Foundation for Dignity, Rights and Wellbeing of Children

Educo, a global development NGO with over 25 years of experience advocating for children's rights, particularly their right to an equitable and qualit Read morey education, operates in 16 countries across three continents—Africa, America, and Asia—along with Spain. As a member of the ChildFund Alliance, an international network of NGOs committed to child protection, Educo actively engages in the global movement to secure children's rights. In the year 2000, under the name Intervida (Fundación Privada Intervida), Educo commenced operations in Maharashtra, India. Initially adopting a "sponsorship" model, individual donors were connected with school-going children from impoverished communities, supporting them through donations. This support translated into projects benefiting all children in the schools attended by sponsored children, focusing on providing teaching-learning materials, uniforms, and financial assistance during medical emergencies. Until around 2013, Educo supported school-going children in over 400 schools using this model. However, through an internal process of reflection and realignment leading up to the Sustainable Development Goals, Educo initiated a transformative journey to redefine its approach. Adopting a rights-based approach, the first Educo Strategic Plan for the period 2015-2018 identified three strategic development goals centering on the Right to Education, Right to Protection, and Governance. In India, Educo also embarked on a journey to redefine its work. In 2014, a Child Rights Situation Analysis focusing on the Right to Education and Non-Discrimination in Maharashtra was conducted. Concurrently, all schools supported by Educo were assessed for alignment with the principles of Child-Friendly Education. The evidence revealed pockets of exclusion in the state, despite higher development indicators, affecting children living and working on the streets, those on the move (with or without families), victims of trafficking, and children in institutions being deprived of their rights. Additionally, findings indicated that Mumbai, despite being a symbol of India's progress, also hosts the district with the lowest child sex ratio in the country due to sex-selective abortions (Beed). Moreover, 80 percent of the schools supported by Educo, including both public and low-cost private schools, did not meet minimum standards for providing child-friendly education. Insights from these assessments have informed Educo in shaping its future projects. Mission: Collaborating with children and their communities, it strives to foster just and equitable societies that safeguard their rights and well-being. Vision: Envisioning a world where all children fully enjoy their rights and lead lives of dignity. The values form the bedrock of the Mission and guide its interpretation: 1. Social Commitment: It works tirelessly for the common good, upholding human dignity and building relationships rooted in fairness and solidarity among peoples, individuals, and cultures. 2. Equity: Our actions are geared toward fostering greater justice in social structures and enhancing people's capacity to exercise their freedom. 3. Respect: Recognizing and championing human diversity as an essential value for social cohesion, peace, and the respect for the dignity of all individuals. The principles serve as operational standards, mandating and requiring demonstrable adoption and implementation: 1. Participation: Ensuring and promoting the right to participation for children and their advocates, fostering a culture of participation within the organization. 2. Non-Discrimination: Guided by the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to fulfill their rights, regardless of national, ethnic, or social origin, language, religion, political opinion, economic position, differences in ability, or any other status. 3. Transparency: Anchoring its work in honesty, responsibility, and maximum access to information concerning resource management and the impact of the actions, striving for the highest level of social and economic accountability. 4. Dynamic Spirit: Exhibiting adaptability and creativity in the responses, actively seeking innovation and quality in the actions. Partners with a collective of 291 schools across the states of Maharashtra, Palghar, Karnataka, and Orissa, reaching out to a total of 47,222 children and young individuals, along with 42,475 adults. The second wave of the global pandemic took a significant toll on both the physical and mental well-being of families, with children being severely affected. Despite the challenges, the organisation was commitment to maintaining virtual contact with children during the lockdown and, when feasible, arranging physical meetings for developmental activities, ensuring that they retained hope and received assistance during this challenging period. Collaborating with local NGO partners, the teams undertook coronavirus response efforts, reaching out to all boys and girls in the projects to ensure their well-being. In the latter half of the year, as pandemic-related restrictions gradually eased, most of the projects regained full operational capacity. The teams resumed direct engagement with children, young people, and communities, working closely with government stakeholders to establish safe and inclusive environments for children across the country. CHILD RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH The organsiation embraces a Child Rights-based approach as its fundamental framework, inherently intertwining the well-being of children with the fulfilment of their rights. It calls upon national and international entities responsible for upholding these rights to support the development activities. It particularly emphasizes the imperative to enhance the state's capacities in fulfilling their commitments to child rights and being held accountable for their actions. The Country Plan for Educo India follows this approach, applying the four basic principles in all its actions. These principles are: • Non-discrimination • Best interest of the child • The right to survival and development • The right of children to freely express their views in all matters that affect them and have their views considered Additionally, this approach incorporates the concept of equity, prioritizing groups facing situations of vulnerability and/or discrimination.