One of the major projects supported by TRAS is the Voice of Children (VOC) project. VOC is run by AMAN (Facebook) and Vimarsh (Facebook), two Indian non-profits in the Almora and Nainital districts of northern India.
AMAN and Vimarsh are currently working in 12 rural villages, all of which are anywhere between 2km to 27km from the nearest road. These villages face many challenges to access education and health services. The isolation of these villages makes it difficult to attract qualified teachers and staff, so many village schools are forced to close. Even if children are able to get a primary school education, going to secondary school is often impossible as they can be too far away. Health services are often minimal or nonexistent, so many villagers also suffer from health problems.
In addition to these issues, women and girls face even more barriers to getting an education. Since there are few opportunities for income generation in the villages, men often leave to find work in cities. This means that women and girls are left to do all the work at home. Their work is very physically demanding, and leaves little time for getting an education or taking proper care of themselves. The literacy rate of women in these villages is much lower than that of men, and many women and girls develop health problems related to their labour.
Faced with these challenges, the goal of Voice of Children is to improve the lives of the people in the villages where it works by promoting education, keeping kids in school, and ensuring access to basic health care.
VOC provides a range of initiatives, loosely grouped into three categories: direct education to children; resource centres to support and complement education; and capacity-building initiatives to make sure that villagers know their rights, especially children and women.
Education:
In rural villages, education is often under-valued, and families would prefer that their children remain at home to work. Furthermore, the barriers to education including cost and distance are major deterrents. VOC aims to solve these issues with their Education Support Centres, Tuition Classes, and Computer Literacy Programs.
The Education Support Centres are geared towards low-income families that are often not given the opportunity to excel in school. Five centres are now in operation with 178 students regularly attending (79 male, 99 female). These centres provide educational extra-curricular activities that foster an appreciation and love for education, motivating the students to continue their studies.
The Tuition Classes provide a more direct and applicable education for the children. These classes focus on local issues and teach subjects that are more directly relevant to the students. These include general knowledge, health education, and environmental studies. There are currently five tuition centres with 114 children (55 male, 59 female).
Computer Literacy Programs are increasingly relevant and important for all students. There are currently two centres with 59 children where they are taught skills including how to use the internet, MS Office, and typing skills in both English and Hindi.
Resource Centres:
The different resource centres are designed to assist students with their studies, as well as have a place for women to learn about their rights. These include the Special Coaching Centre, the Women Counseling and Resource Centres, and the Fellowship program.
The Special Coaching Centre, located in Govinpur, links 29 students from 9 nearby villages. The students, (from classes 9-12) are provided with coaching and tutoring to aid them in their studies. The coaching includes sciences, math, and English. This service is currently provided by Aman, while Vimarsh looks to begin its own centre in the near future.
The Women Counseling and Resource centres are put in place to educate and support women with regards to protection from violence, health issues, and ways of legal recourse. These groups of 161 women have achieved remarkable success including getting the Ministry of Natural Gas and Petroleum to implement LPG connections to women in rural, low-income areas. This has greatly reduced the work required to cook. Two families began the Certificate of Marriage registry, and the Domicile and Caste Certificate. These give both women and children easier access to social security, including some schools that do not accept students without a legal domicile status.
Lastly, the Fellowship program supports 46 children that were deemed to be at risk of dropping out of school due to the financial burden. These children were given school bags, notebooks syllabus books and shoes.
TRAS now partners with Voice of Children through the TRAS Scholarship Fund to provide three-year scholarships to students entering university or other institutes of higher learning. TRAS currently provides eight students with these scholarships.
Capacity Building Meetings:
Both AMAN and Vimarsh organise regular meetings to listen to the needs of the communities, and to educate them about their various rights. The three meetings are the Community Mobilization meetings, meetings with Mahila Sangthan, and the Collective meetings.
The Community Mobilization meetings are directed towards local children. The meetings educate them about their rights, including child’s rights, gender issues and discrimination, personal hygiene, right to education, child labour laws, child help lines, environmental rights, republic day, sustainable development goals, and many more. These meetings have been highly successful with more than 400 children participating.
The meetings with Mahila Sangthan are a collaboration that unifies local women to have their voices heard, and to educate them about a variety of topics. The discussions focus on education about gender issues, PCPNDT, local self governance, domestic violence, relevant government programs, water-sharing, and many more. These have also been very successful with over 500 women participating.
Lastly, the Collective meetings bring together both children’s and women’s groups to discuss mutual issues. Most recently they celebrated International Women’s Day and had an an amazing turnout!
Watch this YouTube video to see the amazing people this project has helped.
We’ve just received a report on the Voice of Children Extension Project! The 6 months from November 2017 to April 2018 focused on the establishment of coaching classes, a resource centre for women, and on the improvement of education support centers, computer centers etc. Click here to read the full report!
Click here to read the latest Voice of Children half-yearly progress report from June 2018.
Voice of Children (VOC) is run by Aman and Vimarsh, two local Indian NGOs in the Almora and Nainital Districts in the hills of northern India (see #2 on theTRAS projects map). TRAS started working with them in late 2009 on a one-year pilot project funding educational projects in five villages. Within a year, amazed at what Voice of Children accomplished, TRAS agreed to partner with them for a longer period and support projects in more villages. There are now 12 villages – 7 supported by Aman and 5 supported by Vimarsh.
Each NGO has a small staff of highly dedicated workers earning a minimal wage and a team of local volunteers determined to improve conditions for people in villages. Their work covers many aspects of village life (agriculture, restoration of drinking water supply, community development, women empowerment, formation and strengthening of self-help groups, disaster preparedness, etc) besides the TRAS Voice of Children project.
The villages lie anywhere from 2km to 27km from nearest roads. All supplies are carried in and out on foot or by donkeys on trails. Village schools have often been closed because of the difficulty of finding staff to stay. (Village schools have often only one or two teachers. The majority of the teachers want to work close to urban centres. There is a shortage of trained teachers and this contributes very much towards deteriorating quality of education in Government primary schools). Getting to a secondary school is a near impossibility for youth in the most remote villages. With no regular health services, health problems are rampant. Apart from a little farming and animal husbandry, income generation is non-existent. Men often leave to find work in cities, leaving the women and children behind.
The aim of the Voice of Children project is to advocate for the rights of children, which are enshrined in state and national constitutions. Aman and Vimarsh do not want to build schools or health centres, but rather their objective is to empower the villagers to seek what is due to them by teaching them an awareness of their rights and of the value of education and encouraging them to act on behalf of their children.
Accomplishments since 2009:
Education and Health Projects
Early childhood education centres (Balwadi) for 3 – 5 year olds are currently established in 6 villages. Children learn early literacy skills in Hindi and English. Balwadis are run by village young adults whom Voice of Children trains.
The good news is that thanks to support from Voice of Children, local women have demanded that local governments fulfill their obligations, and two other centres have been taken over by the government and are running successfully.
Learning to write at the Balwadi in Gyopani village
Educational Support Centres for school-aged children (Bal Sangthan) are currently established in 5 of Aman’s villages. Volunteer teachers trained by Voice of Children staff plan an individualized program for each of the 125 children. They spend two hours at their centre each school day. Children improve their educational base in Hindi, English, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and General Knowledge
In the first few years, Aman also ran Bridging Courses to help the many children who had completely dropped out of school, often due to lack of parental support for education. Many children were re-integrated into the regular school system through the advocacy of the Aman staff and the Bridging Courses. Those who had dropped out and who wished to return to school found that not only were they behind in their studies, but they were often ignored when they returned to school. The Bridging Courses helped them catch up, and more importantly gave them and their parents the necessary support to ensure success in school. Now so few drop out that they are accommodated in the Educational Support Centres.
Tuition centres are run in 5 of Vimarsh’s villages to help 97 children keep up with their studies. All 5 villages are situated in very remote areas, and the Tuition Centres are a good opportunity for the children to strengthen their learning and to reduce the dropout rate. In 2015 Vimarsh appointed 5 new teachers – they were selected by the local women’s groups – and all five had been members of the VOC Children’s Groups.
Fellowship programs help Aman students with school supplies, fees, uniforms and shoes, to make it easier for them to stay in school. In 2015 27 children were helped, according to need. Vimarsh helped 5 school children and was also able to assist 15 university students with their fees –a first!
An unexpected benefit, gained through the advocacy of Voice of Children staff, is the support of the district education officer, who has ordered each school in the region to provide education to all children age 6 to 14 years.
Education Centres for Women In the beginning, women’s literacy classes were held in an almost clandestine manner, as the women felt their husbands would not allow them to learn. Now the classes are held openly and regularly, and children are helping to teach them, through the ‘each one teach one’ campaign. 18 more women became literate in 2015.
Computer Literacy Classes At the urgent request of the children, VOC has used the funds previously needed for early childhood education to start computer classes. In these remote villages computer accessibility is a dream come true. 109 children are now able to access, collate and organize information from different sources in the world and to increase their knowledge. Aman hired a teacher who gave two six-month courses to a total of 43 children and youth. Vimarsh villages were too scattered for children to walk to courses – so a young woman (currently studying for her bachelor’s degree through remote learning) arranged a ‘mobile computer course’, walking to one village for three months, and then to the next. 66 children benefited.
Extracurricular activities in 11 villages include a children’s newspaper, educational tours for older children, children’s groups, an annual children’s fair (Bal Mela) in each area, catering to a total of 369 children. In the Aman area, 172 children belong to the children’s groups; they hold monthly meetings and learn about child rights, gender discrimination, the Child Help Line, environmental issues and they initiated a drive about clean water sources. In the Vimarsh area, 8 cluster meetings were held of the various groups, with 75 children participating. These meetings played an important role in helping the children to make their own plans for the fair, the computer training timings and environmental work. They planted 72 saplings and helped to clean water sources.
Women’s Groups (Mahila Sangthan) In 2015 a total of 69 meetings were held in the Aman project villages on such subjects as women’s health, literacy, computer training, general hygiene, organization building, school management, the Right To Education Act, government schemes for women and women’s participation in local governance meetings. In the Vimarsh villages monthly meetings covered domestic violence, gender discrimination, Right to Education Act, local self -governance, and the government scheme supporting girl education. Four collective meetings were held on the leadership role of women in school management and local governance. 392 women participated.
Adolescent Girls’ Groups continue to meet regularly. Led by young women from the villages, adolescent girls learn about adolescent girls’ health, female foeticide, sexual health, hygiene, the Right to Education Act, and girls’ rights.
Vocational Training A one-month tailoring course was organized by Aman for 15 young women. Four young women, ex-members of the children’s groups, were selected for a hotel worker’s training, and three now have jobs in nearby towns. Since then, VOC has joined the TRAS Scholarship Fund project and has selected eight students to attend university.
Capacity Building for staff and volunteers Monthly meetings enhance the execution of the VOC programs. Three trainings were given to the teachers on developing child-friendly learning materials and centres. At a joint meeting, staff from Aman and Vimarsh were able to share their experiences, challenges and future strategy for better implementation of the program.
Some recent outcomes include:
Active participation by women in local self- governance meetings (previously only men attended).
85 women held meetings with their block development officers to discuss development work in their villages.
The Vimarsh women’s groups met with the District Magistrate to demand road construction and a road survey has begun.
In both areas women participated in school management meetings to bring awareness on children education issues.
Women’s groups have raised the issues of gender violence and female foeticide.
Women from the Aman area were selected to participate in the State Education Consultation and represented their village education status.
The Voice of Children project is run by two local NGOs, one based in Nainital and the other in Almora – towns in the foothills of the Himalaya in India. An excellent report was received in July, detailing the multi-faceted educational programs supported by TRAS. Click here to read interviews with the children, telling their own stories.
Project 349/350November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2025
The “Voice of Children (VOC)” project has brought significant positive changes to selected villages by addressing the educational needs of socially and economically disadvantaged children. Community involvement and commitment are crucial for the program’s sustainability and success, resulting in reduced dropout rates, increased opportunities for girls and disadvantaged children, halted child marriages, improved access to services for poor families, and enhanced child participation in addressing their issues. Check our website for more on the VOC project.
The Voice for Children and the Hope for Children projects are run by two TRAS partners, AMAN, in the Almora district and VIMARSH, in the Nainital district, both in the state of Uttarakhand, northern India. These two organizations have been committed to bringing access to education and health in rural villages for the past 16 years.
The “Hope for Children“ project aims to replicate VOC learning and success in neighboring villages facing geographical challenges and lacking basic amenities. These villages, like the initial project area, are mired in severe poverty. Expanding the project’s scope is essential to provide crucial assistance to children, ensuring their access to quality education. This project is focused on integrating the education system and creating opportunities for vulnerable children, including those from single-parent households, impoverished backgrounds, girls, and socially marginalized families
Furthermore, empowering women, children, and adolescent girls’ groups’ stands as a critical step in addressing issues related to quality education, while providing skills training for youth can unlock doors to higher education, employment, and improved quality of life for marginalized sections of society. The Hope for Children project has the potential to make a substantial contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 4 & 5(SDG-4 & 5) and advancing equal access to quality education for all, irrespective of their socio-economic status or gender.
The villages are situated in the Hawalbag block of Almora and Betalghat block in the Nainital District. In these villages, there is a notable absence of adequate educational facilities, as schools suffer from insufficient resources, resulting in a scarcity of quality education and subsequently limiting opportunities for the youth.
Healthcare facilities in remote hill villages are limited or inadequate. Residents have to travel long distances to access medical care, which is particularly challenging during emergencies. Limited economic opportunities in the villages lead to high levels of unemployment and underemployment. It creates poverty and a lack of basic amenities.
Gender-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual harassment, is common in the proposed villages. Women and girls are reluctant to report such incidents due to social stigma and lack of support services. There is a lack of awareness about the importance of prenatal and postnatal care. Women do not seek medical assistance during pregnancy until complications arise. Traditional beliefs and practices often influence maternal health decisions. Traditional beliefs and practices sometimes hinder women from seeking medical care during pregnancy and childbirth. Malnutrition among children, girls, and pregnant women is a concern, as the hilly terrain and poverty make it difficult to access a balanced diet. In villages, there is a lack of resources and support to provide information on sexual health, reproductive biology, contraception, and responsible sexual behavior to adolescents. This has led to an increase in teenage pregnancies, which not only hinders girls’ education and overall development but also poses risks to the health of both the girls and their newborns, sometimes even endangering their lives.
Women in these villages often have limited participation in local governance and decision-making processes, which hinders their ability to address their own needs and concerns. The villages are prone to natural disasters such as landslides and flash floods. Women, girls and children are particularly vulnerable during these crises, facing the risk of displacement and loss of livelihoods.
Many families rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, and children often have to assist their parents in farming activities. This is leading to a loss of educational opportunities and child labor issues. Due to the rugged terrain and limited resources, children in hill villages have limited access to recreational activities and sports facilities, impacting their overall development. There is a lack of awareness about child rights and government programs designed to support children in these remote areas. This hinders efforts to address their specific needs.
Villages that will be impacted with this project:
Village
District
No. of household
Population
Children Population (0 to 18 years)
Male Population
Female population
Total population
Scheduled Caste. Population
Pankote
Almora
76
126
181
307
113
107
Bajgal
Almora
48
88
118
206
39
45
Rikhe
Almora
60
107
144
251
29
95
Vadla
Almora
77
149
199
348
78
108
Chauna
Almora
190
406
495
901
312
159
Unchakot Tala
Nainital
106
317
305
622
327
112
Bajedi
Nainital
168
417
471
888
168
100
Khairali
Nainital
48
99
108
207
23
58
Unchakot Malla
Nainital
114
286
289
575
137
172
Total
887
1995
2310
4305
1226
956
Proposed plan of action:
Education Support and Learning Center for Children
Our initiative aims to establish education support and learning centers that cater to the comprehensive development of children aged 3 to 14. These 11 village centers will operate with the assistance of dedicated facilitators and offer a range of facilities to underprivileged children.
Active Learning: We are dedicated to promoting active learning, creating an environment where children actively participate in the learning process through hands-on activities, problem-solving, and critical thinking exercises.
Effective Communication: We recognize that effective communication skills are paramount for success in all aspects of life. Our centers will assist children in honing their speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities.
Building Self-Confidence: Fostering self-confidence is an integral component of a child’s growth. Our education support centers will provide a safe and nurturing space for children to develop confidence in their own capabilities.
Equal Learning Opportunities: Ensuring that every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, has equitable access to quality education and learning opportunities is of utmost importance to us.
Extracurricular Activities: Alongside academics, we will offer a range of extracurricular activities to help children explore their interests and talents beyond the traditional classroom setting.
Group Learning: Collaborative learning experiences, such as group projects and discussions, will enhance children’s social skills and promote teamwork, fostering a holistic development approach.
By continually expanding and supporting these education centers, we aspire to positively impact the overall development of children, and will be providing them with a well-rounded education that equips them for future success.
Introducing Quarterly Education Enhancement Sessions for Parents
To ensure the optimal operation of our Education Support and Learning Centers, we will introduce our Quarterly Education Enhancement Sessions for Parents. These gatherings are designed to facilitate open communication between parents and educators, allowing collaboratively nurture child’s academic journey. During these sessions, we will not only provide updates on child’s educational progress but also engage in meaningful discussions about their strengths, areas for improvement, and any other factors that might impact their learning and growth. Together, we can create an environment that fosters a child’s development and success.
Sunday Classes for Students for 9th to 12th Standard
The upper primary and secondary schools in the selected villages are facing a pressing challenge: a significant shortage of subject teachers. This shortage of qualified educators and the constant turnover of teaching staff present a substantial threat to the educational advancement of students. Consequently, students are grappling with difficulties in subjects like science, mathematics, and English due to the absence of effective guidance. Often, the anxiety associated with these subjects’ acts as a catalyst for student dropouts.
To address this issue, we propose a solution: connecting students with volunteer teachers through live and interactive classes. At times, subject experts will be motivated to visit the center and conduct Sunday classes in person, while at other times, we will organize online classes using technology to ensure consistent access to quality education for the students.
We introduce two class centers, one located in the VIMARSH area and the other in the AMAN area. These centers aim to benefit students from the 9th to 12th grades. In addition to academic studies, our dedicated experts will guide students in identifying suitable career paths based on their interests, skills, and abilities.
Digital Skills for Children and Women
In today’s rapidly evolving world, digital skills have become indispensable. Ensuring that both children and women have equitable access to and can cultivate these skills is paramount for their personal and professional advancement. To address this need, we propose the establishment of two digital skill centers in these areas, which will offer a comprehensive curriculum designed to empower individuals with the following competencies:
Foundational Computer Proficiency: Equipping learners with essential knowledge of hardware, software, and operating systems. This includes instructing them on how to proficiently utilize computers, keyboards, and mice, as well as providing a basic computer course to kickstart their digital journey.
Online Safety Awareness: Empowering children, girls, and women with the tools to navigate the digital landscape safely. This entails educating them on recognizing and thwarting online threats, such as cyberbullying, phishing attempts, and inappropriate content, ensuring their online experiences are secure.
Efficient Typing Skills: Acknowledging the importance of efficient typing skills for effective computer use, communication, and future career prospects. We emphasize teaching participants how to type efficiently and accurately, a crucial skill in the digital age.
Digital Literacy: Fostering the ability to navigate the vast digital information landscape with confidence. Participants will learn how to find and evaluate information on the internet, honing their skills in distinguishing between reliable and unreliable sources.
Multimedia Competence: Introducing the basics of creating and editing digital media, encompassing images, audio, and video. This empowers individuals to engage creatively with digital content and express themselves effectively.
Digital Communication Proficiency: Enhancing communication and networking opportunities by equipping participants with proficiency in email, social media, and online networking tools. These skills enable individuals to connect, collaborate, and build valuable relationships in the digital realm.
By establishing these digital skill centers and implementing this holistic curriculum, we aim to bridge the digital divide, promote inclusivity, and provide the younger generation and women with the tools they need to thrive in our increasingly digitalized world.
Education for All: Children’s Fellowship Programs
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on rural villages, particularly on their health and education systems. This crisis has had long-lasting effects on our society, particularly concerning livelihoods and employment, which in turn poses a substantial threat to children’s education. Children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are especially vulnerable to dropping out of school, engaging in child labor, or falling victim to human trafficking. It’s important to recognize that a child who drops out of school is at risk of becoming a child laborer.
To mitigate the risk of children dropping out of school, we propose to provide fellowships to support vulnerable children. In previous years, our fellowship program, aimed at covering school-related expenses, has proven effective in retaining children in schools. Therefore, we propose to continue this initiative by offering school-related expense fellowships to 100 children each year. This fellowship will cover various essential aspects of their education, including school fees, learning materials, notebooks, school uniforms, and shoes, among other necessities. The distribution of fellowships will be determined on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that the specific needs of each selected child are addressed through collaborative discussions.
Village Gender Education Resource Centre (VGERC)
In each area, we propose the establishment of Village Gender Education Resource Centers (VGERC). VGERC are essential in bridging the gender gap in rural areas and fostering positive social and economic changes. They create a supportive environment where girls and women can access resources, build skills, and gain the confidence to challenge gender disparities and contribute to their communities’ development. The specific functions and activities undertaken by VGRCs:
Gender Awareness and Education: VGERC will take the lead in organizing workshops, training sessions, and awareness campaigns aimed at educating adolescent boys and girls, women and community on matters pertaining to gender, women’s rights, and the significance of gender parity.
Access to Information: VGERC will function as information hubs, affording women access to vital resources, government initiatives, and services related to health, education, legal rights, and financial literacy.
Legal Aid and Advocacy: VGERC will be instrumental to women encountering gender-based violence or discrimination. It will also engage in advocacy efforts to promote women’s rights and gender equality at the local level
Health, Hygiene, and Sex Education: These centers will actively work toward enhancing women’s and girls’ access to healthcare services while promoting hygiene practices and providing comprehensive sex education to improve their overall well-being. This includes the organization of educational sessions will focus on sexual health and awareness. VGERC will also develop educational materials on gender and caste equality, which will be distributed to educational support and learning centers.
Child and Maternal Health: VGERC will prioritize the improvement of maternal and child health by arranging antenatal care programs, immunization drives, and nutritional education for mothers.
Awareness about Gender-Based Violence: VGERC will conduct impactful campaigns aimed at raising awareness about gender-based violence.
In sum, Village Gender Education Resource Centers will serve as pivotal institutions in rural areas, fostering gender equality and empowering girls and women to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of their communities.
Bal Mela
This initiative aims to nurture creativity and boost self-confidence in young individuals. To foster the sharing of children’s experiences and the expression of their hidden talents, we will organize Children’s Fairs in both regions.
Community Awareness program
Regular monthly Meetings will be arranged with women’s groups to enhance community awareness regarding education, healthcare, hygiene, local self-governance, nutrition, information about government welfare programs, and the National Livelihood Rural Mission. This initiative aims to expand the knowledge base of women’s groups and inspire them to collaborate in addressing local challenges. These all meetings will organize in the VOC field areas women groups and new proposed villages. Sharing and exchange of the programs will strengthen the all the village women groups.
Engaging with Children and Youth: Monthly meetings will be scheduled with children and youth to discuss topics related to education, health, hygiene, and environmental issues Its primary role will be to educate members about safe and healthy living while advocating for timely healthcare services from the government. These all meetings will organize in the VOC field areas Children groups and new proposed villages. Sharing and exchange of the programs will be strengthening the all the village children groups.
Capacity Building of the Staff
AMAN and VIMARSH will schedule monthly meetings and an annual training program to enhance team capacity and ensure the effective execution of the program. Additionally, in the second and fourth years, we will facilitate experience-sharing visits for the Hope for Children team. These visits will provide valuable opportunities for mutual learning and witnessing the program’s impact.
This project will run from December 1, 2023 to October 31, 2025. The committed total is $59,688.00 – a mere $63.00 per child
