Our Journey
Docs, facts & figures
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Instead of long dry reports: Dive into our journey!Enjoy the read! Reach out if you have questions. Or if you’d like to travel along from here. |
Kickoff 2022
After initial preparations for establishing the association India Child Care e.V. began early in the first half of 2022, numerous discussions were held with supporters and people involved in both India and Germany. In particular, extensive preparations also started with staff members of those Indian organizations with whom we realized the opening of the first school on December 6, 2023, in Bhavanipur.
In March 2023, I visited ten schools and training institutions of various sizes in Bihar. During this time, I also had the opportunity to visit around ten village communities in the most remote areas, attend village meetings, observe lessons in learning centers within the communities, and experience much more on site. Gaining direct insights into the realities of life, needs, backgrounds, and consequences of poverty and dependency was something very special and incomparable to any written report.
In Bhawanipur, where the school initiated by India Child Care e.V. is located, the “bee active : learn” program is to be implemented and beehives placed locally. Since December 2023, around 50 girls and boys have been receiving instruction there in language skills and basic arithmetic, opening the door to further schooling and vocational training. But that’s not all. Here’s some background.
In March 2023, I visited ten schools and training institutions of various sizes in Bihar. During this time, I also had the opportunity to visit around ten village communities in the most remote areas, attend village meetings, observe lessons in learning centers within the communities, and experience much more on site. Gaining direct insights into the realities of life, needs, backgrounds, and consequences of poverty and dependency was something very special and incomparable to any written report.
In Bhawanipur, where the school initiated by India Child Care e.V. is located, the “bee active : learn” program is to be implemented and beehives placed locally. Since December 2023, around 50 girls and boys have been receiving instruction there in language skills and basic arithmetic, opening the door to further schooling and vocational training. But that’s not all. Here’s some background.
Roots & reasons
To sustainably improve the situation for children and enable them to lead self-determined, happier lives, it is important to better understand the underlying reasons and causes. A brief summary:
For the Musahar community — as well as for other marginalized groups — the biggest challenges are that many of the poorest children and families (a) cannot read or write, (b) do not have birth certificates or personal identification documents (and therefore, in practice, no rights), and (c) have no land of their own on which they are officially allowed to settle. As a result, they often live isolated on the outskirts of cities, next to highways, or in forests.
These circumstances make them completely vulnerable to landowners and, ultimately, to everyone else. They cannot expect any help or protection from authorities either. This interplay forms the starting point and framework for the financial, social, psychological, and emotional conditions in which these children grow up and struggle to survive.
For these groups, there is no access to preschools, schools, healthcare, hygiene products, legal protection, or any other care from public or private systems. This is why our key approaches focus on education, raising awareness of their own rights, creating livelihoods for a sufficient income, and integrating them into society.
For the Musahar community — as well as for other marginalized groups — the biggest challenges are that many of the poorest children and families (a) cannot read or write, (b) do not have birth certificates or personal identification documents (and therefore, in practice, no rights), and (c) have no land of their own on which they are officially allowed to settle. As a result, they often live isolated on the outskirts of cities, next to highways, or in forests.
These circumstances make them completely vulnerable to landowners and, ultimately, to everyone else. They cannot expect any help or protection from authorities either. This interplay forms the starting point and framework for the financial, social, psychological, and emotional conditions in which these children grow up and struggle to survive.
For these groups, there is no access to preschools, schools, healthcare, hygiene products, legal protection, or any other care from public or private systems. This is why our key approaches focus on education, raising awareness of their own rights, creating livelihoods for a sufficient income, and integrating them into society.
Results & impact
This is exactly what we are achieving in Bhawanipur, in Bihar, the poorest state in India — in the places where we are actively involved. While India, for many of its citizens and in many regions, can be highly developed, progressive, modern, and an extremely livable country, marginalized groups like the Musahar community are left out. They hardly benefit from the booming sectors, the sometimes positive developments, or even from international development aid within the country.
Below is an excerpt from the report by the organization that now runs and passionately manages the Learning Center / Supplementary Education Center (SEC) initiated and funded by India Child Care e.V., now in its second year. During my trip in March/April 2023, I spent several days getting to know the people in charge, who gave me deep insights into various communities and institutions. Since then, we have stayed constantly connected across all channels and maintained a close, friendly exchange. Due to admissions and departures throughout the year, the number of students at the SEC fluctuates slightly.
Below is an excerpt from the report by the organization that now runs and passionately manages the Learning Center / Supplementary Education Center (SEC) initiated and funded by India Child Care e.V., now in its second year. During my trip in March/April 2023, I spent several days getting to know the people in charge, who gave me deep insights into various communities and institutions. Since then, we have stayed constantly connected across all channels and maintained a close, friendly exchange. Due to admissions and departures throughout the year, the number of students at the SEC fluctuates slightly.
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The PJS Report for India Child Care e.V.Report by Father Babu Jagadeepan, Director, Prabhat, Sakri 28 October 2024; Patna Jesuit Society
1. Project Objectives Our Supplementary Education Center (SEC) focuses on developing and strengthening the children’s cognitive, language, and social skills, as well as empowering the community. The Bhawanipur SEC currently has 41 children enrolled, including 20 boys and 21 girls. The main goal of the project is to educate the poorest of the poor — specifically the children of the Musahar community — by setting up centers for supplementary education and ensuring their regular attendance at local government schools. We also aim to develop leadership qualities in the children through various extracurricular activities. Another key objective is to organize and involve the mothers of these children through the Mata Samiti (MS), primarily to support and promote their children’s education and to raise their awareness of the state benefits to which they are entitled. 2. Holistic Development Creative classes are held for two and a half hours at the SEC. During this time, children are taught outdoor games, action songs, and rhymes in a creative way, creating a joyful atmosphere. In addition, birth certificates and Aadhar cards were provided for the Balwadi children. 3. Mata Samitis The SEC teacher maintained regular parent meetings (Mata Samiti), spoke with the parents, and informed them about their children’s progress. Additionally, training sessions are held twice a year to provide knowledge and information on various social benefits, rights, and entitlements. The Mata Samiti members of Bhawanipur painted the community hall and prepared the space so their children could learn in a clean, pleasant environment. This allowed the SEC teacher to use English alphabet charts, number charts, animal and bird posters, flowers, vegetables, and body parts visuals on the classroom walls. The headmaster of a government school in Bhawanipur was kind enough to admit 15 Musahar children into grades 3 and 4 in May 2024. Mata Samiti members were also requested to keep the hand pump next to the SEC clean, ensuring the children have access to safe drinking water. 4. Tailoring Center In February 2024, as part of the program, a tailoring center aimed at developing vocational skills was inaugurated by community members in the village of Bhawanipur, Madhubani district. Father Babu, Father Joyson Fernandes, social worker Chandra Kant Mishra, community organizer Manoj Saday, along with 25 trainees and members of the Mata Samiti attended the inauguration ceremony. Such a training program in tailoring offers Musahar women and girls the opportunity to become financially independent, gain greater self-empowerment, and also helps prevent child marriage. 5. Festivals and Celebrations At the SEC, programs were organized for Independence Day, Republic Day, Teachers’ Day, and the International Day of the Girl Child. All the children took part through creative activities such as drawing, painting, dancing, and games. 6. Health and Hygiene The SEC children were taught to wash their hands before meals. They have also developed the habit of taking a daily bath and combing their hair before coming to school. As a result, they now arrive at the SEC in neat clothing. The younger children organized cleanliness rallies and also learned about the importance of education, which had a direct impact on the Musahar community. 7. International Day of the Girl Child The International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated at the Bhawanipur SEC on 24 October 2024. During the event, Father Babu, Director of Prabhat, spoke on various topics such as girls’ rights and safety, child marriage, higher education, and female infanticide. In addition, cultural programs were held, including a prayer and welcome dance, a literacy song, and poems recited by the girls. |
The Report
The effects this program has on the children, adolescents, and their communities pave the way for sustainable change across a holistic spectrum. Through preparatory education and integration into the school system, the cycle of illiteracy is broken. Learning social skills and engaging in play together also creates a framework that allows joy and a sense of normalcy to be experienced in ways these children would otherwise never know.
Furthermore, discussions and talks raise awareness among older children and parents about their existing rights and opportunities. At the same time, they receive practical support in claiming these rights, while also learning a trade alongside school that is in demand locally and immediately provides a livelihood.
Particularly significant are the birth certificates and official documents (!) that these children and adolescents receive for the first time as part of the SEC program. As long as these papers are missing, they are locked out of numerous important government benefits because their age, place of birth, and lineage remain unverified. Only with these documents can they, for example, exercise their right to vote, gain admission to all schools and public services, obtain a driver’s license, and much more — all of which require complete identification papers.
Sadly, the parents of these children, as outcast illiterates at the very bottom of the lowest caste, with no knowledge of standards or processes, are not in a position to organize such documents for their children themselves. This combination of education, awareness, care, and the necessary official status is therefore much more than just kindergarten or school. It builds bridges to other worlds, opens doors, and paves the way toward a self-determined future free of poverty, exploitation, and slavery.
Furthermore, discussions and talks raise awareness among older children and parents about their existing rights and opportunities. At the same time, they receive practical support in claiming these rights, while also learning a trade alongside school that is in demand locally and immediately provides a livelihood.
Particularly significant are the birth certificates and official documents (!) that these children and adolescents receive for the first time as part of the SEC program. As long as these papers are missing, they are locked out of numerous important government benefits because their age, place of birth, and lineage remain unverified. Only with these documents can they, for example, exercise their right to vote, gain admission to all schools and public services, obtain a driver’s license, and much more — all of which require complete identification papers.
Sadly, the parents of these children, as outcast illiterates at the very bottom of the lowest caste, with no knowledge of standards or processes, are not in a position to organize such documents for their children themselves. This combination of education, awareness, care, and the necessary official status is therefore much more than just kindergarten or school. It builds bridges to other worlds, opens doors, and paves the way toward a self-determined future free of poverty, exploitation, and slavery.
Collaboration in Kolkata
Independently of this, an opportunity arose in Kolkata to establish a promising cooperation with the Indian company bee active. I have personally known parts of the founding team for several years, and they were already producing high-quality organic honey. This led us to jointly develop a concept that builds a bridge between bee active and India Child Care e.V., specifically targeting schools and care institutions to reach underprivileged children, their families, and communities.
These communities can obtain honey from their own beehives, which are initially provided and managed by bee active until the respective group is able to take over themselves. The skills that bee active imparts to the students around organic beekeeping pave the way for independent management. This creates sustainable opportunities to permanently produce honey for personal use or for sale, or to pass on this knowledge themselves — thereby helping other communities while supporting the natural environment and wildlife.
These communities can obtain honey from their own beehives, which are initially provided and managed by bee active until the respective group is able to take over themselves. The skills that bee active imparts to the students around organic beekeeping pave the way for independent management. This creates sustainable opportunities to permanently produce honey for personal use or for sale, or to pass on this knowledge themselves — thereby helping other communities while supporting the natural environment and wildlife.
What parents see
From the written notes of my parents before founding India Child Care e.V.
What was placed in our arms after nine months of waiting and bureaucratic processes was the greatest gift of our lives: a physically frail little boy with severe deprivation syndrome. Our goal was to offer security to a small human being who was unable to form bonds, and to gently guide him with love and respect.
We took care of his physical, social, and emotional development through comprehensive medical care and a small, manageable network of constant caregivers. Our son had much to catch up on — and to overcome. It took years before he grew strong enough inside to become a stable child. Looking back, we are overjoyed that we were able to accompany, care for, and raise him.
He was allowed to discover himself, his cultural roots, and values. We provided him with a safe space, accompanied his journey with love, placed trust in him, and taught him to take responsibility for himself. Now, India Child Care e.V. is starting out, creating support opportunities that flexibly adapt to the needs of the children and are accompanied by complementary measures that address the root causes and triggering situations. Every child has a right to a life of dignity, and we hope to support children in their home country in this way.
What was placed in our arms after nine months of waiting and bureaucratic processes was the greatest gift of our lives: a physically frail little boy with severe deprivation syndrome. Our goal was to offer security to a small human being who was unable to form bonds, and to gently guide him with love and respect.
We took care of his physical, social, and emotional development through comprehensive medical care and a small, manageable network of constant caregivers. Our son had much to catch up on — and to overcome. It took years before he grew strong enough inside to become a stable child. Looking back, we are overjoyed that we were able to accompany, care for, and raise him.
He was allowed to discover himself, his cultural roots, and values. We provided him with a safe space, accompanied his journey with love, placed trust in him, and taught him to take responsibility for himself. Now, India Child Care e.V. is starting out, creating support opportunities that flexibly adapt to the needs of the children and are accompanied by complementary measures that address the root causes and triggering situations. Every child has a right to a life of dignity, and we hope to support children in their home country in this way.
In Conclusion
Looking back, when I compare my parents’ words — within our family context — to the needs in India from a development perspective on the one hand, and to the initial results in Bhawanipur on the other, I am deeply moved by how closely these thoughts and actions, in many ways, resemble each other.
The SEC is now in its second year, and our goal is to continue this center while also initiating additional facilities to open up these paths for as many children as possible. To achieve this, we still rely on every kind of support — whether financial donations or non-material contributions.
It would be wonderful if this cause could be shared further so that more people hear about it and decide for themselves whether they wish to support us and India Child Care e.V. in this endeavor. The association is recognized as a non-profit organization and authorized to issue donation receipts.
The SEC is now in its second year, and our goal is to continue this center while also initiating additional facilities to open up these paths for as many children as possible. To achieve this, we still rely on every kind of support — whether financial donations or non-material contributions.
It would be wonderful if this cause could be shared further so that more people hear about it and decide for themselves whether they wish to support us and India Child Care e.V. in this endeavor. The association is recognized as a non-profit organization and authorized to issue donation receipts.
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As a sponsor, member, partner or simply by reaching out.
