what we do

      Our work in education builds on the foundations laid in ensuring adequate nutrition and health status throughout the critical period of the child’s growth and development that take place during the first 1,200 days of life. Experience has shown that every child who may have achieved appropriate nutrition and health standards, if not sent to school, may end up in child labour, trafficking, early marriage, or exploited and abused otherwise, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty, ill health, malnutrition and illiteracy that trap deprived communities. In particular, we are concerned with deprived children, those who are denied access to education as a result of traditional or social barriers, such as caste, poverty, gender or ability. Evidence shows that children who are in school, not only are empowered with education, but also tend to be more protected from abuse and exploitation. We strive to identify children who are out of school, or at risk of leaving it. We partner with school authorities and teachers, school committees, families, children’s groups and local elected representatives – Rural Panchayat Institutions and Urban Local Bodies – to map out-of-school children, motivate the school system and families to get them back to school, and prevent dropping out. To prevent dropping out, we offer supplementary education support through learning centres for children, being run on school premises or in the community. Services are in operation prior or after school hours to help students who may be first generation learners, or deprived of a conducive home environment  for continuing study. A network frontline workers  partner with municipal schools and communities, and engage in a dialogue with families to highlight how the benefits of education would, in the long term, outweigh the loss of foregoing a low and temporary wage which a child may earn by leaving school.

We work to overcome forms of social exclusion based on caste and gender discrimination that continue to play a part in keeping children, particularly girls, out of school. It costs less than 2000 rupees a month to support a child in education. In poor urban and rural areas, where childcare may be inadequate, Jeshurun supports families in properly stimulating, educating and caring for better physical and psycho-social development of young children. Members of Early Childhood Care and Education kits to strengthen families in their capacity to support the  children and prepare them to enter primary education.