In 1979, while high up in the skies, Air India purser Rippan Kapur had an epiphany that made him realise his life’s calling lay on the ground — particularly among children in underserved communities.
Today, that vision is known as CRY (Child Rights and You). Its impact has fanned out across 20 Indian states, reaching around 4.7 million children.
Their prime objective — to protect children’s rights in education, health, nutrition, and labour. The CRY model brings together parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, communities, and district and state-level governments to effect change.
Anupama Muhuri, who heads the initiative’s national volunteering programme, points to how the CRY model works.
Stating that reaching every child in India isn’t a practical goal, she says partnering with grassroots organisations makes it more realistic.
“We begin by deciding upon the pockets where we want to work.” Critical districts with a resource crunch are prioritised, she says, adding that CRY respects the local wisdom.
“We recognise that these organisations that have worked in the said area for years have a better understanding of what needs to be done on the ground.”
CRY’s role is to strengthen their resources to scale the final impact. Instead of temporary assistance, CRY strengthens the systems that cater to children and their rights, thus ensuring that change is lasting.
“Suppose we partner with an organisation that has intervention in five hamlets. CRY will assess the data of these families to check the major challenges,” she says.
Does the baseline show malnourishment in the children, child marriage, and early dropout rates? These observations are mapped against the national average. “We strive to have our averages much better than the national average. That’s our marker of success.”
Their volunteering model is flexible to allow volunteers to contribute whatever skill they possess in a manner where they can juggle their professional lives with volunteering.
CRY works with around 10,000 volunteers across India to create a tangible impact across communities. Now, you, too, can become a part of this revolution.