Economic deprivation and an inadequate education infrastructure means that sending a child out to work from as young as six is an all too acceptable option for rural families in India. Although primary and secondary education in India is free, the cost of uniforms, travel and books and the pressure on families to send their children to work, means that in some areas, over 70% of children are denied access to school.
The Education Outreach Programme, established by KWTC in 2004, aims to tackle this problem by providing disadvantaged children with the funding they need to access school and then university or college. Unlike many other agencies and child sponsorship programmes, we support the children through higher education. Our ‘graduates’ don’t just get jobs, they gain careers and the ability to live and work independently.