Supporting disadvantaged children and families in India

The project is carried out by VRO India (Village Reconstruction Organisation) in Perecherla in the state of Andrah Pradesh in India. In the area around Perecherla, around 2700 people with more than 500 children in 750 families are supported in ten settlements. The people are migrant workers, they work in quarries and live there in inhumane conditions. Most are Adivasis who belong to former Indian tribes or people who are either casteless or belong to disadvantaged castes. The VRO has been supporting these people for many years with numerous support programs.

The project supports the two focal points

     a) Activities to support the children, such as daily tutoring in the children’s native language by specially trained teachers. A caregiver takes care of school registration, regular school attendance and school development, because the parents are often not able to do this. Monthly parents' evenings are organized for parents on various topics such as education, school development and children's rights. The health development of the children is also regularly taken care of. With sports activities, children's camps and in the children's parliament, the children can develop self-confidence and take on social responsibility.
     b) Support for the people in the villages. The aim is to strengthen the village community and economy and also to ensure and advocate that rights and subsidies from government agencies (e.g. ration cards, widows' pensions, unemployment benefits) are claimed. There are also, for example, self-help groups and small loans that women can use to build a new economic opportunity and livelihood.

The project finances the personnel costs of the local volunteers as well as all material resources such as school supplies.