CHILDRENthe
can turn
WORLD UPSIDE
DOWN
Anita Marande
Bal Sarpanch*, Godda district,
Jharkhand
*Chief of the children’s parliament

A little support
CAN CHANGE
MANY A LIVES

Project
Partner
CRY AMERICA
partners
SATHEE
Society for Advancement in
Tribes, Health, Education, Environment

Objective
To Ensure the
FUNDAMENTAL
RIGHTS of Women and Children by
empowering communities
and engaging children in
the process of change

Wo r k
Area
4 Districts of
JHARKHAND
Sahibgaj
Godda
Dhumka
Pakaur

Situation of the Children
RAMPANT
tion
4 6% of the popula Lowest m
eans of
verty
l ives below the po employm
ent and
line livelihoo
d
LACK OF
EDUCATION
50% Children
Have no
80% student
drop out due
inaccessible
s
to
Education schools

Situation of the Children
FIGHT FOR
SANITATION
AND SHELTER
25% village
rs did
ce s s
not have ac 84% famil
king ies have Displacements,
to safe drin no access s
water to recurring drought
toilets
and continuous
migration
THE LABOR OF
CHILDHOOD
22% children in 44% chil
working
dren 32% childr
en 43 ca
se s o f
the workforce as suffered child tr
affickin
house he
l ps sexual abuse reporte g
d

PERMANENT CHANGE
We Believe CAN BE ACHIEVED
ONLY THROUGH THE
That… Participation and
Leadership of Children

HOW A GROUP OF CHILDREN
were
CHANGE
empowered to
THEIR WORLD

…through the *
PARLIAMENT
ofCHILDREN
Agriculture
Minister
Minister
for Sports
*Bal Sansad

…by seeking

…through the
CHARIOT
ofCHILD
RIGHTS

…that created
CHILD
leaders
Through these forums, children sought answers to questions like:
• Why is our teacher so irregular?
• Why can’t girls attend school?
• Why do some of my friends work at the coal mine instead of coming to
school?

What we did
and WHAT
THAT
DID
How CRY America helped SATHEE work with these
children groups and communities to create pressure
groups and bring about change

of
Expansion * r
o
BA L Sansad t of • 500 such Sansads have been formed across
men Jharkhand
th e Parlia
Children
• 18 Sessions have been held at various levels:
village, district and state
*Parliament of Children

An Awakened Community has A voice In Decision making
Involving and
• Campaigns seeking schools closer to habitations and
Empowering reopening of non-functional schools
the Community • Simplification legal documents to ensure accountability
to seek their and transparency
Rights • Ensuring a voice for the community in the decision making
process

alth
Ensuring He • 10 sessions on Health, Nutrition and Hygiene conducted to
n
And Nutritio combat preventable diseases
• 4 Public Health Centers, 14 sub-centers, 3 referral centers
and 17 ICDS centers have been activated
• 100% registration of births
• 55 Public Distribution Centers activated with regular food
supply

ood
A secure livelih • Conversion of 200 acres into cultivable land
For the tribals • Introduced traditional methods of farming
s
Directly benefit • Created grain and seed banks in more than 75
the children villages
• Initiated collective farming across 50 villages
• Ensured emergency loans in 40 villages to combat
food shortages during lean period

g
Self-sustainin
tion
Community ac
• Advocating social audits and public hearings with local ability
government bodies For account
nment
Of the gover
• Campaigning for alternative irrigation and scientific
knowledge of agriculture methods

ory
Free, Compuls ation • 19 Primary Government Schools, 6 Residential Schools
d uc
And Quality E • 100% enrolment in primary schools across 98 villages
ensured and 76% enrolment of Girls in Schools
• 80% Cut in dropout rate
• 100% Physically Challenged children enrolled

es,
In 96% of villag
en
Children have be
or
r emoved from Lab
le d
force and enrol
in schools

Children Groups
mentum
now have the mo • A Children’s magazine published on a
with
To forge ahead quarterly basis
en t
Their own movem • 10 Bal Mela’s (Children’s Gatherings)
organized to facilitate interaction and
For rights networking among children from different
areas

nity
Now A Commu
s
of Leaders keep • Equal and adequate participation of women ensured in
of
The process 176 Gram Sabhas (Village Councils)
change alive • 500 local and traditional sef-governance bodies formed
• Several Regional Level Alliances formed: Damin Adhikar
Morcha, Damin Mahila Adhikar Morcha, Bal Adhikar
Morcha

How does
CRY AMERICA support these groups?
FINANCIAL Assistance and Management
NETWORKING with CRY partners
TRAINING and empowering community leaders
ACCOUNTABILITY and impact audits
SKILL-BUILDING among teachers, health workers…
MANAGEMENTPlanning, Implementation, Evaluation

Do you want to
EMPOWER CHILDREN
TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS?
Visit www.america.cry.org to
support our campaign for Child Rights