The CARC “Children and Adolescent Resource Centre” project will support 120 children (ages 11-18 years) who are at risk of dropping out of school and are prone to child marriage, trafficking and child labour, by providing child-friendly teaching techniques and workshops to ensure access to uninterrupted schooling.

The lack of family support and poverty has increased the likelihood for these children to join the workforce, especially when coming from poor families by which they feel the strong urge to bring income into their families.

Through positive learning, these children and their caregivers will retain motivation about education and will understand the true value of their future. This in turn will enhance their decision-making process for them to choose education over early marriage and child labour.

The project endorses a transformation perspective by encouraging and working with these children to support them and their caregivers. We will do so by creating fun and safe spaces to play and learn as well as reconnect with education, with necessary confidence. The project will include life skill sessions, online learning, trauma counselling, awareness on education, in addition to sports, theater and art-based activities. Parental group sessions will also take place to build knowledge around issues related to children. By that, we will promote education among these children, with the aim of mitigating child labour and early marriage.

The project will work on promoting the importance of education amongst parents and communities and improve the quality of education through child-friendly teaching techniques and encouraging parental involvement in children’s schooling.

1. Retain motivation levels and positivity about education amongst children such that they continue schooling without dropping out of the system.

2. Build the agency of children to promote well-being and confidence to pursue their aspirations during this critical time and period of their lives.

3. Enable transformation of parents and caregivers with regard to the importance and value of protecting their children.

4. Enable informed and aware community vigilance and action to protect children.

5. Influence government mechanisms to function optimally for the care and protection of children at all levels from slum to state.

Pratham Education Foundation In 2011, the elected NGO by SmallWorld was the Pratham Education Foundation which works with children aging between three and eleven. The NGO works on basic academic support in language, math, and English. The SmallWorld funds were pumped into the foundation’s budget in order to ensure a bigger reach to the neediest beneficiaries.