Kinderpostzegels has been working in South Asia since the 1970s. In 2022, we launched the Two Feet Ahead Together program in India, working with local partners.
India is the most populous country in the world. As many as 42% of the population is under 24 years old. That's about 764 million young people. Unfortunately, many children face difficult circumstances.
- Many children work instead of going to school
- Discrimination based on their caste and gender
- Many girls are married before their 18th birthday
We work with children and their communities to ensure they have a good childhood. We help them get a good education, understand their children's rights, and strengthen their resilience and mental well-being. While many problems cannot be eliminated, we help children to deal with difficult situations resiliently. This gives them more opportunities for the future.
Poverty is often the cause of many problems. Many children go to school without breakfast, and there is no money for school supplies. The risk of dropping out of school early is high. Girls often marry young due to limited future opportunities or family pressure. Boys often start working young to earn money for the family.
Would you like to know more about the results and impact of our program in India?
Two feet forward together
Since 2022, our Two Feet Ahead Together program has been making a big difference in the lives of tens of thousands of children in India. Our local partners work in the poorest areas in three states in East India: Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar. Children aged 8 – 18 meet daily in peer groups, where they learn, dance, play sports, do crafts, and discuss topics important to them. If one of them gets into trouble, for example, if a girl is forced to marry, the entire group takes action. Most of the time, they manage to convince the parents to postpone the marriage and allow the girl to continue her schooling. Schools are made safer and more child-friendly, and teachers are trained in methodologies for social-emotional learning.
Children's wallet
Children want to help each other
Thanks to the Children’s Wallet, children can now also take action to implement improvements in their village, such as clean drinking water, school vegetable gardens, and street lighting, so that girls are safe at night. Children set up places where they can safely gather, take the initiative to clean up waste, plant trees, and create protected bathing areas where girls can bathe undisturbed.
The story of...
ANSHU (17)
Door problemen thuis vond Anshu het heel moeilijk om zich op school te kunnen concentreren. Ze raakte steeds eenzamer en teruggetrokken.
Dankzij de hulp van onze lokale partner in India heeft zij samen met andere meisjes een flinke boost in haar zelfvertrouwen gekregen. Anshu is nu echt een voorbeeld voor alle kinderen in haar dorp en mocht zelfs op bezoek bij de Nederlandse ambassadeur in New Delhi. Daar mocht zij haar inspirerende verhaal vertellen, een geweldige ervaring!
Rambha (19)
Rambha komt uit een arm gezin. Haar ouders Ondanks de moeilijke omstandigheden thuis is ze altijd nieuwsgierig en leergierig geweest. In haar omgeving is weinig goede scholing. Kinderen kunnen niet naar school en er zijn weinig goede leraren.
Ze besloot niet te wachten op verandering, maar zelf in actie te komen. Tijdens de zomervakantie begon ze met het geven van bijles aan 12 kinderen, sommige van hen herkenden nog niet eens letters. Inmiddels kunnen 8 van hen lezen en schrijven!
Anjali (17)
Anjali ging al even niet meer naar school. Haar familie heeft weinig geld en hadden haar hulp thuis hard nodig.
Toen haar lokale Child club haar afwezigheid opmerkten hebben ze direct aan de bel getrokken. Samen met onze partner YDCA hebben ze haar ouders kunnen overtuigen hoe belangrijk het is dat ze naar school bleef gaan. Daarbij kreeg ze toegang tot een beurs en studiematerialen waardoor naar school gaan toch weer mogelijk is!
