CRY-making children smile
CRY celebrated its silver jubilee by holding an event ‘Come Share My World’,
at the Bishop Cotton’s Girls’ School recently, to highlight the difference
that it has made in for underprivileged children.
HEMLATHA L
Rippan Kapur in 1979 had a dream: to help children in need, seven friends to
support, donation of Rs 50. Result: The birth of CRY (Child Relief and You).
Now, 25 years later, CRY has hundreds of volunteers and a few crores in grants.
The organisation addresses issues like child labour, education and healthcare.
It works for children of commercial sex workers, the girl child, street
children, tribal children and children in juvenile institutions.
To celebrate the 25th year, CRY organised an event ‘Come Share My World’, at
Bishop Cottonx Girls’ School recently.
It showcased the enormous difference CRY has made in the lives of the
underprivileged children. Regina Thomas, director, Southern Region, spoke to
Metrolife on the occasion.
“CRY has passed through the stages of infancy, childhood and adolescence to
reach its adulthood. Rippan believed that when individuals join hands, they can
make an extraordinary difference.
He never came into the limelight and it was only when he passed away that people
got to know about the founder of CRY,” she said.
Regina informed that CRY supports 171 child development initiatives and educates
communities about their rights to fight exploitation. They develop a leadership
teams in their projects and teach them ways of advocating community rights. CRY
also helps NGOs to plan campaigns and programmes to mobilise the community. It
links NGOs through the State and the country, enabling them to share
experiences.
At the core of all this work is the belief that each child has rights that
society and the State owe her - the right to survive, to develop, to be
protected against exploitation and to participate in the decisions affecting her
future. “Today, we need to address issues concerning privileged children
too,” she added. Since 1990, CRY has sbeen working to sensitise privileged
children under a project called Youth Volunteer Action, to help them grow into
adults who can shoulder responsibilities towards society.
Kamana, a volunteer working with privileged children, talks about sensitised
children in Pai Layout in K R Puram, who took the responsibility of organising a
small Christmas party for the children of the neighbouring slum!
As a part of ‘Come and share my world’ programme, three of CRY’s partners
had set up display sections showcasing the difference they have made to
communities. Nalan, director, Nava Jeevan Trust, Chennai, said, they are working
for beedi workers’ rights in the Keelapavor block of Tirunelveli district.
He proudly adds that 117 out of 273 villages in the district have been declared
free of child labour.
Rammohan, secretary, HELP, Andhra Pradesh, said they are working for the rights
of children of sex workers.
He informed that his organisation is helping women to fight for their rights,
one of them being inclusion of the mother’s name in the school application
during admissions. They also run a residential school for children.
Fr Dr P V Joseph, president, Shantiniketan Charitable Society, on the need to
mobilise groups said, “You get mad about things and when you are convicted,
pass on that madness to others”. On the same day, enthusiastic children
enacted a play portraying a child’s desire to lead a normal life and how the
entire community comes together to help her realise her dream.
If you care to help for such projects, contact CRY over phone 25484952/ 8574.
Email: comm.blr@crymail.org or visit their website www.cry.org
[Deccan Herald, Monday, March 08, 2004]