NGO IN INDIA FOR CHILDREN EDUCATION

by Lakshyam NGO Hands to Hearts

With over 12 million child workers (on paper, possible there could be more than 60 million child workers) out of 440 million children, India is sadly the home to the largest number of child labourers in the world.

Over 50% of children face some kind of sexual abuse in India.

Nearly 2 million children in India do not live till the age of 5.

79% of children below the age 3, have anaemia in India.

These statistics are not only disturbing but they also give us a glimpse of our failed attempts to protect the children of this country.

Even with the strong laws in action, we have not been able to provide a secure environment to our children. Millions continue to live in poverty and unsure environment.

But there are various child welfare organizations in India that are working very hard to pull them out off the extreme conditions and return their lost childhood. One such ngo in India for children education is Lakshyam, an NGO covering PAN India that works for building a safe, habitable world for the unfortunate lot of our society. Since its inception in 2004 till today, Lakshyam has touched well over 18,000 lives in 11 states and directly benefitted them. With over 4 projects working towards child welfare, women empowerment as well as slum development; it steers infallible schemes that would holistically benefit the poor.

Lakshyam currently runs two programs for child welfare, “Butterfly” and “Lakshyam Toy Library”.

Lakshyam launched a Child welfare program named “Butterfly- Child Welfare and Education” that symbolizes freedom with the wings of a butterfly. The concept of ‘Butterfly’ is based upon imparting the two most crucial aspects of welfare, a holistic education and well-round development. With this objective, children at Lakshyam are taught Hindi, English, Math and Computer Sciences, in purview of methodically filling in the gaps in formal education. When a child who is not very well-versed with English or computer language suffers in government or private schools, Lakshyam’s remedial center provides free of cost tutorials. Twice a week, volunteers from IIT- Delhi work upon formulating a strategy that would help children rejuvenate their lost interest in studies. Recreational activities such as dance competitions, painting, magic shows, puppet shows etcetera play a major role in child welfare at Lakshyam. The teachers at Lakshyam’s schools, who were once oblivious to the skills of teaching, today stand to be official degree-holders in the field of academics; not only that, these young ladies are working their way up to being experts in multiple fields of life. More than the number, Lakshyam has striven to improve the quality of lives of our children and has been sublime so far. Lakshyam’s newest center in Ghaziabad has helped Lakshyam extend help in far more grievous and needy societies in the country. The children of a rag picker’s community were destined to follow the same path as their parents. In an attempt to change their fate, Lakshyam has set up a free of cost remedial school that helps children at least get introduced to education for now. With time and incessant efforts, we hope to see the children at the same heights as any well-to-so child in our society.

The other child welfare program by Lakshyam NGO is “Lakshyam Toy Library”. Lakshyam has always believed that money is not the only thing that builds a childhood; it is love too. Widely unnoticed, but children develop a strong and deep bond with their toys. In times of loneliness, it is toys that keep us company. Unfortunately, being poor in India is not only lack of money; it is lack of love too. To fill in this gap in their childhood, Lakshyam came up with a brilliant idea of a Toy Library. Lakshyam set up its first toy library 8 years ago with thousands of toys collected from various schools across Delhi. Now, it has 16 of them throughout the country. When they installed toy boxes at numerous schools and announced our aim, which landed them with thousands of toy all together. These toys were then put up in a library, accompanied with various books and were free for children to play with. Children can access these toys whenever, however they want. Lakshyam’s aim to fill in this void in their lives has been so far successful. With storybooks and toys, Lakshyam wishes for the children to have a normal life without any depravity.