been part of the Chennai district Football team and has played more than 20 district level matches and 2 state level matches

4. She has represented the Indian team in the International Match for Slum children in Paris (France)

5. She was selected to be Tamil Nadu woman referee in 2012 by the Tamil Nadu Football Association and has now refereed more than 90 matches

Not content with changing her own fortunes, Shakti today is leading the way in her community, uplifting others and helping raise them out of the cycle of poverty, deprivation and discrimination.

1. Shakti has coached more than 100 children in football in Vyasarpadi

2. She has directly mentored 11 other girl children from her community towards selection into the district and state football team.

3. She has prevented 2 child marriages in the nick of time

4. She spends a great deal of time in her area with girl children, sensitising them on education and against child marriage.

5. She conducts sessions with the children of her area every week helping them to talk about their

problems and deal with their issues.

As Shakti herself says, “As I started playing along with the boys … I gained tremendous courage. The assertiveness I had to show on the �eld also started re�ecting in my life. I was able to stand up to to my father who wanted me to discontinue playing, and also to society, who didn’t approve of girls playing a male sport.

As a child, I used to fear even to walk alone to the next street. Now I have travelled to France and stayed with a team of people who do not understand Tamil. Now, I take students to di�erent places for selections. I don’t fear travelling alone.”

- Master Thangaraj, CRY-supported

project partner, Slum Children Sports Talents Education Development Society (SCSTEDS)

You Give Children Wings

“When my son, Srinijoy, turned 10, I wanted to celebrate the milestone in a special way. So at the start of the year, I decided that I would run marathons across Asia and raise money to support underprivileged children who might not have all the bene�ts that I was giving my own child. My logic was simple: Working for child rights is like running a marathon. It is long and demanding. There are no short cuts. But there are milestones that are passed one step at a time. With sweat and a smile. You only have to take the �rst step, however big or small, and in whatever way you can.

I decided that the amount of money I donated would be proportional to the distance I ran. And I sure ran a lot that year. I participated in a whopping 27

You Do The Impossibleraces, in spite of being laid up with an injury for 4 months. I donated the proceeds of the races to CRY to ensure a better life for underprivileged children.”

- Siddharth Ghosh Donor, Thailand

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You Stand Up For What’s Right“I was abandoned by my husband shortly after my third child was born. I was not even 18 years old at that time. I had my whole life in front of me and three children to raise. I did not allow myself to lose hope. I pulled myself together and went back to school to complete my education. All around me, I saw my community su�er immense deprivation. Children were dying from malnutrition and starvation. I got together with other tribal women and starting working for their rights. I was given a nominal honorarium for my work by the Community Based Organisation (CBO), which helped me make ends me.

During this time, CRY awarded me a fellowship, which helped me expand my work to 13 villages in the Dabhora block of Rewa district. In 2007, along with the support of the community and CRY, we formed Samaj Chetna Adhikar Manch (SCAM) to ensure the rights of the community. Any child right and human right violations were reported to National and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights. Due to our tireless crusades, we ensured that the marginalised communities received the state support that was due to them.

in the District Child Protection Unit of Latur. Our team member, Savita Kulkarni, will work together with the Women and Child Development and the Child Welfare Committee to address the existing gaps in the system. Another major achievement has been that all our community organisers have become part of the Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC) in the village level under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) programme. The team has initiated a dialogue with di�erent government stakeholders such as Child Welfare Committee, Juvenile Justice Board, District Rehabilitation Committee,

Child Labour Eradication Task Force, District Child Protection Committee, Special Juvenile Police Unit and Child Welfare Police O�cer to understand their roles and how to collaborate e�ectively.

All this has resulted in a sense of unshakeable strength and optimism in the team. One that will help empower villages to make sure that their children get what is rightfully theirs.”

- BP Suryavanshi CRY- supported project partner, Kalapandhari Magaswargiya Adivasi Gramin Vikas Sansthan (KMAGVS)

You Make Children’s Dreams Come Truealong with our seasoned team, we built on our own understanding and engaged with the child protections systems at all levels. Third, we used Kalapathak – a cultural group - to work on the behaviour of the community. Lastly, we primed the media and advocacy stakeholders to lobby for proper implementation of programmes and services at the village, district and state level.

As a result of our concerted e�orts, Kalapandhari Magaswargiya

Adivasi Gramin Vikas Sansthan was nominated as a representative

“For 13 years now, we’ve worked alongside CRY in making a di�erence in our communities in Latur. Research had shown that the critical issue in Latur was the issue of child protection both at the state and national Level. With this premise, we worked on an in-depth programme approach on protection. First, we built on our existing body of work on education and linked it to address issues of p r o t e c t i o n . Second,

In 2013, I was awarded the Alex Memorial Award for my work in the area of Malnutrition, Environment, Education and Land rights. I’ve come a long way from a destitute, abandoned woman, but when I see the injustice that my community faces, I know that I cannot stop until justice is served.”

– Siyadulari Adivasi CRY Research Fellow, Madhya Pradesh

You Give With An Open Heart “At NYK Line India Pvt. Ltd., it is our mission to improve and enhance the quality of life and sustainability of the community. Health and nutrition are our key focus areas, and as a result, we found a perfect �t in the CRY-supported project, Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA).

We were convinced to join forces with CRY because of their operational transparency, the concise and structured nature of their impact measurement and reporting and the �exibility they provided to actually visit

and see for ourselves the work being done within the community we were sponsoring.

We hope that we can grow our partnership to other remote yet deserving areas of the country.”

- Malini Nair Associate General Manager

“At Kamaniya, our faith in CRY extends beyond mere funding. We are strong ambassadors of CRY and are always ready to spread the word

about the work, because, like CRY, we believe that health and education is an absolute right for all children. We believe better education and good health for children can give us a better society. The e�orts that we all put in together will help us achieve these goals.”

- Subrata

“At CRY, our donors and supporters are our strength. They play a very special role in our story. The Late Mr. K P Augustine is one such individual, to whom we would like to extend our

heartfelt acknowledgement and gratitude for the trust placed in us. He has generously supported our activities by donating Rs.38,87,334 through part proceeds from his will. His contribution will go a long way in bringing about a positive and permanent change in the lives of children.”

- CRY Team

Yes, I believe all children should have the right to a childhood. My donation amount is: `3,600 - Ensure 5 children get access to proper healthcare `7,200 - Ensure 6 children are out of malnutrition with proper care `12,000 - Ensure 6 children are out of child labour and enrolled in schools `40,000 - Ensure an entire village is child labour free ` - Yes I want to ensure a happy childhood

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