In India, the NGO sector is extensive and encompasses a wide array of organisations, each dedicated to addressing distinct social issues. As part of this diverse landscape, there are NGOs that have chosen to concentrate their efforts on one of the most vulnerable and promising segments of society: children.
These organisations work diligently to provide children with access to essential services, such as education, healthcare, nutrition, and protection from harm and exploitation. They create safe spaces for children to learn, play, and grow, and they advocate for children's rights at various levels of governance.
1. Save the Children
Save the Children is a worldwide charitable organisation established in 1919. Even today, it stands as India's foremost independent non-governmental organisation dedicated to upholding the rights of children. Originating in India in 2008, registered as 'Bal Raksha Bharat,' it has positively transformed the lives of over 10.1 million (1.1 crores) children thus far. In 2018 alone, the NGO reached out to 12.03 lakh children.
Save the Children firmly believes that each child is entitled to the best prospects for a promising future. This is why they are resolutely committed to ensuring that children not only survive but also thrive. They conduct initiatives in far-flung corners of India, as well as urban areas, aiming to offer quality education, healthcare, protection against harm and abuse, and life-saving assistance during emergencies to children.
Picture courtesy: https://www.saveachildindia.com/
2. Genesis Foundation
The Genesis Foundation plays a vital role in arranging medical care for severely ailing underprivileged children afflicted with heart ailments. Their mission is to persist in rescuing the lives of numerous children aged between 0 and 18, from families with a monthly income of less than ₹10,000.
Their objective is to provide every struggling heart with an opportunity to survive. They aspire to pinpoint children in dire need of immediate medical intervention and collaborate directly with families, healthcare professionals, and caregivers.
3. CRY (Child Rights and You)
CRY was established with the aspiration to ensure happier childhoods for all children. In 1979, Rippan Kapur, an Indian Airlines purser, along with six friends and a mere ₹50, gave birth to CRY. Fast forward over four decades, CRY collaborates with 102 local NGOs spanning 19 states in India, making a positive impact on the lives of more than three million children.
At CRY, their dedication lies in the pursuit of their vision, which is to provide every child with a joyful, healthy, and imaginative childhood. This involves guaranteeing that children in projects supported by CRY have access to free and high-quality education, and primary healthcare, and are shielded from violence, exploitation, and abuse. They are also committed to decreasing the prevalence of child malnutrition and ensuring that children's voices are acknowledged in matters that affect them.
Picture courtesy: https://www.cry.org/
4. Katha
In 1988, Katha began its journey by launching a magazine for children from marginalised communities. Since then, Katha has been actively engaged in a wide range of activities spanning from basic literacy to promoting literature. Through the seamless integration of grassroots educational efforts and urban revitalisation initiatives, Katha has been instrumental in bringing access to reading and quality education to children living in poverty. Over the past 30 years, Katha has impacted the lives of more than one million children, helping them break the cycle of poverty.
Katha has implemented various programmes across the country to combat poverty.