Madhu is 10 years old and lives with his mother and older brother in Kolagutla in Andra Pradesh, India. His father passed away when Madhu was only 4 years old, and his mother was left as sole provider for the family.
When the pandemic hit, Madhu’s mother lost her job. This meant that the very low income, barely sufficient to meet the family’s needs, was changed into zero. Hunger, stress and growing debts were the consequences, just as for millions of other families. And Madhu dropped out of school to help provide for the family.
Madhu was not alone in dropping out of school during the lock-down. Millions of children have been missing out on their education in the tracks of the pandemic. This has been devastating news, primarily for the families affected, but also for the help organizations and partnering companies working to strenghten child rights and empower children through education.
Paulig is one of them.
Together with Save the Children in India, Paulig has worked hard for the past 4 years to get children in 30 spice-growing villages in India to enroll in school and receive the education that is rightfully their’s. But the pandemic hit hard. Many left school and coming back is hard. The over 1200 children that successfully joined school as a result of our project, could be at risk of never returning.
But, through Save the Children’s dedicated work with the local communities, teachers and parents, children are coming back to school and picking up where they left off. And we are so happy to tell that Madhu is back to school! He is studying 5th grade and has been supported in covering the courses which he missed out on during his out-of-school days.
- I am very happy for coming back to the school, as this is the place where I can realize my dream of becoming a teacher. By doing so, I can teach many children like us and build their career, says Madhu.
We are so happy to be able to share Madhu’s story, but Madhu is not alone. Save the Children’s work continues, tiredlessly, and we are proud partners.
Because everyday should be World Children’s Day.
WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY
World Children's Day is celebrated on 20th of November to commemorate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1959.
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