Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world and the most effective way to break out of the cycle of poverty. Yet, millions of children remain out-of-school in India. Before the COVID-19 crisis, 6 million children were out of school. When the pandemic struck, school closures impacted the education of 247 children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools. These children are not only deprived of their right to receive a quality education, but they lose their childhood by being pushed into child labor and early marriages.

The government, through the Right to Education Act, 2009, has been making its way in enrolling and retaining children in school, especially from the marginalized sector. However, any progress made had been hampered by the pandemic. While online education replaced regular classes, students from vulnerable communities without access to smartphones and the internet were left behind. Two years of school closures in India resulted in a huge learning gap.

The Power of NGOs

Whenever there is a major imbalance, NGOs exist to balance the see-saw in times of crises. NGOs like SDEWSS play a significant role in ensuring that every child, especially those from vulnerable communities, receives the opportunity to build a better future through education. Organizations such as SDEWSS, Save the Children, World Vision, UNICEF, Cry etc in India work at the grass-root level to strengthen the education system, spread awareness about the importance of education and enroll as many children as possible so they can thrive in life.

SDEWSS is an NGO that works in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha to send the most vulnerable and underprivileged children back to school and empower them to break the cycle of poverty. As well as ensure that the education of children from such communities continues in the midst of the pandemic.

NGO works through contributions and you too can support an NGO and change a child’s life forever. While supporting a cause, your donation is eligible for tax benefit under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. When you donate to an NGO like SDEWSS, you help in the following ways:

Enrolment
NGOs work towards identifying the most vulnerable children in the poorest states of India. Due to inaccessibility and poverty and in times of humanitarian crisis – children miss out on school. SDEWSS helps enroll children in school under the Right to Education Act (RTE), and ensure that children who have dropped out of school as a result of the pandemic, are re-enrolled in school. As of September 2022, 1081 children have been re-enrolled in school as schools across the country start to re-open.

Awareness and Counseling
Through workshops and various activities, awareness is generated amongst parents and local communities about the importance of education. SDEWSS also conducts regular counseling sessions to encourage parents to send their children especially girls to school and help them participate in various activities.

Management Committees
SDEWSS forms School Management Committees comprising teachers, students and parents to help them get involved in the development of children and schools.

Skill-Development Workshops
Learning activities, sports and school committees help children in personality development and leadership. SDEWSS conducts multiple activities in schools that help them learn their rights, build skills and develop confidence.

Quality Education
To receive a quality education, other elements play a major role. SDEWSS helps in proper implementation of the Right to Education Act in schools across India, train teachers, strengthen school infrastructure, provide books and other learning materials to children and schools in need.

Mohalla Classes

Since the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in students without access to online education being unable to continue with their education, SDEWSS set up 194 Mohalla (neighborhood) Classes so that students could continue to learn. With support from community mobilizes and volunteers who would help in the set up and teach students, a total of 5431 children benefitted from the Mohalla Classes.

When we work together, we can benefit the lives of even more children and empower them with a quality education. You can be a part of this change. A monthly contribution can help families break out of poverty. When millions of children are out-of-school, contributions from generous individuals like you can make their dream of going to school a reality. From 2020 till 2022, SDEWSS helped over 13,000 children in India. You too can help children build a better future for themselves and our nation.

Donate today to an NGO like SDEWSS and be a part of a movement. Gift a child and education today.

What is the role of NGO in education?

Non-governmental organizations work at the grassroots level to help underprivileged children access quality education. India is a vast country with a huge demographic and geographic divide, and NGO’s play a key role in bringing people together. NGOs working for education in India, like SDEWSS, play an important role in supporting the most vulnerable children access their Right to Education through innovative ideas such as forming student groups and child-tracking system, setting up neighborhood classes so that children can continue their education while schools are closed, holding awareness workshops with parents to ensure that they send children to school and form committees to ensure that schools are run properly.

What are the effects of lack of education?

Lack of education curbs an individual from reaching their full potential. Children, who cannot go to school, miss out on the opportunities of developing their skills and are unable to get dignified jobs. Lack of proper jobs and education can lead to social unrest and crimes, hampering the progress of the country. Without access to education, an alarming number of children have to resort to child labor or are married off early.

What are the benefits of education?

Education is important for the social and economic development of any nation. Education helps individuals make informed choices, join the workforce, and ensure that future generations are educated as well. Additionally, education is also important for an individual’s own well-being, as they can reach their full potential and live a fruitful life.

How can we improve education?

In order to end inequality, it is important that each and every individual in the country is educated and has access to better livelihood opportunities. The most important step is to increase government spending on education. This will help improve the government schools; the increased budget can help in training teachers, providing books and uniform on time, maintain better infrastructure in government schools such as clean, functional toilets, hand washing facilities, drinking water provisions, digital facilities and play areas.