Education and Child Rights

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Considering the poor literacy rates among the tribal community and the negligible government support for primary education, this program was initiated in two villages, focusing on child rights education and community mobilization. It ultimately led to the establishment of these non formal education (NFE) centres, which were handed over to the government to operate as recognized schools. By the end of the project, there were 68 such centres with a total enrollment of about 5,000 children, comprising 36% girls and 64% boys, with 94% of the students being from tribal backgrounds.

With a focus on the school education sector, the Mahila Shiksha Karmi Project has successfully trained 102 women from the same community to become teachers. After completing three years of training, these women returned to their villages to establish schools that promote child rights education. This initiative aimed at community mobilization involved identifying, motivating, and training local youth from their own villages, encouraging them to advocate for primary education and to teach young children. A comprehensive five-year training program was developed, specifically for women to become qualified teachers in government-aided schools. Currently, about 100 teachers are employed across 33 schools in the district, contributing significantly to non-formal education.

The project focused on promoting child rights education by providing quality education to young children through community mobilization. Local youth were identified and trained to work as teachers. For those young children who had left school, informal education classes were offered to help them catch up with their peers. The project also explored school mapping and improved teaching methods to enhance non formal education.

The project was initiated with a clear purpose to reduce child labor and ensure that all children aged 6-14 are receiving child rights education through community mobilization and the strengthening of child protection structures in the district. A total of 171 Gram Panchayat level Child Protection Committees (GP CPC) have been formed and oriented to protect the rights of children and prevent child labor. These GP CPCs cover approximately 606 villages in Dungarpur District. Around 2,300 Self-Help Groups (SHGs), comprising about 40,000 members, have been educated on child rights and the importance of ensuring their children receive formal education. The SHGs organized special meetings to address this issue and encouraged every member to identify two additional families to help prevent child labor concerns. Furthermore, SHG members are responsible for ensuring that the children in these families attend school regularly, thereby creating a network of approximately 200,000 families free from child labor, where children are actively pursuing education. A total of around 3,500 children were identified as non-school-going, with 2,700 enrolled in various schools. PEDO’s team has made presentations in 163 Gram Sabhas addressing child labor and the Right to Education Act. A template for the School Development Plan has been prepared and discussed for implementation. PEDO is maintaining contact with 1,536 School Management Committees to facilitate the implementation of these School Development Plans. SHG leaders play a crucial role in identifying vulnerable families and children, while the SHG federation leaders are tasked with sustaining the grassroots-level institutions (GP CPC) that advocate for child rights education. These concerted efforts in community mobilization have led to the declaration of 100 villages as free from child labor, where all children are attending school regularly. Additionally, the delivery system of social protection schemes has been improved, focusing on identifying the right candidates for benefits and linking them to various programs. Approximately 3,500 families have been connected to different social protection schemes, significantly enhancing the lives of the children within these families.

The project aims to reduce deprivation and vulnerability of children through a Child Sensitive Social Protection approach, while also promoting child rights education. Implemented in 37 revenue villages across 9 Panchayats of Bicchiwara and Dungarpur Blocks, the initiative connects children and their caregivers to social protection schemes that benefit orphans, physically challenged individuals, female students, and children living without one or both parents. This ensures maximum benefits from these provisions. Vulnerable children were identified through mapping methods, confirming that the advantages of the schemes effectively reach them. Community mobilization efforts included exploring various communication tools to engage with children and their parents. As a result, approximately 2500 children received benefits from this initiative. During Self-help Group meetings, proper parenting tips were shared, alongside efforts to ensure the enrollment and regular attendance of young children in schools, including non formal education options. All SHG members committed to ensuring that children receive proper education and healthcare. Schools were also included in the program's scope, with special camps organized to encourage school attendance, leading to the enrollment of 426 children who had never previously attended school.