India
Overcoming Poverty Through Education and Livelihood Support
In rural areas of India, the harvest yields of smallholder farming households are often insufficient to feed the family. As a result, many parents are forced to migrate to large cities for periods of time to earn a little money under precarious conditions. Children often have to accompany their parents and take on poorly paid and dangerous work themselves. Consequently, they frequently drop out of school. In the Indian state of Odisha, we are therefore committed to improving the livelihoods, educational opportunities, and employment prospects of smallholder farming households—to help them overcome poverty and protect the rights of affected children.
Background
Smallholder farming families in the districts of Kalahandi and Nuapada in the eastern Indian state of Odisha face major challenges: their rice yields are well below the national average, they struggle to sell their harvest, and they have little access to government support programs. Climate change is further exacerbating the situation, as droughts and crop failures occur with increasing frequency. Poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of job opportunities force many of them to migrate every year to the big cities in other states in search of work and a livelihood. There, they do seasonal work, toil on construction sites, or make bricks. In doing so, they often live without adequate food, in makeshift shelters, and without access to basic services. In addition to these inhumane conditions, they earn very little. As a result, they quickly fall into debt.
When children accompany their parents on these forced migrations, they often have to take on poorly paid and frequently dangerous work themselves. As a result, they are left defenseless against various forms of exploitation. Attending school is out of the question for children in these places: different languages are spoken than in their home villages, and they can therefore barely communicate.
In rural regions of India, awareness of the importance of education is particularly low; the school system is poorly structured and underdeveloped. Even children who remain in the villages while their parents migrate for work often drop out of school. The lack of access to vocational training leaves young people with no prospects for the future. As a result, they are unlikely to succeed in overcoming extreme poverty.
Häufig gefragt
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Our goal is to bring about lasting improvements in the future prospects of children in need, their families, and their entire communities. Through our commitment to these children and families, we aim to make a positive difference and create lasting improvements, always guided by the principle of helping people help themselves. This enables them to exercise their rights, overcome poverty and dependency, and lead independent and self-determined lives.
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Our work is made possible by three sources of funding: sponsorships, other donations, and public funds. Our projects funded by sponsorships are designed for the long term. They are characterized by particularly close collaboration between our partner organizations in the respective project country and the local communities.
The donation-based and publicly funded projects have a shorter duration. Due to the limited timeframe, these projects require more intensive planning and support on our part.
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Our projects, which are funded through sponsorships, are designed for the long term. They are characterized by particularly close collaboration between our partner organizations in the respective project country and the local communities.
The donation-based and publicly funded projects have a shorter duration. Due to the limited timeframe, these projects require more intensive planning and support on our part.
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