CRY: Putting the Right Foot Forward

Almost three decades ago, a 25-year-old airline purser, Rippan Kapoor — a man much like you or me – had a vision. One where every child in India has the right to a proper childhood. Convinced that collectively, “there is no problem we cannot solve,” he drew on passion, determination and conviction to found CRY – India’s leading child rights organization. The first office? His mother’s dining table. The funds? Rs 50.

Mostly we tend to look at ‘doing good’ for children in a charitable way. At CRY, the belief is that all India’s children should enjoy the rights guaranteed to them by the United Nations CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child) and the Constitution of India, equally and without discrimination.

28 years of CRY's (Child Rights and You) work with communities that are marginalised due to social or economic factors across 20 states in India, has shown that one time efforts or a piece-meal, relief-oriented approach has limited impact and does not last long. Because the real reason reasons – the root causes of deprivation are not looked at. Causes that relate to gender, caste, ethnicity, religion and class and keep over 100 million Indian children hungry, unschooled and vulnerable to the worst forms of abuse and exploitation imaginable.

CRY has seen that lasting change is possible if child rights issues are addressed holistically. As Ingrid Srinath, CEO, CRY, states, "In thousands of villages and slums across the country, communities now understand the laws and policies that guarantee their rights and feel empowered to ensure them. Families have viable livelihoods, government schools and health centres are functioning and girl children have become the flag bearers of their communities."

Today, CRY is a peoples’ movement for the rights of India’s children encompassing diverse segments, each pledging their particular strengths, working in partnership for a common cause. For more details kindly visit us at www.cry.org or write to ic.del@crymail.org or call +91-11-24653502

Much more needs to be done…and crucial to this endeavor are commitment and support. Surely, this is possible for India’s children.