FACTS:  Child labor, Child marriage, Child abuse, Children using drugs are some of the biggest problems facing students in poor families in slums and rural areas. This leads to them not going to school and living a life of hardship. How does one resolve this?

In Bhavnagar area of Gujarat there is a very innovative initiative called BALSENA which is being run by a NGO called Shaishav Child Rights. This initiative is a children’s collective. It serves as a platform for children to understand their rights such as their right to education, their right to not be forced into child labor, how child marriage is a criminal offence and their right to an abuse-free life. Most of the children here come from slums and villages.

Through BALSENA, children find their inner strength to withstand external pressures. They can assert themselves to authority figures, pull themselves out of child labor or substance abuse and resist child marriage. Empathetic with a strong sense of solidarity, BALSENA children are known for standing up for others in their time of need. Inclusive, kind, and confident, BALSENA children are active agents of social change in their families, their schools, and communities.

I have started this campaign to raise funds to transform the lives of children of daily wage labor who live in the slums of Bhavnagar area and nearby villages. The cost to train a student for an entire year is just INR 4000. Help me raise INR 20000 or more and transform the lives of 5 children or more. Pl fund till the last day.

The funds from the crowdfunding campaign go to the NGO called SHAISHAV which is a well-established and reputed not-for-profit working for the most marginalized children in the town of Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Donations are eligible for tax exemption under 80G of the IT Act of 1961 & Foreign funding is also possible.

HELP ME RAISE INR 20000 AND IMPACT 5 CHILDREN

CASE STUDY

ABOUT ME AND MY CAMPAIGN

My name is Ridansh Agrawal and I am a Grade 9 student at ANAND NIKETAN school AHMEDABAD.

I have started this campaign to raise awareness and funds to transform the lives of children of daily wage who live in slums in Bhavnagar area and nearby villages. I was not happy to learn about how children are forced into child labor or child marriages and have their future destroyed.

I want to make a difference to other kids my age through this campaign. The fact that just INR 4000 can fund their transformation for a year is something that made me want to do this even more. Pl fund my campaign as a simple act of kindness on your part can have a profound impact on a child’s life. It will give them education, confidence and a wonderful life.

As an individual, I am trying to raise INR 20000 to impact 5 children by funding their education at BALSENA. Let us make a difference together. If I collect more fund’s we can transform the lives of more children and prevent the evils of child labor child marriages etc.

COST SHEET:

ABOUT BALSENA & SHAISHAV:

BALSENA works on a children’s collective model. Through weekly gatherings right in their own neighbourhoods and schools, children learn how to voice their opinion and stand up for those rights. You’ll often see the children marching through the streets, campaigning door to door or rallying in front of local government offices to raise awareness about issues they care about.

This done by cooperative games as a way to open up discussion about leadership, empathy, and solidarity. These discussions lead into life skills training such as how to express oneself, how to think critically to solve problems and make decisions, how to cope with stress, and how to be mindful of their actions and their effect on others. Children are encouraged to practice public speaking and taking the lead in activities, which helps build their self-confidence.

Images: Children at Balsena collective come together to change their own lives and the lives of others.

SHAISHAV is a grassroots organisation working alongside children from marginalised communities in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. The NGO provides children from marginalised communities space and inspiration to work their own way out of difficult circumstances. The children they work with face all the challenges associated with slum life - child labor, child marriage, physical and sexual abuse, gender discrimination and substance abuse to name but a few. SHAISHAV recognises that a child who brings about change themselves will enrich not only their own life but society for generations to come. Consequently, we work alongside the children, giving them space and support to take control of their own future.

LOCATION MAP:

TAX BENEFITS:

Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as the NGO is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of the IT act. Foreign funding is accepted too.

FEEDBACK:

To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall get a report from the NGO (this takes between 2 to 3 months usually after the funds are raised & transferred to them) telling me who benefitted from the funding. The details will then be posted on the UPDATES section of my campaign and will be in a format like the one below. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an SMS and EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. Click on the link on the email and you can read about who benefitted. That's transparent right.

The below image is an example of the FEEDBACK FORMAT that we will be shared with all my funders.