CRY Launches 'Project Unlearn' on Children's Day in India

NEW DELHI, November 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

A nationwide campaign which aims to get children in labour across India back to school 

November 14 is celebrated as Children's Day in India. As many children in India gear up to celebrate a day dedicated to them, there are about 10.1 million Indian children who carry on with their daily routines - in factories, households, fields and workshops. These children are forced into labour and learn much more than they should at their age, as their circumstances force them to be out of school. CRY - Child Rights and You, has thus launched a nationwide campaign 'Project Unlearn' in India, which aims to pull children out of these circumstances, un-learn these skills that deprive them of their childhood and put them back to school.

The campaign will help 28,588 children in labour across CRY supported projects in India to free themselves from the shackles of child labour, go back to school and seek a happier, bright future.

Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY - Child Rights and You says, "As shocking as it may seem, India is home to millions of children who are deprived of their rights and forced to work at an age when they should be in classrooms. With Project Unlearn we aim to spread awareness about this issue, shaking people out of their indifference towards this grim reality. We are hopeful the people will extend their support to us in ensuring that these children get out of the clutches of child labour and unlearn the skills that rob them of their childhood."

Child labour can be eradicated if root causes like poverty, migration of families, and lack of quality education are addressed. CRY, with its grass-root partners, addresses these by interacting with parents, community leaders, and children's collectives where the importance of child rights is discussed.

To find out more about PROJECT UNLEARN please visit http://www.cry.org/projectunlearn

About CRY 

CRY is an Indian NGO that believes in every child's right to a childhood - to live, learn, grow and play. For over 30 years, CRY has worked with parents and communities to ensure Lasting Change in the lives of more than 2,000,000 underprivileged children, across 23 states in India. For more information please visit us at http://www.overseas.cry.org , write to us at ic.del@crymail.org  or call us at +91-11-29533451/52/53.

For further information, please contact: Susan Varghese, +91-9818605343, susan.v@crymail.org