Care Kits Campaign for Orphan Youth

Every year, 50000 children are compelled to leave their Orphanage in India. In Rajasthan, following 2 years, 275 children are going to leave the Orphanages. 70% Children are orphans, 20% of children have single parents, and 10% of children have relatives. At this tender age, they have to find their own way of living without any family or financial support. This can make the transition to independent living even more challenging, especially if they lack some essential items needed to get started.

Some of the items that care leavers may need when they move out include a bag to carry their belongings, a lunchbox, a water bottle to stay hydrated and nourished throughout the day, and a phone to stay connected with their support networks, including their CCI. These items may seem small, but they can make a big difference in helping care leavers feel more comfortable and prepared as they begin their new lives.

Careleavers are also scared at the time of exiting their orphanages. They generally try to hide their identity due to fear of non-acceptance in society. They lack the confidence to interact with outsiders and fear being judged by people due to their identity.

• Only 37% of the children have completed their school education, they get to work only as guards, waiters, etc.
• 52% of the children are still studying in class 8th - 10th and will have to work as laborer to survive.
• Many boys and girls cannot manage life alone at this age, which makes them resort to drugs or crimes or face some abuse.

We decided to have an Aftercare ceremony for them so as to:

• Create awareness about care leavers / aftercare. 
• Build confidence of careleavers as they will be interacting with many others like them at the event.
• Celebrating this big milestone of their life will also motivate them and gear up for the next phase of their life.
• They will get the initial support required for them to easily transition into independent living.

We plan to organise the Aftercare Ceremony every quarter which all the careleavers going to be turning 18 in those 3 months will be invited. At the ceremony, we plan to do the following:

• Distribute the Care Kits (phone, backpack, shoes, CLiC T-Shirt, tiffin, bottle, personal hygiene kit).
• Distribute a Guidebook prepared for careleavers.
• Give the documents like PAN, Aadhar, and Voter ID (pre-prepared by the team) as well as get bank accounts made for them.
• Enroll the careleavers in skilling courses as per our assessment.
• For the careleavers wanting jobs, get them appointment letters from companies.
• Enroll them in the Aftercare program of Government – Samarth Yojana (Aftercare) so that they can avail benefits of the program.
• Providing care kits to care leavers can be a great way to support them as they transition out of childcare homes and into independent living. By providing these basic necessities, help care leavers feel more prepared and confident as they begin their new lives.

We visited 33 districts of Rajasthan and had one-on-one interaction with children and Careleavers. We identified 275 children who will be turning 18 soon and going to leave their orphanage.

India’s First aftercare ceremony was held in Udaipur to celebrate care leavers and provide them with the support they need to thrive in independent living. This kind of event can have a powerful impact on care leavers, helping them feel valued and supported as they begin their new lives.

Care Kit Distribution:

Providing care kits to care leavers can be a great way to support them as they transition out of childcare homes and into independent living. By providing these basic necessities, help care leavers feel more prepared and confident as they begin their new lives. The care kits contain the following items:

A. The CLiC Bag

B. T-shirt with CLiC

C. Shoes, a bottle, and a lunchbox.

D. Sanitary pad and Shaving Machine

E. Mobile Phone (For the children who are moving out of the CCI and going to join the course)

F. Guidebook