Summary

Children in Kharagpur's poorest communities are at risk of
dropping out of school, child labour and child marriage. School drop-outs are
left illiterate and unable to lift themselves out of poverty. Barnamala
Educational and Cultural Society education project runs after-school classes in
the heart of our communities, providing remedial education, child protection,
nutrition, sport and cultural activities. This successful project keeps
children in school and provides vital support to ensure they are safe and
literate.

Challenge

One in four school-age children in India are out of school.
There are over 10 million child laborers and 4.5 million girls under 15 are
married with children. These problems are especially acute in Kharagpur's
squatter communities. Parents are illiterate, making a living from rag picking
or other informal occupations. Boys mostly drop out of school at 10 and end up
as child labourers and girls are married off at puberty, perpetuating the cycle
of poverty and illiteracy.

Solution

An educated child stays away from an early marriage and is
empowered to stand up against exploitation. Barnamala Educational and Cultural
Society will provide 600 extremely vulnerable children with year-round remedial
after-school coaching 5 days a week. Besides ensuring literacy, we provide
nutrition, sports coaching and computer classes. A child protection programme
addresses adults and children within each target community. Classes are held in
our own centres in the heart of our target "rag picker" communities.

Long-Term Impact

Education is considered to be the best tool to break the
inter-generational cycle of abuse, malnutrition, poverty and oppression. By
putting education and child protection at the centre of community life, we
expect whole communities to see a rise in literacy and reductions in child
labour and early marriage. Immediate benefits today to the 600 children and
3000 family members will flow to many thousands of indirect beneficiaries in
the wider community and in future generations.