Are you able to read this campaign? If your answer is yes, then it’s because you are educated. However, not many in India have the same privilege as you. And yes it is a privilege, according to a report 8.1 million children live in slums in India. These children are at a disadvantage from before they are born. The nutrition of a pregnant mother or a lack thereof, effects the growth and development of the child in the womb. Once they are born into the world, the disadvantage only increases due to lack of nutrition after birth, unhealthy and unsanitary conditions in the surroundings and low finances which prevents them from accessing quality early childhood care and education.

Concerns started in 2001 to address the needs of these children in Bangalore. For the past 19 years Concerns has provided quality early childhood care and education for 2000+ children. Concerns works with 160 children yearly in four child development centres to improve their literacy skills, their health & nutrition and their surroundings. We do this by providing children with books and worksheets, which they use throughout the year to improve their reading and writing skills. Through individual and group activities and games, we focus on improving their social and emotional development and their gross and fine motor skills. A health check-up is conducted bi-annually for all the children and they receive vitamin A and deworming tablets twice a year.  To ensure that children receive the adequate nourishment, Concerns provides one healthy meal every day for all the children. We also conduct monthly parent meetings to educate and create awareness on a number of issues to ensure the growth and development of the children in their homes. Additionally, children take part in many cultural events like sports day and annual day and celebrate festivals and government holidays.

While working with these children brings us immense joy and satisfaction, we often have to limit ourselves to the minimum due to limited resources. We are starting this fundraiser in the hope that we may provide these little ones with the best. Despite the poor background that they come from, they deserve to have a good schooling experience that is no different from a regular school atmosphere.

Each contribution of Rs. 220 will go towards the health and nutrition, learning materials, a field trip and special programs for one child per month.