India
help us fight poverty in India
POPULATION
1.3 billion
CAPITAL
New Delhi
CURRENCY
Rupee
DID YOU KNOW?
India is home to the world’s largest film industry. The country also has a strong local film scene, producing films in many different regional languages.
Our work in India
In countries like India, we invest in the lives of children and youth to build the healthy environments they need to find a path out of poverty. With your help, our programs make an impact on their lives and help them envision a future they never thought possible. Below are some of the challenges facing children in India, and the ways we work to create lasting change in their communities.
Health care
CHALLENGE
Poor hygienic conditions make life miserable for those who live in the informal settlements of India. About one-third of Indian children suffer from lung problems due to pollution and unsafe living.
SOLUTION
Access to regular health care and medicine give sponsored children a real advantage over their less-fortunate peers. Our Youth Health Corps members are marching for change. These youth train their peers on proper health and hygiene and provide basic first-aid in their communities. (They’re also vocal supporters for gender equality and against early marriage.)
Over
74,000
sponsored children and youth received at least one exam from a Children International clinic
The importance of health care
Children struggling with health issues often fall behind in school, fail to catch up and drop out. Health issues early on can have lasting effects on a child’s life, continuing a cycle of poverty that lasts for generations.
Learn more about health care programs
Education
CHALLENGE
The Indian educational experience is decidedly lacking. Densely populated areas, like the informal settlements where our children and families live, have an inadequate teacher-to-child ratio. Conditions are so poor and supplies so scarce that students barely have the chance to learn in the classroom.
SOLUTION
Our Early Childhood Development program helps bridge the “readiness gap” for children in poverty. Play-based, experiential and child-friendly lessons provide optimal development to increase their learning capacity. Scholarships allow determined youth to continue their schooling or learn vocational skills.
For the second
year in a row,
97%
of tutoring students were able to finish their school year and move up to the next grade level
The importance of education
Children who fall behind in school are likely to drop out due to a lack of hope or a confidence they will ever catch up to their peers. Without education, children are more likely to turn to drugs, gangs or find themselves involved in violent situations. Education is essential to helping children forge a path out of poverty and envision a life for themselves they never thought possible.
Employment
CHALLENGE
Lack of access to job training and opportunities continue the poverty cycle for Indian families. Delhi and Kolkata have many jobs available but only for skilled workers. We work to make sure poverty doesn’t hold back talented and hard-working youth from finding good jobs.
SOLUTION
Our Career Readiness Centers prepare youth for the workplace with career counseling, résumé writing instruction, mock job interviews, exposure visits to local companies, job fairs and motivational talks from other successful youth and business professionals. ESL (English as a Second Language) education helps youth find better jobs because English is the primary language in government and corporate workplaces.
71%
of Into Employment program participants were placed into jobs with the skills they gained
The importance of employment
Children and youth cannot escape poverty without finding stable, long-term employment. Many children in our program don’t have the basic skills to begin an employment search. How do you fill out a résumé? Where do you look for jobs? How do you speak to an employer? Our employment readiness programs prepare youth to find employment and create a future for themselves they never thought possible.
Meet the Team
From hard-working staff to dedicated volunteers to smart and focused youth, it’s the people who make CI in India so special. Let’s meet some of Team India!
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CI kid -
Volunteer -
CI teen -
Sponsor
Your support is crucial to our programs
Are you ready to create change in India?
Search for a child ready for sponsorship.
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8 years old Waiting 39 days India
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5 years old Waiting 39 days India
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6 years old Waiting 52 days India
Community centers
Our 67 community centers worldwide are hubs for activity and achievement as well as safe havens for children in our programs. See what’s happening at our community centers.
Doshi Dream Center
About 4,200 children and youth are welcome at this three-level community center in Kolkata. Here, children have access to doctors and dentists, a nutrition center, play areas, computer center, library and several rooms dedicated to various youth activities. The Doshi Dream Center gives children a place where they can safely learn and grow, envision a better future and seize the opportunities to make their dreams of breaking the cycle of poverty a reality.
Tilden-Keller Family Community Center
This center in Delhi offers about 4,500 kids a welcome oasis from the challenges of urban poverty. In Delhi, we're serving children through medical and dental clinics, a library and a computer lab.
The Ahuja Family Community Center
This center gives over 5,000 children access to regular medical care and educational support. Just as important, encouraging staff helps them grow up healthy, educated and empowered with the skills they need to find good jobs. There are still opportunities to get involved and make a meaningful impact on our children’s lives.
Want to visit your child?
Your support means so much to a sponsored child. See firsthand how you’re helping end generational poverty in India. Plan a life-changing visit today.
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