Support Kids in India

Stay informed on UNICEF’s work saving and protecting children around the world

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Submitted by todemko on Wed, 2021-01-27 10:42

India’s economy is among the fastest-growing in the world, and many positive developments have coincided with this growth.

Extreme poverty in the country has dropped by 20 percent. Infant mortality is down by half. And two million more children are now in school.

Yet many children in India continue to face many challenges. An estimated 280 million children in the country are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Challenges for children in India

Over 38 percent of children in India are stunted (shorter than average for their age due to poor nutrition) and a high number are severely malnourished. Many children die from preventable diseases and many miss out on routine vaccinations. Less than half of all children in third grade can read a first-grade text.

Girls in India are highly vulnerable to sexual violence and early marriage. In fact, India has more child brides than any other country in the world. Over half of all girls in India suffer from anemia (iron deficiency) compared to 30 percent of boys.

India is also prone to natural disasters, including extreme flooding, earthquakes and droughts. These disasters destabilize communities and put already vulnerable families at further risk.

Shaily, 11, uses a handwashing station UNICEF helped install outside her middle school in Himachal Pradesh, India — an example of one of the many ways UNICEF supports good health and hygiene in communities. © UNICEF/UN0720910/Panjwani

How UNICEF supports children in India

UNICEF supports children in India in all program areas, including health, education and child protection.

For example, UNICEF is:

Giving children in India a healthy start

reaching millions of people with safe water, sanitation and hygiene supplies and services
providing iron and folic acid supplements for millions of pregnant women
encouraging best practices like regular handwashing to change behaviors critical to public health

Supporting quality education for all

promoting reading among elementary school students with a campaign called “reading for joy”
setting up mobile learning vans and community learning camps with support from volunteers, trained teachers and community leaders
establishing a ‘School in a Van’ program to provide out-of-school children in vulnerable communities with opportunities to learn
providing technical support to state governments to facilitate safe post-pandemic school reopenings

Protecting children’s rights

offering life skills programs to adolescents, instruction in digital and financial literacy and other interventions that help prevent early marriage
providing children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support
working with governments to strengthen social safety nets for impoverished households

Stories from India

Here are a few stories about how UNICEF is working to support children in India:

Supporting parents with an innovative messaging service

A UNICEF-supported project has established a creative method of delivering tips and advice about child rearing to new parents.

The service was launched during the pandemic when parents were not able to receive in-person help. It is relatively low-tech, which means parents can receive messages without an internet connection or smartphone. So far, 30,000 users have signed up, and according to a survey, parents reported the service helped them feel more confident about managing their child’s development. Learn more.

A father with his daughter in Uttar Pradesh, India, where UNICEF launched an initiative for parents to receive child-rearing support on their mobile phones. ©UNICEF/Dheeraj Bhushan

Closing India’s digital access gap

UNICEF is partnering with the software company SAP to provide teenagers in India the opportunity to learn technological skills that will help them professionally excel. Nearly 25,000 secondary school students in 150 schools are enolled in the pilot program, where students learn about different career paths and receive guidance about colleges and entrance exams. Nearly half (49 percent) of student participants are girls in grades 9 through 12.

For Babita Saini, a science teacher participating in the program, the real impact has been the dialogue it has fostered, introducing girls with empowering views about careers and gender. Learn more.

Babita Saini, a science teacher in a participating school in Jaipur, India, talked about how the program opened up a dialogue about traditional gender norms and careers. © UNICEF/UN0693294/Chanchal Sharma

Improving vaccine acceptance

Frontline health workers are playing a crucial role in fighting vaccine myths and misinformation. Singing traditional folk songs has helped increase awareness of the importance of vaccines and vaccine acceptance within tribal communities. Learn more.

Navli Garasiya, a healthcare worker and member of the Garasiya tribe, dances to an adapted traditional tribal song that speaks about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine. © UNICEF 2022

How you can help

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to deliver humanitarian assistance to children and families in need. Support this work. Donate today. Donations go a long way in helping these children live the lives they deserve. Donate today.