Investing in their potential today is Child Rights and You, who want to see these young ones become scientists, politicians, sportspeople, journalists, and teachers of tomorrow.
PNS| HYDERABAD
Only 2.46% of the 2021–22 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; this has been stagnant at 0.43% of GDP for the last two years. Then, according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified by India in 1992, all children have fundamental rights that must be recognised by governments and citizens alike. At this foundation, they are committed to doing everything they can to ensure the rights of children, and so they work on four key programmatic areas.
John, who joined CRY in 1997 as a part of the Development Support team and later went on to take on the role of Director for the South region, believes that children’s rights to life, dignity, health, nutrition, education, and security are paramount above everything else and that India will be high on the development matrix only when the children are thriving. He shares, “A quality education not only builds knowledge, capabilities, life skills, and values amongst children but also develops their creative, social, and emotional abilities. It is
crucial for their cognitive and personal development, including critical thinking and problem-solving. I believe that every child should be able to go to school and complete their education without any discrimination based on gender, caste, or socioeconomic status. A child’s early years are the foundation for developing their future learning abilities.”
Research says that 80% of a child’s brain is developed by the age of 3, which makes early childhood education an essential building block of a child’s future success. The South region director of CRY further highlights, “Proper nutrition and quality primary healthcare is
essential for a child’s physical, mental, and cognitive development. A timely, regular, and adequate intake of essential nutrition is necessary from the time of conception itself to avoid long-term and, in some cases, irreversible damage to the child’s health. I believe that no child should suffer from malnutrition or poor health. Our health and nutrition programmes adopt a preventative and responsive approach towards reducing malnourishment as well as the infant mortality rate, child mortality rate, and maternal mortality rate by connecting communities to government services, schemes, and benefits.”
Proper and timely care for expectant as well as lactating mothers is crucial for a child’s healthy development. Quality prenatal care that reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, institutional deliveries that aid healthy live births, and regular postnatal check-ups that encourage breastfeeding are key areas of intervention. They support the government duty-bearers in their efforts to provide health services to expecting mothers for their prenatal and postnatal care.
“All children are vulnerable to neglect, violence, and abuse, but marginalisation further compounds such vulnerability. Exposure to unsafe environments can negatively impact the physical, emotional, mental, and social development of a child, and the damage is often permanent. I believe that building a safe environment for all children, until the age of 18, is critical to protecting them from abuse and exploitation,” states John.
According to the International Labour Organisation, child labour is generally defined as the practice of children prematurely leading adult lives, working long hours for low wages under hazardous conditions, often separated from their families, and deprived of meaningful educational opportunities. It deprives children of their childhood and robs them of their dignity. The endeavour is to work with the community to eliminate the practice at the village level while simultaneously ensuring that children go to school instead of work.
Putting some light on their programmes, he shares, “Children have a right to be heard and their opinions considered by the adults around them. Every child should have the agency to speak out and/or act on the issues that affect them. It’s not only important for their mental and emotional development but also fosters a high degree of self-esteem and self-belief. I believe that all children have the potential to be agents of change and the ability to hold dialogue on the things that matter to them. Our child participation programmes focus on building children’s collectives as peer support groups and engaging with the children to build their awareness of child rights issues.”
CRY was born out of a dream to ensure happier childhoods for all children. In 1979, Rippan Kapur, an Indian Airlines purser, started CRY with six friends and just Rs. 50. Today, over four decades later, CRY works with 102 local NGOs across 19 states in India and has impacted the lives of over 3 million children. Apart from India, CRY has a presence in the US and UK to ensure that the stories of children are heard and to garner support from corporations and individuals based in those countries. Imagine what the future could hold if each one of us came together to support every child’s right to a happy childhood because even the smallest acts of kindness and generosity make a big difference!
They also addressed children’s critical needs by working with parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, communities, district and state-level governments, as well as the children themselves.
The organisation focuses on changing behaviours and practises at the grassroots level and influencing public policy at a systemic level to create an environment where children are the priority.
