Beneficiary Coverage: 200
Project Description: The Hope Foundation (THF) in collaboration Jayaprakash Institute of Social Change (local partner) has been implementing the education programme in three Govt run Children Homes namely, Kishalaya Sukanya and Uttarpara for the last seven years primarily to provide mentoring support to the children in the CCIs through remedial coaching support in improving their scholastic performances and counselling services for cognitive restructuring. The major achievement of the project was to mainstream the dropouts or children who never attended school. The project also provided inputs to vulnerable children especially first generation learners through remedial support centers. The children in CCIs (Child Care Institutions) face certain cultural detriments and discriminations, social taboos and social exclusion which mostly render them vulnerable and eventually keep them out the arena of education. This is how their fundamental right to education is curbed. The intervention strategy was to provide counseling support to the children to enlist their proactive participation in education programmes and also sensitizing the functionaries of the CCIs to create clarity and understanding of their roles and responsibilities to ensure better quality of life for children within CCIs. Apart from mainstreaming of the children to formal education system and subsequently improving their performances in schools, the education programme also played a great role in generating life skill education among the children. Counselling service helped to bring about positive changes in their mental, psychological and emotional conditions and to lead a more satisfying life. The project rendered professional counselling services to those who were victims of commercial sexual exploitation or any other forms of abuse. Capacity Building Workshop for the all staff/children of the Home helped / empowered them to effectively manage the situations and problems confronted by the institionalised children.