Promoting Equal Rights to Childhood Care and Education

Project period: February 2020 – February 2023
In cooperation with our partner Centre for Coordination of Voluntary Works and Research (CECOWOR)

Education is a key to equality and peaceful societies!

In the Villupuram district in the northern part of the state of Tamil Nadu, the roma and tribal populations are challenged by extreme poverty, illiteracy and discrimination.

Discrimination plays a major role in their access to basic rights in health and education, to which they are entitled under Indian law. The roma and tribal peoples are discriminated against by the surrounding community. The project involves 4,700 people in 30 villages.

The aim is for all children aged three to five years (about 260 children) to be enrolled in preschools, and that all school-aged children (about 600 children) will be enrolled in primary school. In addition, the goal is that about 300 mothers are organised into groups at village level.

CECOWOR

Centre for Coordination of Voluntary Works and Research

Cecowor was founded in 1987 and seeks to empower marginalised peoples like lower-castes, gypsies, tribal people and women by making them aware of their rights and of the importance of education as a key to long-term change. CECOWOR is situated a few hundred kilometres south of Chennai.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CECOWOR

Three main goals

Both roma and tribal children from 30 villages are attending the Angawadi Centres (free quality preschools). Mothers, children and adolescent girls from the roma and tribal communities are provided with basic health care services.

The percentage of roma and tribal children in the 30 villages that are completing primary school has increased. All the children are enrolled in school when turning six, and the percentage of children dropping out of primary school (before completing class 8) has decreased.

The roma and tribal population has been empowered and are actively claiming their rights. The children have gained knowledge about their rights and basic knowledge on education, health and nutrition. Most of the inhabitants in the 30 villages are in possession of ID cards giving them access to schemes and programs. Furthermore, the goal is to have non-discriminatory interaction and events between roma/tribals and non-roma/tribals.