CHILD RIGHTS AND YOU - CRY

WHAT IS CRY ALL ABOUT?

HISTORY AND MILESTONES

Awards & Recognition
Highlights over 30 years
Way back in the 1970s, Rippan Kapur, a young airline purser, was driven by the extraordinary
dream to see a day when no Indian child would be deprived of rights as basic as survival,
participation, protection and development.
Like many of us, Rippan too was upset when he saw disparities between privileged and
underprivileged children. He hated to see children begging and working as servants. Unlike most
of us though, he did something about it.
He joined his school's social service club and read to the blind, visited children in hospitals, held
reading and writing classes for street children, and started a free dispensary at a slum the club
adopted. To raise funds for these activities, the club sold milk. It even won a shield for the best
Interact club! These qualities of resourcefulness and determination would come in handy.
In 1979 Rippan and 6 friends started CRY with Rs. 50/- around his mother's dining table.
They felt that something needed to be done to improve the situation of the underprivileged
Indian child. Uncharacteristically, given their backgrounds and motivations, they chose not to
found a grassroots-level implementing organization working directly with and for
underprivileged children. They opted instead to make CRY a link between the millions of Indians
who could provide resources and thousands of dedicated people and organizations at the
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grassroots-level who are struggling to function for lack of them. This "link" or enabling position
has determined CRY's strategic choices at every juncture - from the fundraising methods it
employs, to the nature of its relationship with the NGOs it partners.
All through the early, difficult years, it was Rippan's passion and conviction that drove CRY. He
was firmly convinced that each of us can, in our own small way, be agents of change, and when
enough of us are moved to this, the impact is a lasting change for the better. All he asked of
people was that they help CRY by doing what they were good at. As he put it, "What I can do, I
must do."
Although Rippan passed away in 1994, his vision for underprivileged children ensures that CRY
continues to grow.
WHAT WE ARE?
Name: CRY - Child Rights and You. (CRY changed its name from Child Relief and You to Child
Rights and You as on April 1, 2006.)
Over three decades of working for children and their families across 23 states in India,

Weve learnt that lasting change is only possible when we tackle the root causes that continue to
keep them uneducated, exploited and vulnerable.

ORIGIN
These qualities of resourcefulness and determination were to come in handy when Rippan and 6
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of his friends started CRY with Rs. 50/- around Rippan's mother's dining table. That was 29
years ago, in 1979. They felt that something needed to be done to improve the situation of the
underprivileged Indian child.
MILESTONE
2008
CRY partners NAFRE Jan Andolan in the Jan Haq Yatra - traversing 210,000 km over 2 months,
amplifying the Voice of the 15 lakh People across 16 states demanding change at the grassroots.
CRY wins in the Large NGO category at Indian NGO awards 2007 after a thorough process of
evaluation, field visits and multilevel audits.
Child Rights and You UK Limited is formally registered in the UK.
2009
CRY launches a signature campaign to demand changes for equal and quality education for all
children in India. 'Sabko Shiksha, Samaan Shiksha' reaches out to local communities across
urban and rural India as well as people overseas to gather more than 7.7 lakh signatures. The
charter of demands along with the signatures is submitted to the Honorable President of India,
Pratibha Patil.
P&G makes the largest ever corporate grant of Rs. 3 crores to us under Project Shiksha
The CRY Shop is rebranded as CRY World - a space to see, know and do what's right for India's
children, especially the marginalized.

MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF CHANGE

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1979

Rippan Kapur registers CRY as an Indian Charitable Trust. With 6 friends and Rs. 50/Rs. 1,14,000/- raised for the Shilpalaya Technical Institute which focuses on vocational
training and foster care.
'Buy a Brick, Build a School', CRY's first event to sensitize privileged children towards
those less privileged.

1980S

Greeting Cards division gets underway. Sanat Surti, a well-known artist and illustrator
creates 2 designs. 30,000 cards sold.
Access to free and quality education becomes CRY's main focus in its partnership with
projects.
Education Sponsorship Scheme is introduced. For just Rs. 10, any individual can get
involved in CRY's work.

We take our first steps to corporatization by setting up a corpus. It is a major step for an
organization that started with Rs. 50.
The first CRY desk calendar is launched, with contributions from Indian contemporary
artists.
CRY starts operations in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.
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Nirmala is hired as CRY's first employee; uses Rippan's mother's dining table as the
"office".
Parisar Asha, CRY's first long-term education project, takes off. Its emphasis is on
environmental education.
School-to-School Programme is introduced to sensitize affluent children to the needs of
the less fortunate. One boy sends his earnings, made from teaching origami, to CRY.
Corporate contribution scheme is introduced so that companies can make donations to
CRY's Corpus.
CRY's 10th anniversary. We launch "Art for CRY" nationwide - 144 artists donate 180
pieces of work, with overwhelming corporate support.

1990S

'Baal Sawaal' and 'Baal Dhamaal' programmes launched.

Scope of activities broadens to include underprivileged disabled children and disaster
victims, free and compulsory education for all under 14 and child labor.
The Policy and Research Cell of CRY starts, to handle policy analysis, research,
documentation and government interface.
First export order comes in, from Gallerie Lafayette, the largest department store chain in
France.
"Art for CRY" is staged again to commemorate CRY's 15th anniversary and to pay tribute
to Rippan Kapur. "Remembering Rippan," the book and film, launched as tributes.
FACT '98 (Free-a-child today), CRY's first corporate quiz, is organized by CRY's
Bangalore volunteer group, Friends of CRY. The quiz raises funds for the education and
health care of 100 children for a year. And goes on to become an annual event.
A structured HR division and strategy for CRY is initiated. The International Cell kicks
off. CRY goes online with our first website http://www.cry.org/
Rippan Kapur, CRY's Founder, passes away on 10 April 1994.

The first training workshop is conducted for teachers of CRY-supported projects in

Maharashtra.
Outreach programmes extend to other states.
CRY joins The National Alliance for Education, a strategic alliance to ensure accessibility
of quality education for all children.
"Child watch", our first media awareness project, is launched at a national level.
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Release of The Indian Child book. It is a compilation of articles, facts, figures and help
lines for children, with a focus on child rights and the status of children in India.
Central Government awards CRY 100% tax deductable status.

2000S

Fundamental Right to Education (NAFRE) founded by CRY, Pratham, the National

Foundation of India, the National Law School of India, UNICEF, the Aga Khan
Foundation and Save the Children Foundation (UK). The alliance advocates free and
compulsory education up to the high school level.
Citibank's Citi Junior Account programme launched - CRY gets a contribution each time
a Citibank customer opens an account for their child.
CRY participates in the UN General Assembly's Special Session for Children.
CRY is invited to present "The Impact of Globalization on Child Rights in India", at the
House of Lords, London.
A 7-hour CRY Telethon on Sony TV, to spread the message of Child Rights to almost 42
million homes in India on 26th January, 2005. It was India's first ever, interactive social
responsibility show with celebrities and personalities from different fields appealed to
audiences to contribute time or money towards changing children's lives.
Volunteer Action makes a shift in its approach; moves from fundraising to engaging
volunteers in activities.
CRY changes to 'Child Rights and You' in 2006.
Online payment gateway introduced on www.cry.org.
A strategic partnership, with Archies Greetings and Gifts, to outsource manufacture and
retailing of CRY products, augments CRY's reach and market share.
Scope of activities broadens to include relief and rehabilitation support to those affected
by the Gujarat earthquake, tsunami relief and the flood-affected families in Mumbai. The
Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry adopted CRY's Activity Centre model for
disaster relief.
CRY-Child Relief and You America Inc. and Child Rights and You UK Limited formally
registered.
Launched an Election Advocacy Campaign, develop a Children's Manifesto to coincide
with CRY's 25th year celebrations in 2004.
Launch of the National Child Rights Research Fellowship. 325 applications received.
Launch of CRY Buddies, a virtual space for children to listen, talk and interact.
CRY wins in the Large NGO category at Indian NGO awards 2007.

2010S

New Vision and Mission statements, focusing on the rights of a child and the importance
of collective action, towards ensuring child rights. 'Ensuring Lasting Change for Children'
taken on as articulating the CRY brands essence.
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First ever CRY Corporate Responsibility Summit launched to enhance engagement with
corporate organizations.
Participation in the development of the Alternate Report on child rights and the Ministry
of Women and Child Development's strategic 5-year plan meeting.
First ever CRY Child Rights Champion Awards launched to recognize corporate
organizations demonstrating exceptional commitment to children's rights.
CRY's Youth division changes to focus on ensuring children's voices are recognized as
significant and unique in issues that affect them.
"My School campaign" to showcase aspirations of children from CRY project areas
launched as an exhibition.
CRY World moves from individual retail to processing only bulk orders. CRY partnership
with Archies continues.
One of the five organizations to win the South Asia Fund Raising Group's Fundraising
Campaign Award 2011.
CRY Volunteers present KAP study on girl child at The National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
Policy, Research, Advocacy and Documentation (PRAD), a new function established at
CRY, advocating for child rights and CRY's grassroots efforts in key advocacy platforms.
PRAD's mandate is to provide technical support on policy, research and advocacy and
knowledge management.

Numbers don't count. Even if we can change one life, it means a great deal to us.
VISION
A happy, healthy and creative child whose rights are protected and honored in a society that is
built on respect for dignity, justice and equity for all.

MISSION

To enable people to take responsibility for the situation of the deprived Indian child
To motivate them to seek resolution through individual and collective action thereby enabling
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children to realize their full potential.

Enable people to discover their potential for action and change.
To enable peoples' collectives and movements encompassing diverse segments, to pledge their
particular strengths, working in partnership to secure, protect and honour the rights of India's
children.
HOW CRY WORKS?
OUR APPROACH
The Child Rights Approach
We've learned that the only sustainable way to make change last is to adopt what we call the
'child rights approach.'
First, by looking at childrens issues in their entirety rather than through the silos of education,
health, child labour, child abuse, foeticide/infanticide and so on.
Then, by understanding the underlying root causes of the deprivation gender, caste,
livelihoods, displacement, geographies and the like.
Finally, mobilizing each local community to find long-term solutions to these problems, by
ensuring relevant laws and policies that guarantee implementation of their rights.
At CRY we believe in child rights for three reasons because the alternatives are unjust,
illegal and ineffective.
WHAT CRY DOES?
CRYs role is that of an enabler between two groups of people the development organizations
working for child rights at the grassroots level and people like you, who come together for child
rights.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED?
However well-intentioned the gesture, children should not become objects of our sympathy or
our charity. They are citizens with the same basic rights as ours.
We urge to each of you to start thinking of children in their entirety, as citizens, with rights
guaranteed to them in the Constitution of India as well as when India signed the UN Child Rights
Charter in 1992.
To enable meaningful change, we need to believe, really believe, that every child, regardless of
birth and circumstance is truly equal. We need to realize that each child who does not have
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access to a real education, each child who is compelled to work for a living, each child who is
killed, neglected, abused or exploited represents a far more serious violation of our constitution,
equivalent to a crime.
NATURE OF SUPPORT BY CRY INDIA
CRY's role as an enabler has determined our strategic choices at every juncture - from the
fundraising methods we employ, to the nature of our relationship with the NGOs we partner.
Our interventions are designed to include

Direct action addressing immediate, critical needs

Community mobilization linking child rights and local pre-dominant issues

Stringent planning, monitoring and evaluation both, financial and programmatic

Our partnership takes the form of:

1. Grant making:

We prioritize grant-making basis district-level analysis of child rights indicators

We identify grassroots NGOs and communities addressing the key issues

Besides partnering organizations, we also partner individuals under the The Rippan Kapur
Fellowship programme that was launched in 1994 (it was introduced in memory of our late
founder). It seeks to enable motivated individuals starting a career in grassroots development
work to make a beginning.
2. Capacity Building: enable build perspective and capacity in areas of

Child rights
Accountability
Organization building
Policy analysis
Advocacy

3. Community mobilization:
We believe this is the most effective long-term solution to the multiple causes of poverty,
deprivation, exploitation and abuse that constrain the rights of India's children. In recent years,
we have spearheaded a concerted, nation-wide grassroots campaign in partnership with our
supported NGOs that aim to establish:

Authentic data on the situation of children - infant and child mortality, nutrition,
enrolment, availability of functioning schools of at least adequate quality, child labour,
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gender and caste differences.

Workable models to achieve universal access to primary and elementary education,
healthcare, livelihoods and governance combining direct action, community mobilization
and policy influence.
Nation-wide support from all segments of society for the policy changes including the
constitution amendment making education a fundamental right and laws relating to
juvenile justice.
Grassroots community mobilization aimed at ensuring universal access to equitable
education through the Common School System and implementation of policies ranging
from land rights through to the right to information.

4. Networking and Alliance building:

The aim of strategic alliances or networks is to facilitate the transfer of learning, build solidarity
between partner organizations and influence policy to positively impact the situation of Indian
children. In short we interface with local government and other power structures and foster
alliances with state, regional, issue interest groups
Through supporting networks, we provide a platform for partners to meet, share and learn from
each other's experiences. This enables the strengthening of field level initiatives. It also acts as a
forum for perspective building on macro issues. We are also part of many state level alliances
and national issue based alliances like the Campaign Against Child Labour, ECPAT, Donor
Agency Network and the National Alliance for the Fundamental Right to Education (NAFRE)
5. Influencing child-friendly Policies:
While we consider the state to be primarily responsible for ensuring the rights of children, we
realize that we too have a role to play in impacting and influencing government policies towards
child rights. We approach this through national level advocacy and policy influence through
direct interface with ministries, legislators, alliances, networks and coalitions and the media.

6. Resource Organizations:
In the development sector there are numerous organizations that play a critical role of being a
resource hub. These organizations have expertise in various areas of development, expertise that
could enhance the quality of smaller, newer initiatives. These resource organizations work
towards building the capacities of CRY's other development partners as well as non-CRY
supported initiatives. These organizations build capacities through innovative teaching methods,
materials and training programmes for teachers, community works among others. They also play
a vital role in policy influencing efforts at the macro level.
7. Nodal Agencies:
While we reach out to hundreds of organizations working at the grassroots level, there are many
thousands more across the countries that require support. CRY can never reach out to all of them.
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Thus, evolved the need for nodal agencies. A nodal agency is in many ways a mini-CRY, - an
organization that offers both financial and non-financial inputs to smaller initiatives in the same
geographical region. The creation and support of nodal agencies allows us to increase our reach
at the grassroots level, without a corresponding.
CRY INDIA PROCESS
Our team of qualified professionals, from the development sector is responsible for the selection,
appraisal, monitoring and evaluation of CRY-partnered NGOs.

Criteria for supporting an initiative:

Focus on children.

Focus on nascent initiatives - grassroots or urban.

Priority to projects in areas where no other projects / facilities exist.

Vision, commitment, approach to work of the project partner.

Project concepts should empower the community in which they work, the parents, and
ultimately make an irreversible change to the lives of children.

Process for selection and appraisal:

Fill or send an application as per our format covering details like the objective of the
initiative, the partner's background, experience on the field, financial details etc.

Our team screens and short lists these applications.

A pre-funding, evaluation visit is conducted.

An Internal discussion on the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.

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Recommendation by the Development Support team at region and head office levels.

Approval by our Board of Trustees.

Commencement of partnership.

Monitoring and evaluating of the initiative:

Our Development Support team visits each project on a quarterly or half yearly basis.

Meetings with the staff, parents, children and the community with whom the project
works.

Assessing the project's training & information support needs as well as its achievements.

Submission of quarterly, half yearly and annual reports.

Annual evaluation, budget and plans for the next grant period are initiated by our team.

Review of project finances:

A team of professional chartered accountants (Account Aid) assist us in financial reviews

and audits of the projects.

Along with Account Aid, we identify projects where our funds are at risk due to poor
financial management or mismanagement of funds. These high-risk projects are closely
monitored.

Frequent financial reviews on bookkeeping and maintenance of accounts are carried out
at the projects.

An external project audit is almost always mandatory at each project.

Project partners are encouraged to discuss their budgets and expenditure with their core
teams and the community with whom they work, for greater social accountability and
transparency.

Our team makes quarterly or half yearly field visits to assess progress of each project.

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PEOPLE IN CRY
TRUSTEES
Each one of our Trustees holds CRY's interest above everything else, sharing a firm belief in
values of public trust, collective responsibility and transparency.
Ratan Batliboi (Board Chair & Hon. Trustee, Mumbai)

Rippan's junior in school, Ratan has had a long association with him till in 1991, Ratan
joined CRY as a trustee. Ever since, he has been like a steady rock for CRY.

Rajni Bakshi (Trustee, Mumbai)

Rajni is a prolific writer, speaker and organizer currently working on a book, titled
'Market: From Master to Servant', which challenges the neoliberal world view
without falling for extreme alternative.

Praveen Kadle (Trustee & Hon. Treasurer, Mumbai)

A highly respected Finance professional, Praveen brings to CRY 13 years of
experience in this area and is also CRY's Treasurer since February 2005. He is the
Managing Director of Tata Capital Ltd.

Prof. S Parasuraman (Trustee, Mumbai)

Prof. Parasuraman has long been in the field of Social Sciences and is currently the
Director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai. He is a seasoned
writer with many books to his credit.

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Pervin Varma (Trustee, Mumbai)

Pervin brought her ample communication expertise and special leadership skills to the
fore, when she left a career in advertising in 1990 to join CRY.

Bahram.N.Vakil (Trustee, Mumbai)

One of the founding partners of the legal firm of M/s. AZB & Partners, Bahram is
amongst India's foremost infrastructure and project finance attorneys. He has a LLM
from the Columbia University, and is a member of the New York State Bar.

Mahnaz Curmally (Trustee, Mumbai)

A skilled writer with acknowledged strategy and consulting skills, communication

experience of over 30 years that extends across specialist PR practices like opinion
mobilization, advocacy strategy and more.

Resource Generation
CRYs endeavor is to get the maximum number of people and organizations involved, driving a
people's movement for the rights of India's underprivileged children.
Fundraising or Resource Generation, as we call it in CRY, is driven with a social justice agenda.
Our primary role is to channelize public action for child rights, in the form of financial and
material resources and time and skills. CRYs endeavor is to get the maximum number of people
and organizations involved, driving a people's movement for the rights of India's underprivileged
children. Marketing tie-ups with corporations, events, school and college workshops, media
campaigns, signature drives, advocacy campaigns, the Internet and street theatre ensure that
people everywhere can access information on the situation of India's children and avenues to get
involved. Every fundraising venture from greeting cards to web marketing integrates revenue
objectives with advocacy for children.
CRY is almost entirely funded by individual donors who are people from every walk of life and
every corner of the country. In addition to this, Corporate or Institutional partnerships have added
more zeal to our work and been an opportunity for the development sector (grant making) and
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the corporate sector to come together and learn from each other. Cry has a strong and committed
community of lakhs of donors across the globe who shares our vision for the future of our
children and you too can be a part of this movement.
Volunteer Action
At CRY, we encourage and support our volunteers to empower people and communities to bring
about positive change - by encouraging them to initiate action in their environment.
CRY began as an endeavor of 7 young volunteers and ever since, the spirit of volunteerism has
been an underlying lifeline of the organization. Volunteerism for us does not mean the mere
utilization of additional human resource to aid our work. To us, our volunteers are a repository of
energy, creativity and commitment. At CRY, we encourage and support our volunteers to
empower people and communities to bring about positive change - by encouraging them to
initiate action in their environment. The mutual commitment that exists between us and our
volunteers provides a free space for reaching out and a shared learning.
MANCOMM
A leadership collective comprising of Regional and Strategic Directors, whose key role is to
provide direction and leadership, as well as uphold CRYs values across the organization.
Puja Marwaha (Chief Executive)
A post graduate diploma holder in Human Resources from XISS - Ranchi,
Puja joined CRY in 1994 to set up the HR function. Prior to that, she worked
with Citicorp and KSIL. She was appointed Chief Executive of Child Rights
and You in February 2010.

Kreeanne Rabadi (Director - Western Region)

A post graduate diploma holder in Early Childhood Care & Education
(ECCE) from Sophia College Polytechnic, Kreeanne joined CRY in 2000 to
lead the Resource generation team in West. In 2005 she set-out to establish
the marketing function for CRY America. Today, she is the Regional
Director West.

Sridhar Guduthur (Director - Finance, IT & Planning)

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A Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of experience across industries,

Sridhar joined CRY as General Manager - Finance in 2006. In 2010, he took on
the role of Director - Finance with added responsibilities of the Information
Technology and Planning functions.

Suma Ravi (Director - Southern Region)

Suma graduated from XLRI in 1987 were she was a student of Business
Management. She worked for several years in the market research industry as a
qualitative researcher, in companies such as Nielsen, TNS in UAE, Hong
Kong, Indonesia. She had a stint with CRY from 1991- 1994. Suma is now
backing with CRY and heads CRYs Southern Region.

Anita Sharad (Director - Resource Mobilization)

A BSc Electronics graduate, Anita joined CRY in 2007. After 14 years of
experience in Marketing and Communications, working on brands and
services of national and international repute in companies like Contract
Advertising, Euro RSCG, Parry Nutraceuticals and JWT, moving to
CRY was a conscious decision in a bid to put her vast experience in the
corporate sector to good use for something she strongly believes in.

Atin Das (Director - Eastern Region)

Atin Das joined CRY Kolkata in 1992 with a background of 13 years of
grassroots experiences. Atin was soon given charge of heading Development
Support for CRY in the Eastern Region. The unit has grown and achieved many
milestones under his efficient leadership and passion towards the cause of
children. Atin has taken-up the position of Director - Eastern Region in January
2011.

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Development Support
Vijaylakshmi Arora (Director - Development Support)
Vijaylakshmi has 20 years of experience in the field of child protection. Prior to
joining CRY as Director, Policy and Research in July 2011, she has worked with
a number of Indian and international NGOs including UNICEF, Concerned for
Working Children, Save the Children US and Oxfam GB, she has also played key
roles at academic institutions like the National Law School University of India
and the Government of India.

Soha Moitra (Director - Northern Region)

A post graduate in Social Work from M.S University, Vadodara, and Soha joined
CRY in 1997. In her initial years she worked with the Youth division in Delhi and
later the Development Support Division. After gaining experience at the
grassroots she went on to anchor Volunteer Action Division at CRY. Today, she is
Regional Director North.

Komal Ganotra (Director - Policy, Research, Advocacy and Documentation)

With over 15 years of experience in the field of child rights, Komal joined CRY in
April 2014. Previously, she has worked as a consultant with national and
international bodies such as the National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (NCPCR), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Action Aid India, Save the
Children and CRY on policy framework, development and evaluation. She has
also worked with Child line, Pathfinder International, Action for Food Production
and the Udaipur School of Social Work.

With the NGOs we support, CRY defines its role as that of an enabler - looking for nascent,
grassroots-level NGOs and supporting them with financial as well as non-financial inputs.
We adopt an angel investor or a social venture capitalist approach to grant making. That means
we look for promising, nascent, grassroots-level NGOs and communities that work in the rights
framework, addressing the root causes of inequity rather than its symptoms. Our grant making
(also known as Development Support within CRY) follows a social justice agenda. We
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emphasize on advocacy as an essential medium if change is to be achieved on a significant scale.

With the NGOs we support, CRY defines its role as that of a partner - each infusion of funds is
accompanied by the non-financial inputs necessary to ensure their optimum utilization and
maximum impact. Inputs in the areas of organization building, programme development,
training, and perspective building in child rights, accountability and advocacy.
In addition, each initiative combines direct action with children, community mobilization and
policy influencing components to maximize impact and ensure long-term viability. This is
particularly critical where both, society and government institutions are still plagued by feudal
biases of caste, gender, ethnicity and religion.
Over three decades of working with and for children, their families and communities, CRY's
grant making efforts to over 500 NGOs, has helped restore to 1,500,000 children their basic
rights to a childhood.
Community mobilization is what we at CRY believe is the most effective long-term solution to
the multiple causes of poverty, deprivation, exploitation and abuse that shackle India's children.
In recent years, we have been witnessing incredible transformation across 13000 village and
slum communities in 22 Indian states that CRY works in along with its partner initiatives.
Erstwhile bonded laborers being elected to panchayats, women and girls now challenging
centuries old practices and biases, non-violent redistribution of community resources, and
transparent, democratic, accountable governance.
With our experience, reach, credibility and influence, we have increasingly taken on the role of
initiating networks to enhance solidarity, enable the transfer of learning, increase the
effectiveness of our policy influencing efforts and establish standards in the area of public
accountability. Thanks to our grassroots outreach and relative independence from large
benefactors, these efforts are grounded in local reality and therefore, relevant to indigenous needs
and priorities of the communities.

COMMUNICATIONS
We strive to ensure the highest quality content in our direct mail, advertising, media and
advocacy campaigns to effectively communicate CRYs vision.
Given its familiarity to Indians today, it's easy to forget that the name that appeared on the face of
those first greeting cards, sold door-to-door in the early years of CRY's existence, is today one of
India's most recognizable brands.
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Brand CRY is the product of almost three decades of constant innovation and nurturing. Thanks
to innovative awareness building strategies achieved at a minuscule financial cost. To donors,
individual and corporate, development professionals, bureaucrats and politicians, purchasers and
retailers, CRY has come to represent trustworthiness, sincerity and commitment.
CRY works to ensure the highest quality both in content and look in its direct mail, advertising,
media and advocacy campaigns to effectively communicate and engage its stakeholders.
Supporting CRY in every aspect of communications are specialist organizations who as their
contribution to the cause charge CRY significantly reduced rates. These are critical and
unavoidable investments that CRY makes to achieve wider reach mobilize action and build a
network of people and groups committed to children's rights.
PRAD
The PRAD (Policy Research Advocacy Documentation) team was established to ensure lasting
change for children by leveraging organizational knowledge, expertise on child rights issues
along with key research data to influence executive, legislature and judiciary in favor of child
rights.
Policy, Research, Advocacy & Documentation Work At CRY
Work done by Policy, Research, and Advocacy & Documentation Division of CRY could be
summed up as follows:
Policy Advocacy: analysis of laws, policies, schemes and budgets; tracking of developments on
Human Rights (HR) and Child Rights (CR) Policy processes; periodic consolidation of Social
and Economic Policies (National and International); tracking of trends on policy debates (civil
society and government); following up on action and inaction of legislature, executive and
judiciary on CR issues; development of Working Papers and Policy Briefs; engagement with
external stakeholders (Civil Society, Policy Influencers and Policy Makers).
Research: undertaking national research to inform legislations and policies; providing support in
designing/ensuring quality in researches undertaken by various functions of CRY; identifying
potential areas of research for the organization to inform programme interventions; capacity
building of VA teams/volunteers on research methodologies.
Knowledge Management: collating and analyzing secondary data on key child rights indicators;
developing fact sheets on the issues of education and malnutrition; providing relevant data to
media advocacy teams for press releases.
Media Advocacy: generating content for media; Info packs on child labour, malnutrition, Right
to Education, and the girl child; anchoring overseas media coverage; collating case studies and
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converting them into media savvy content; capacity building of regional media teams;
networking with senior editors.
Documentation Centre: The centre serves as repository of knowledge and information on
various child rights issues. We invite you to visit the centre housed at the Mumbai office and
browse through the collection of books, journals and papers on a range of development-related
topics.
HR & Administration
A cadre of talented, committed professionals at the core of CRYS organization continually
pushes us on towards achieving newer milestones.
Accomplishing milestones at CRY has only been possible due to the organizations ability to
continually attract, retain and develop a cadre of talented, committed professionals. These fulltime employees form the core of this indigenous Indian movement that today involves lakhs of
individuals and organizations in India and overseas.
Some of the areas covered at CRY Human Resources are recruitment, people development,
employee governance, performance management, institution building initiatives and policies.
CRY WORLD
CRY World is where child rights and you meet. In this space, you will find attractive gift items,
stationary, household decorations and fun art and craft items.
At CRY World you will find attractive gifts, decorative and household items, stationery products,
toys and educational games that ensure learning while playing each item, narrating a story of
its own. CRY World also stocks a complete range of paper products like diaries, notebooks and
beautiful cards. You can also make us a part of your special occasions by creating invitation
cards through CRY World, ordering customized gifts with your name and photographs or even
creating special give-always for personal and official functions. As always, the proceeds from
your purchase will go towards strengthening CRY's projects across 23 states in India.
Finance
Accountability and transparency are values that form the foundation of this organization. CRY is
an Indian Public Trust, and is accountable for every rupee raised from the public at large and
every rupee disbursed to the projects we partner. The focal point is to continuously invest,
monitor and account for resources raised & disbursed.
20

Information Technology
CRY constantly endeavors to optimize its resources be it in servicing our partners, donors or in
building internal capacities for child rights. Information technology infrastructure and
management allows for a variety of tools that support CRY's donor servicing, information
sharing, increase operations efficacy and provide for strategic inputs in systems and process
across CRY.

Grant Risk Management (GRM)

The GRM is a unit established to ensure the effective utilization of funds through efficient and
transparent accounting systems and monitoring of financial mechanisms across CRY-supported
projects.
The primary function of the GRM Unit is to ensure effective utilization of CRY funds and build
efficient and transparent accounting systems and financial monitoring mechanisms at partner
level. The team also regularly conducts capacity building workshops with partners and
Development Support Teams on financial management and basics of accounting.
CRY'S CAMPAIGNS
Over the years CRY has initiated, launched and organized campaigns to amplify the voice of
children and their rights. These campaigns have focused on specific issues - from influencing
child-friendly policies, to rehabilitation efforts in disaster and natural calamities, to creating
awareness on the situation of children. Our campaigns have always involved the public, our
citizens. Your support is crucial to bring about social change in the lives of children and their
communities.

21

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24

25

DONATING ONLINE:MAKE LASTING CHANGE POSSIBLE

Volunteer
Go social
For corporate
Volunteer Voices:Shubham Agrawal
Software Developer
Delhi
Believe in the motto of CRY. We are here to being in a permanent solution to issues. So if you
are looking to satisfy your conscience, CRY may not be the place for you. Working at CRY
requires perseverance and selflessness. Achieving results is not easy, sometimes you may end up
achieving nothing on paper. But remember, we learn out of every experience, and when you
bring a change, you'll bring a change that lasts. Everyone at CRY has the unique opportunity to
be part of history.
Mannika Solanki
Student
Delhi
The best thing about CRY is that they don't teach children rather motivate them to go to
government schools. It is important because none of us can give them that education that will
help them get jobs and proper knowledge, which is what only the schools can provide.
ACT LOCALLY
NETWORKS FOR CHANGE
Networks of professionals, students, residents or like-minded people who believe every child has
the right to enjoy their basic rights form Networks of Change at CRY. Their activities range from
creating awareness on child rights issues, advocacy in their own sphere of work or building
locality based efforts to tackle the issues affecting children and their communities.
We are currently running two of these:
1. College Collectives
2. Citizen's Networks
26

GOVERNANCE
In a nation of the size and diversity of India, inequities are deeply rooted in centuries-old layers
of gender, caste, class, ethnicity and religion. Government policy, political careers and electoral
success too often become a patchwork of 'schemes' aimed at appeasing specific interest groups.
In this context, the contribution of private philanthropy is ineffective in ensuring that the benefits
of India's increasing prosperity are equitably distributed. CRY believes that a new model of
governance - where priorities are determined by empowered communities is needed to help
overcome these vast inequities. Today, 21st century NGOs adopt best practices in governance as
a part of their strategy. At CRY too, governance encompasses the non-negotiable values of
accountability, transparency and partnership. We follow this approach with each individual or
group that we partner, including vendors and third party suppliers. We actively engage advocates
for child rights in particular and social justice in general, from among the educated, professional
and business classes, from within and outside India. Governance is here to stay!

With our development partners:

Selection criteria based on long-term strategy and values.

Selection norms and processes designed for transparency.

Multi-layered, participative, documented and audited grant sanctioning system.

Data-driven, participative planning, monitoring and evaluation.

Exhaustive financial and impact parameters - process and outcome.

Internal and external audits - financial and programmatic.

Financial risk management - training and funding support.

Financial and capacity building inputs for organization building including leadership building,
democratic functioning, performance measurement and internal transparency.
With donors, media and government across markets:

Comprehensive reporting to donors and the public.

Proactive transparency.

Feedback mechanisms.

Values, ethics screening.

27

Norm and best practice bench-marking across for-profit and non-profit sectors.

Active participation in development of sector norms across sectors.

With employees and our board:

Mission-centric performance planning, evaluation and reward systems

Conflict of interest and ethics policies.

Democratic, participative, transparent decision-making.

Formal and informal feedback mechanisms and forums.

Documentation and independent audit.

Consistent adherence to, and investments in, building mission and values led ethos and culture.
FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions on CRY - NGO
Does CRY receive government funding?
As an NGO (non-government organization), we do not receive any direct government funding
allowing us to remain independent, making unbiased evaluations of government policies and
programmes. The government has also extended certain tax and duty exemptions to us, enabling
us minimize costs
In that case, how does CRY raise resources?
CRY raises the valuable resources we need for our work through:

Individuals

Corporate and institutional donations

The problem is huge! Will my small contribution make a difference?

It most certainly does. A small amount goes a long way. In fact, individuals contributions form
28

almost 90 to 95% of our income. Taken together, it is these seemingly small contributions that
collectively add up to a large amount needed to effect change. There are people all over who are
concerned about the situation of children and who want to do something to change it. However,
their own commitments and pressures do not allow them to go out and directly work with
children. CRY provides them the opportunity to help in whatever way they can. They can
contribute their money, materials, time, or skills. When everybody comes together and pitches
in, no task is impossible. This COLLECTIVE ACTION has an impact and brings about change.
Every individuals contribution is important. This is the fundamental principle on which CRY
functions.
What is the role of CRY in ensuring Child Rights?
At CRY, we believe that sustainable change for children is possible only when we address the
root causes such as non-functioning schools, child, unemployed parents, non-availability of
healthcare centers etc that keep children away from their rights and vulnerable.
Along with the support from over 200 grassroots-level partner NGOs, we work with children
and communities to make them aware of their rights, and empower them to address their issues
and demand what is rightfully theirs. Therefore ensuring not just a small change, but an entire
movement towards sustainable change in the lives of the children and their families.
How does CRY reach out for basic rights to children?
CRY believes that community mobilization is one of the key aspects of ensuring sustainable
change.
For more than three decades, our approach has ensured that children, their parents and
communities are informed about their rights and engage with their local government bodies to
make sure that the root causes of their immediate problems are solved.

How does CRY choose the projects it supports?

Our selection process is based on the values of trust, transparency, partnership and
accountability. CRY's Development Support division works closely with partners to understand
their needs, ensure resources are optimally used through regular budgeting and reporting
systems aided by Account Aid, a firm of chartered accountants specializing in this sector.

How are resources used?

We have learned that effecting long-term, sustainable change requires a holistic approach.
Accomplishing this kind of change necessitates work at three levels:
1. Direct action with children in the form of education and health care.
2. Community mobilization towards achievement of their rights.
3. Advocacy with government bodies to influence policy framing and implementation.
29

Financial support and non-financial inputs in the form of organization development, capacity
building and training is extended to:
1. Individuals and projects working directly with underprivileged children and their parents,
with local communities and government bodies.
2. Resource organizations that provide training, education material, etc. to smaller, younger
initiatives in particular.
3. Nodal agencies that function as miniature CRYs, permitting us to increase our reach.
Strategic alliances or networks, whose aim is to facilitate the transfer of learning, build solidarity
and influence policy.
HOW DOES CRY COVER ITS OWN COSTS?
CRY's organizational costs comprise:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Raising donations.
Selecting, monitoring, evaluating and providing capacity building inputs to projects.
Creating public awareness on our children's situation and their rights.
Support activities like administration, human resources, communication, information technology
and financial management.
5. Designing paper products such as greeting cards, stationery etc.

Office equipment, furniture, travel, courier services, information technology support, media and
advertising are some of the areas in which we receive free or discounted services from corporate
partners as well as donations in cash and kind, wherever possible. Exemptions from duties also
help reduce our costs. Income from corpus investments and other funds are also used to cover
30

expenses.
We would like to take his opportunity to reiterate our on-going need for support in the form of
infrastructure, equipment, corpus funds, skills and services. It is support of this nature that
enables us to focus on our activities in the field rather than on our own viability. Each rupee
saved is another deployed to benefit children. Every contribution in these areas actually frees
resources and enhances our capacities.
Are CRY employees paid for their work?
The full-time employees are given regular salaries. We believe that this is important to attract the
professional talent we need to manage our activities (and your resources) effectively. It is
important to note, however, that CRY salaries are modest in comparison with commercial
organizations.
I would like to view your Annual Report to know how you raise and disburse resources.
You can access our Annual Reports online as well as request a printed copy from the CRY office
nearest to you.
CRY partners with third party vendors and agencies to raise funds.
Donations from individuals are the mainstay of CRY's fundraising efforts. We make all attempts
to enlist in this movement for children each of the concerned individuals who come from every
walk of life and every corner of the globe. To enable us do this, we send direct appeals, updates
via snail mail and email.
We also use other avenues like third-party provided services for face-to-face marketing and telecalling, to reach out to individuals. Each representative / DSA (direct sales agent) from the
agencies will carry with them an identification card clearly stating that s/he is a CRY
representative along with the CRY logo and office address.

STORIES OF HOPE:KALAPANDHARI MAGASVARGIYA AND ADIVASI GRAMIN VIKAS SANSTHA

(KMAGVS)

31

WHAT CHANGED
Every year, a community in rural Maharashtra seasonally migrates for better livelihood
opportunities. Children stay out of school and lack of proper medical care and drinking water are
commonplace. Adding to their woes are successive years of drought, poor implementation of
government schemes, negligible infrastructure and few livelihood options. Amidst this situation,
Kalapandhari Magasvargiya and Adivasi Gramin Vikas Sanstha (KMAGVS), decided to take a
holistic approach and address the root causes of Migration and Barren lands. They focused their
efforts on Healthcare, Education, Community Mobilization and Youth Initiatives.
Today, Sarla is the President of the Village Youth Forum and works to create awareness on
various issues confronting their community.
SIPRAA COMMUNITY SPRINGS INTO ACTION

What Changed?
The districts in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra are among India's poorest districts. The
land is drought-prone; farming is not easy. Many farmers end up taking loans at high interest
rates. The resultant high costs of farming and failed crops force many people to migrate in search
of work.
Social Institute Programmes Rural Areas (SIPRA) initiated a journey of change in 62 villages
that transformed the lives of children and their families. SIPRA began by taking on the regions
32

most crippling issues illiteracy and alcoholism. Through a series of interventions SIPRA
mobilized the villagers to stand up for themselves.
Today, the women of Himayatnagar are confident about stepping out of their traditional,
repressed roles to stop alcoholism.
WHAT TO DO?
Donate online for child rights
SUPPORT a cause

3,000-Activate primary health centers.

6,000-Help provide early child care, health and nutrition.
8,400-Start, strengthen and monitor government schools.
12,000-Stop child labour; help remove children from work situations, enroll children into
school.

When we make sure every child goes to school, the India of our dreams will truly become reality.
Any amount you give can bring about change

Call to donate.

Debit bank account.

Legacy giving.

Write a cheque.

HOW TO DONATE TO CRY INDIA?

How do I make an online donation?

Select a donation scheme and specify the amount.

Your donation amount will show up on the right.
If you are donating just once to begin with, click on 'I am giving just this once'.
If you are interested in giving recurring donations via credit card or bank, click 'I want to
make it a habit'.

What happens if I select 'I am giving just this once?'

You will be taken to an online donation form. Please fill up all the required details and
click on continue.
Select the card type that you wish to use and click on proceed.
You will be re-directed to a secure Citibank payment gateway.
33

What happens if I select 'I want to make it a habit?

You will be taken to the online donation form.

Please ensure your donation amount is correct. This amount can be changed by clicking
on it right there.
Please ensure your donation amount is correct. This amount can be changed by clicking
on it right there.
If you select Credit Card, you will be prompted to select your preferred credit card
Click on proceed to be re-directed to the secure payment gateway.
If you select Via Bank, you will receive the necessary instructions on the same page.

You will receive an instant receipt for all your online donations along with the donation amount
and receipt number.

VOLUNTEER

Volunteer Voices
Find out what our volunteers have to say about their experiences working with CRY

2000 Volunteers across India.

10,000 children reached out.

58 Schools across India.

Internships
Internships are part of Volunteer Action Programme. From diverse professional and educational
backgrounds, interns are integral contributors to our cause. Assignments are classified as:

Reports & Advocacy

34

Events & Campaigns

The Volunteer Action team at CRY believes that the middle class has a pivotal role to play in
shaping the discourse on Child Rights- as people whose voice is heard, as people with access to
the media, as people with the capacity to influence policies and build pressure towards positive
government action for inclusive development.
Internships are a part of our Volunteer Action programme. Our interns come from diverse
professional and educational backgrounds, and are seen as integral contributors to the movement
for Child Rights.
The underlying assumption in all our partnerships with interns is that the experience with CRY
will enable them to continue to participate in the struggle for the rights for all children well
beyond the course of this internship. In that sense, the internship is recognized as a beginning of
a much longer relationship between CRY and the intern, as well as the institution they represent.
At CRY we believe in child rights for three reasons because the alternatives are unjust, illegal
and ineffective.

Internship aims to:

Provide an opportunity to interns, to put into practice and deepen their theoretical
knowledge of development issues.
Provide the interns the platform to develop a more grounded understanding of child rights
challenges in an Indian context.
Give interns an opportunity to learn advocacy, researching, campaigning, and networking
skills and operational aspects of development work.
Provide opportunities to strengthen scale up and build volunteer programmes.
Provide exposure for interns to take action for child rights in their daily lives.
Enable them to transform into committed volunteers for child rights after the internship
35

program.
Internship programs are designed to offer exposure to students and working professionals from
varied academic and professional backgrounds. The design of an internship depends on both the
interest and skill areas of the interns as well as requirements of CRY.
WHAT IT OFFERS?
Our interns and volunteers are involved in working on various child rights issues such as child
labour, education, health, and other issues related to human and child rights. The interns get a
chance to explore, know and contribute in important mainstream work of the organization
ranging from public mobilization, fact finding researches, field exposures and documentation,
pilot run project ideas, learn the threads of HR, organizing events, rope in media advocacy skills
and many more.
The options mentioned are not exhaustive and can be various; there is scope for innovation and
experimentation with novel ideas. All this contributes to advocacy with governments and other
institutions to make Child Rights a reality for all children.
GLIMPSES OF WORK
Reports
Advocacy
IECs prepared
Events organized
Internships are open @ Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune.
Depending on organization requirements, a few decentralized options are available too.
How to apply?
I. For individual applicants.
You need to submit the completely filled CRY Internship Application form.
II. For placement cell/ Faculty
a) Share the link to this page with all students.
b) Students should submit the completely filled CRY Internship Application form directly.
Eligibility criteria

Should be above 18 years of age

Should have finished the first year in college
Should be able to put in a minimum of 4 weeks; 6 weeks or more is desirable
Should give full time and intensive commitment
Should believe in values upheld by CRY - Respect for Human Dignity, Transparency,
36

Innovation, Accountability, Secularism, Non Violence, Working in Partnership

INTERN VOICES

A change is brought only when it is thought. I believe in CRYs vision to Bring a lasting
change in the life of children. Interning with CRY was an enriching experience for me. I not
only got exposure of the field of public relation and media relation, but also learnt how to
manage an event.
Nancy Priya
Patna Womens College, Patna
What is a Public Action Groups (PAG)?
PAGs are groups of people in a particular area who work towards addressing the root causes that
affect the basic rights of children in that area. They not only try to identify and eliminate root
causes affecting child rights, but also encourage others to be a part of this movement.
PARTICIPATE
ADVOCATE
As an advocate for Child Rights you can help amplify the voices of children.
37

Millions of India's children are still denied the simple joys of childhood, love and protection.
And for any change on a significant scale, it will require each one of us to start thinking of
children, not as objects of sympathy, but as citizens with the same rights that we consider our
due.
You can be a powerful partner to CRY as its communicator. Speak to your friends, family and
colleagues to create awareness about the situation of children, mobilize support for CRY and its
efforts to ensure that all children enjoy their basic rights.
Think about, know and understand the situation of children

What you can do:

Try looking at the world through the eyes of a child. Think giant-sized doors and shoes.
Imagine having to work with your computer where you have to reach over your head.
Visualize living in a gigantic world where even to quench your thirst you need to deal
with a heavy, huge bottle of water.

Ask yourself what is in the long-term best interests of children around you - your own,
your neighbors, the child who works at the tea stall nearby, your domestic help's/ driver's
children. Think up of opportunities you can give all of these children to play, learn, do
creative things together.

Sit with your children and initiate a discussion or work on a project on the situation of
children in your environment - in school, in your neighborhood, on the streets, at traffic
signals etc.

Act for child rights

What you can do:

Do not employ a child as domestic help, it's illegal.

Reject goods or services that employ children - search for and encourage those suppliers
and agencies that employ and pay adults enough to send their children to school.

Start by taking a walk down to the municipal school or health centre in your
38

neighborhood and see what you can do to change the situation. Maybe you and a few of
your friends from the neighborhood could get together and make it a more child-friendly
environment.

You can discuss with your children on how you can contribute to the cause of child rights
- by volunteering, holding exhibitions to create awareness or fund-raising drives.

Organize an in-house campaign to involve your colleagues or the management to

contribute time, money or skills.

Say no to sex selective abortion. Create awareness among family and friends on the evils
of discriminating against girl children.

CORPORATE
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
Corporate Partnerships and Funding
CRY has changed the lives of more than 20 lakh children by supporting more than 300 grassroots
initiatives in over 13,000 communities in villages and slums across 22 states in India.
"When we rolled out our payroll giving programme, CRY was a natural choice, because we
wanted to partner with an organization that is credible, transparent and rights based. CRY has all
that and more. Timely communication and latest updates on child rights issues are some of the
things that our employees appreciate." - Meenu Bhambhani, Corporate Social Responsibility
Head, Mphasis.
Why Partner with CRY?
39

We're transparent:Our financials are public, and have been for over a decade. As an organization, we are mandated
to carry out an annual external financial audit.
We manage and monitor our projects:
We manage and monitor our projects stringently to ensure efficient utilization of funds. Projects
are also regularly assessed by professionals to measure progress against plans. Meetings with
project staff, parents, children and community groups help us gauge progress.
We stand for Lasting Change:
We focus on mobilization and empowerment of communities. Our approach gets to the root
cause of these developmental issues - such as non-functioning schools, unemployed parents, nonoperational healthcare centers and so on that keep children away from their rights - and enable
change that can sustain itself.

Give your brand visibility

Partnering with us. Be a part of our Endeavour to make lasting change

Enhance your brand image and be known as a socially conscious organization

Give employees the chance to make a difference.

Adopt a Project
CRY acts as a link between you and your selected project. We are responsible for monitoring its
working through our Development Support Unit. CRY also continues to provide non-financial
inputs to the project, like training, technical expertise, build capacity, information on child rights,
communication and campaign support.
When you adopt a project, you can choose to support an entire project or just a part of it, based
on its area of focus - like education, health, vocational training, or its area of work - child-related
issues such as the discrimination against the girl child, child labour, rehabilitation of the children
of commercial sex-workers, and so on. Some organizations have chosen projects near their
plants. Others have focused on projects in a particular state, which they felt needed development.
One of our partners, American Express Bank, Delhi has adopted a CRY-supported project called
Swathi that works at Tigri, a slum on the southern fringes of Delhi, focusing on education and
functional literacy for children and adults. The bank has a comprehensive in-house citizenship
40

programme, which encourages its employees to contribute, both monetarily and by getting
involved with the project.
Cause-related Marketing
As a corporate, you can use your marketing channels for innovative ways to support CRYs
efforts. You can focus on what you do best - marketing and you help CRY in the process. We call
this 'cause-related marketing.'
Some examples:

Donate proceeds from the sale of a product or service - We help organizations work out
special promotions, from which a percentage of the profits is donated to CRY. Novartis
India Ltd. donated 2% of the value of sales of Ovaltine Plus towards CRY's Gujarat
rehabilitation operations. The total amount raised was approximately Rs. 40,000.
Provide a platform for CRY - You can use your goodwill and influence with your
customers, clients, suppliers, and associates to provide a forum for CRY's efforts. The
Oberoi Hotels had specially designed and printed envelopes placed in all their properties
for their guests to contribute to CRY. The effort was a huge success, and we collected
more than Rs. 6.50 lakhs in 18 months.

Payroll Giving
As a corporate house you can give the individuals in your organization the opportunity to make a
difference in the lives of underprivileged children. This encourages participation and enhances
corporate morale too.
CRY's 'payroll giving' is a simple and effective option. The company's employees contribute by
sanctioning an automatic deduction from their monthly salaries towards CRY. This eliminates
paper work and makes the donation process easy and hassle-free. Of course, to put this option
into effect would require the consent and participation of both, the management and employees.
SICOM and Datamatics are some of the organizations that support CRY through this
scheme.
Event Sponsorships
Over the years CRY has initiated, launched and organized events to amplify the voice of children
and their rights. Events form an integral part of CRY as it enables us to create awareness on the
situation of Indian children and simultaneously raise crucial resources. These events focus on
specific issues - from influencing child-friendly policies, to rehabilitation efforts in disaster and
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natural calamities, to creating awareness on the situation of children. Our campaigns have always
involved the public, our citizens. Your support is crucial to bring about social change in the lives
of children and their communities. By sponsoring a CRY event, you not only ensure that your
brand or organization reaches out to a wide range of people, but also partner CRY in raising the
necessary funds.
Underwriting CRYs expenses
In any organization there are several operational costs incurred in managing and maintaining the
organization and its activities. Some of these costs can be underwritten by corporate houses or
individuals. At CRY, we incur costs such as information technology, office furniture, basic
amenities, cost of travel, trainings, and so on. By partnering with CRY to underwrite our
organizational expenses, it allows us to focus on our programmes, thereby joining us in our
endeavor to create lasting change.

SHOP AT CRY WORLD

CRY World offers you exclusive gifting options in attractive exclusive designs for bulk orders,
which can be customized to your requirements for any occasion.
What's more amazing is that proceeds from all purchases help CRY strengthen its work towards
ensuring a happy childhood for children across India!
SELECT
A category of products

Birthday cards

Wedding cards
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Corporate gifts

Product catalogue

What is CRY World?

CRY World is where Child Rights and You meet. When you purchase products from CRY World,
the proceeds go towards supporting CRY projects across India. With your help, these projects
work towards ensuring that every child gets his/her basic rights - to live, learn, play and grow...
to have a happy, wholesome life.
The CRY - Archies Partnership:
Archies Greetings and Gifts Ltd (AGG) is the sole distributor for CRY greeting cards and paper
products. In AGG, CRY has a partner organization whose core business is greeting cards, and
who shares our vision for and commitment to children. AGG now manufactures and handles the
retail distribution of all CRY products, while CRY's personnel focus on our areas of strength design and brand building. AGG also advises us on product line extensions and expansion into
retail-oriented products, non-seasonal products and e-greetings.
GO SOCIAL

Follow us on the below social media platforms for the latest images,
updates and videos on CRY, the status of children and child rights in India. Join us to participate
in polls, contests and more.
CHILD RIGHTS AND YOU

About child rights

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According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children - that India ratified in
1992 - all children are born with fundamental rights.
PRINCIPLES OF CRY

Right to Survival - to life, health, nutrition, name, nationality

Right to Development - to education, care, leisure, recreation, cultural activities

Right to Protection - from exploitation, abuse, neglect

Right to Participation - to expression, information, thought, religion

And a right to achieve these dreams. Even though India's children account for more than onethird of its population, their interests have never been given priority. And their rights have been
violated every single day.
CRY has compiled some statistics on the situation of children in India. This is based on our
experience of working on a range of children's issues across India. The statistics are grim. What
is worse is that very little is known of what it means to be part of such horrific numbers. The task
before us is huge and we at CRY believe that for real change to happen, every member of our
society should take responsibility to change the lives of these children permanently.
While the reality in India may be far from ideal, we at CRY believe that every child has a right to
dream.
Child Labour
It is our view that children continue to be exploited and abused because the State and people do
not address childrens issues comprehensively and effectively.
In Mumbai, for instance, the standard response to child labourers is one of 'rescue', rather than
looking at the poverty that sent children to labour in the first place. Only 'rescuing' children,
often will not help. What is needed is proper rehabilitation - including bridge courses for children
to make up in years of lost schooling, ensuring good quality free government schools, good
backup in health services and adequate employment and housing for the adults.
Children are naturally linked to their families. Thus children's rights are intrinsically linked with
the realization of human rights in general. The supply chain of cheap child labour can only be
eradicated if its root causes are also addressed - causes like social and economic marginalization,
poverty, displacement, migration, lack of a coherent policy towards quality education for all etc.
All these are situations that force children into work.
Children work mainly to help their families because the adults do not have appropriate
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employment and adequate income. Children also work because there is a demand for cheap
labour in the market. Poor and bonded families, succumbing to the demand, often "sell" their
children to contractors who promise lucrative jobs in the cities and the children end up being
exploited. Many run away and find a life on the streets.
Unless child labour is banned in agriculture, eradicating it will remain a pipe dream. Agriculture
and allied work accounts for as many as nearly 70% of India's 17 million child labourers, but is
not included in the list of 16 occupations and 65 processes in the Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Act, 2006.
When children are forced to work long hours in the fields, herding livestock or helping in food
production, their ability get adequate nourishment and to attend school is limited, preventing
them from gaining education. Girls are particularly disadvantaged as they often undertake
household chores following work in the fields.
The distinction between hazardous and non-hazardous work in relation to children is spurious
because children work out of compulsion - of poverty and adult unemployment. This is why
CRY believes that for children, all forms of labour are hazardous.
A May Day Petition To End Child Labour
For International Labour Day 2012, our CEO, Ms. Puja Marwaha, underlines the importance of
better policies for the unorganized sector towards stemming Child Labour and promoting
childhood welfare.
For most people living and working in cities, Labour Day is just another one of those public
holidays that nobody questions and everybody appreciates. On a day designed to give voice to
the rights of the Indian work force, perhaps one ought to consider those who have been forced to
join their ranks too soon - child labourers.
The Government of India approximates that an astounding 42.02 per cent of the Indian
workforce is estimated to be children between the ages of 5 and 14. This is in direct
contravention of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. In spite of child
labour being banned in hazardous industries, 17 million children are engaged in child labour,
according to official sources. Unofficially, the numbers are much higher.
So why does this problem persist? Why does India continue to register some of the highest
numbers of child labourers in the world, after all the legislations and prohibitions, bans and
raids? And above all, what would compel a parent to send their child to work?
Teenage girls have formed groups that keep an eye out for any cases of child marriage, and
women's groups have taken on the battle against in alcoholism among the men. Working
together, the villagers are developing safer livelihood options that keep people from the open
coal pits. Children are now in school and not in labour. But micro-successes like these will not
impact India's staggering poverty statistics, unless backed by a holistic policy. The Social
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Security Bill for Unorganized Workers was presented in 2008 with the hopes to provide just that
- various social security schemes and suitable welfare schemes that cover the vast unorganized
sector in India. If implemented well, it has the potential to provide a safety net to the vast
numbers of marginalized families in rural India.
The Crossroads:
It is a curious condition that pervades the whole country - in spite of an impressive growth in
GDP; the benefits are limited to a small section of the population. Those left out share a few
common characteristics - socially discriminated, educationally deprived and economically
destitute. In addition, their access to viable employment continues to diminish, ultimately leaving
them at the mercy of illegal or exploitative labour. In terms of quantity and quality of
employment, their options and resources have stagnated, even in this period of accelerated
growth.
The government-implemented policies have fallen short of addressing the situation adequately.
The implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has been
uneven across the country, and the basic framework of entitlements still needs to be put in place
across the country. There have also been massive delays in wage payments in recent months,
causing immense hardship to NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) workers.
The programme design assures the presence of child care facilities at all sites where more than
five children under the age of six are present; however, there are very few on-site child care
facilities provided under NREGS work.
Even the Social Security Bill for Unorganized Workers does not clearly specify the ways in
which social security will be provided, how an unorganized worker is to be defined to access the
benefits of the schemes and whether the new boards that have been set up have powers to make
sure that States implement the recommendations.
The NREGS can at best be described as a stop-gap measure, a sort of means to tide-over lean
periods in income-generation for the poor and marginalized. However, with the compounded
consequences of the agrarian crisis, it has quickly become the only option of a sustainable
livelihood. And as such, it fails both the adults and their dependent children, for whom it is the
only lifeline.
The limit of 100 days of work per household effectively leaves workers unemployed for 2/3rds
of the year. It also restricts employment for other eligible family members who may
consequently be forced to find work elsewhere. It leaves the children most vulnerable to the
exploitative industries that are usually the only options available.
However, it is clear that while the initiatives implemented still need to be perfected, they are
within the vein of improvement. Anecdotal evidence from Rajasthan (Burra, 2006) suggests a 20
per cent reduction in the incidence of migration amongst children and a corresponding increase
in school enrolment and retention by 25 percent as an impact of the NREGS. A longitudinal
research on childhood poverty (Young Lives) in Andhra Pradesh finds that programme
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registration reduces the probability of a boy entering child labour by 13.4% points and
programme take up reduces it for girls by 8.19% points.
A long way to go:
There is clearly an urgent need for a set of additional policies and programmes to help contain
the livelihood crisis. In the meantime, a comprehensive expansion plan of the NREGS to include
all rural areas of India and the extension of the scheme to urban areas is imperative, and a good
place to start, bolstered by a broad Social Security bill that would take care of basic rights such
as fair wages and healthcare. The benefits of such an inclusive policy would have far-reaching
effects - one that would span generations. This is something we at CRY have seen happening in
village after village - when the rights of the parents are guaranteed, the rights and dignity of the
child is guaranteed.

42.02% of India's workforce was estimated to be children between 5 and 14 years of age.
68.14% of child labourers were employed in the agriculture sector.
16 occupations and 65 processes are included in the list of hazardous work outlawed by
the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, updated in 2006. Agriculture is
not included in this list.
Growing rural and urban poverty, combined with a lack of fundamental services such as
schools and anganwadis, is pushing children into labour, which may include helping the
family, working as goat herds, etc.

On Child Actors:
Children who are working full time in daily soaps may not have time for studying, playing, rest
and relaxation. While parents are in charge of their children's welfare, both parents and serial
makers need to be very careful that their guardianship does not treat children as commodities to
be profited from. While working in the film and television industry has not been included in the
list of hazardous work in the latest Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act, if the child is
working at the cost of his/her welfare and being denied his/her rights to education, health and
participation, we as society need to take a stand to protect, not find loopholes in the law.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, passed as recently as in 2006, prohibits marriage between
any man-aged less than 21 years and any woman aged less than 18. The law came about because
of a realization that unless such social mores are changed, girls will continue to suffer from the
lack of freedom, good health, education and the right to choose their own destinies.
What CRY will do?
CRY hopes to continue on its mass awareness drives like the campaign we conducted around
anti-child Labour Day, so that both the governments as well as the people learn to be more make
sure that children anywhere are not exploited, that they are treated as persons with rights and not
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just as properties of the caregivers.

STATISTICS ON CHILDREN IN INDIA
The primary source of revenue for this organization is through donations by individuals and
organizations. In the financial year 2004-05, its income through donations, sale of products and
interest was around Rs.36 crores. Around Rs.14 crores was used for mobilizing income, Rs.2.3
crores was incurred for establishment and other expenditure and around 17 crores were disbursed
to over 120 organizations throughout the country.
They bring together donations, time, voices, support and resources from individuals like US.

REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS

The Synergos Institute Case Studies

This report discusses the emerging role of foundations in strengthening civil society, how they
are created and how they sustain themselves as philanthropic entities. Child Rights and You
(CRY) is a part of this case study.
CRY in Action Newsletter 2013-14
The news letter shares the impact of the work done by CRY in making Indias children a priority
in 2013-14 with the support of our stakeholders.

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CRY in Action Newsletter 2012-13

The newsletter focuses on putting children first and to ensure they experience a childhood they
deserve.
CRY & C.A.R.E. report on Child Labour
This report explores the aftermath of Mumbai Raids in 2008 to understand what happens to
children once they are rescued from labour.
CRY & C.A.R.E. report on Child Labour
This report explores the aftermath of Mumbai Raids in 2008 to understand what happens to
children once they are rescued from labour.
Status Report on Child Rights in India
The report shows a very dismal situation where current issues concerning children are
highlighted.
Voices of Children
This report offers a window of opportunity to hear and listen to what children have to say and
understand their perspective on issues that affect them.

CHILD RIGHTS LIBRARY

The CRY Office in Mumbai hosts a specialized library gathering books, publications and reports
on child rights and issues affecting children in India. Free and open to all, the library or
Documentation Centre as we call it at CRY was a dream of our founder, the late Rippan Kapur,
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who envisioned CRY as an organization encompassing all domains impacting the lives of
children in India. Taking his dream forward, we have made the documentation centre available
online so that libraries, students, researchers and people from all walks of life can access our
collection of child rights reports and periodicals- at no additional cost.

The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) gives you access to titles and works on three main
subjects:
Children & Society Child Rights;

Non Profits & Fundraising;

Ideas of Development & Social Change Determining Childhoods.

The collections consists of over 2,700 hard copy books, close to 3,000 hard copy reports, 355
videos, 112 e-books and over 14,000 e-articles!
CRY'S FOOTPRINT IN INDIA

4,61,000 children aged 6-18 enrolled in school

82,105 children under the age of 1 immunized
626 villages and slums made free from child labour
2,000 +active full-time CRY volunteers
300 +grassroots initiatives supported across India
NATIONAL CHILD RIGHTS FELLOWSHIP
CRY Research Fellowship
In 2007, CRY created and awarded the first National Child Rights Research Fellowships to six
individuals. The idea was to provide an opportunity for Indians willing to invest time and
creative energy to explore the issue of what is in the best interest of children.

CRY Media Fellowship

The National Child Rights Media Fellowship creates a community of journalists from diverse
media print and electronic who through their CRY fellowship journey become committed and
passionate advocates for child rights.
CHILD RIGHTS RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP 2014-2015
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CRY is pleased to announce the Awardees for the National Child Rights Research Fellowship
2014-15 (NCRRF Year 8). They have been selected for the award of an individual research
fellowship and we are happy share their topics of research.

Aadil Bashir: who will be researching `Threats and Risks Experienced by Children
Residing Near Military Training Grounds: A Study of Children in Tosmaidan of District
Budgam in Jammu & Kashmir.
Anvar Sadath.V: who will be conducting a qualitative study on Child Marriage among
Muslim girls in Kerala
Dada Dadas: who will be assessing the Educational Status of Nomadic Tribe Children A Study of Dhanger Community in Eastern Part of Satara District.
Qurat Ul Ain Masoodi: who will be researching Children in Armed Conflict: Juvenile
Detention in Jammu and Kashmir

CHILD RIGHTS AWARDS

Over the past three decades, we at CRY have witnessed firsthand the potential for each
individual, from different walks of life, to become an agent of change and help ensure all
children lead the childhood they deserve. Be it a student, a journalist, a home maker or a
corporate professional, we have met many persons who have contributed significantly towards
placing the focus on children and their rights and it is to recognize and celebrate the efforts of
such individuals that CRY instituted the Child Rights Awards.
The awards aim to appreciate the work done by individuals from different sectors, to put Indias
children first, both in their own field of work and also to influence different stakeholders
including decision makers, companies, media, foundations, institutions and citizens everywhere.
CRY Founder Rippan Kapur (1954-1994) once said We believe that people care. What we
need is to express this concern in action. With the Child Rights Awards, we hope to encourage
more people to change their concern into tangible action and join us in ensuring lasting change
for Indias children.
CRY Child Rights Champions Award for corporates
The CRY Child Rights Champion awards - the first of its kind in India - was instituted by CRY
Child Rights and You in an effort to recognize companies that give special focus to this most
critical and vulnerable stakeholder and lauds the stalwarts of Indian Industry for demonstrating
extraordinary commitment to the rights of children in India.
The CRY Child Rights Champion Awards were first launched in 2012 to recognize and celebrate
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companies who have ensured that their business policies and practices include children as a
stakeholder and have their well being as a critical part of their very existence.
Children from 30% of the worlds population, however they are the most vulnerable members of
society and the worst impacted in terms of human rights violations and environmental
degradation. In this interconnected world that we live in, businesses have a huge opportunity to
make a positive impact on the lives of children through their products and services and the very
methods through which they exist and conduct their activities.
CRY, being one of the lead players in the field of child rights in India, launched this award,
which is the first of its kind to commemorate companies who have shown a commitment to
children. In the last two years, this award has seen participation from multiple corporate houses
across a wide spectrum of industries.
HPCL, P&G, Aviva, HCL & Dabur have walked away with the honors, in the past. This year the
search continues for organizations whose commitment to children has been exemplary.

BRANCHES OF CRY IN INDIA

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CONCLUSION

Stand up for child rights

Our support could help to change their lives! Save the children works on concerns related to
underprivileged children. Your kind contribution ensures that these children receive education,
protection and all other conditions required for their survival. Save the children would utilize the
proceedings to facilitate response that are timely, at appropriate scale and scope, providing high
quality programming, to help the most vulnerable children.

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BIBLOGRAPHY:-

WEBLIOGRAPHY:-

http://www.cry.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/child_rights_and_you

http://www.thebetterindia.com/537/cry/

https://www.facebook.com/cryindia/videos

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