Children on the Edge - India
Education for Dalit children
Children on the Edge exists to help marginalised and forgotten children, who are living on the edge of their societies.
Years: 2017, 2018, 2019
Children on the Edge (COTE) deals with a wide variety of issues ranging from poverty, ethnic cleansing, conflict, child labour and natural disaster. COTE works with local partners to provide training, advice and support to develop effective systems and processes.
The ALMT is supporting COTE to work in partnership with a passionate Indian NGO to provide education centres for 280 marginalised Dalit children living in rural communities in Bihar State. Bihar is the poorest state in India and has one of the highest concentrations of Dalit people. 81% of its population are suffering from poor health and nutrition, lack of access to education and substandard living conditions. In order to organise and motivate positive change, COTE and its local partner have developed an approach to engage with both children and the broader community.
Education centres provide quality education, ensuring that marginalised children become literate, numerate and aware of their rights. The goal of these centres is not only to educate but instil in each child a sense of their value and ability to determine the course of their lives. Centres are located centrally in each community in order to encourage student attendance as well as serve as hubs for other civic activities.
