Background

According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), approximately 8 million Indian children from marginalized communities are not enrolled in a school. These numbers include children of migrant laborers and refugees, and also children from tribal communities. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 reports that only 55% of tribal children between the ages of six and fourteen years are enrolled in school, compared to the national average of 80%. Some factors contributing to these challenges are limited funds, inadequate educational resources, and sometimes cultural and linguistic barriers. 

For instance, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 highlights that 40% of rural schools lack basic facilities such as drinking water and toilets, further exacerbating the difficulties faced by children. Such gaps in educational access quickly lead to fragmented or insufficient academic progress and the overall integration of children from marginalized socioeconomic backgrounds into society. As such, they remain on the peripheries of their cultures. 

Despite efforts by the state and initiatives by non-governmental organizations, educational institutions that may otherwise be able to aid these groups of children find themselves without support and infrastructure, making it difficult for them to fulfill the pressing needs of underserved children. The Ministry of Education’s 2021 report reveals that only 60% of schools in India have libraries, and just 40% have access to digital learning resources. In terms of individual growth and development, this reality is devastating for children and robs them of future opportunities to create better lives for themselves. On the community level, this situation exacerbates the cycle of disadvantage and generational marginalization. Hence, any efforts to bring aid to children from marginalized communities will naturally result in the development of entire communities. 

In this vein, INtegrate was founded to create a platform where varied strategies and different stakeholders can come together to create a lasting impact on the most vulnerable of populations in the country, especially those navigating the turbulent state of being a refugee, trying to find a space of belonging. By combining community development and pedagogic strategies, this project is geared toward creating long-lasting changes in communities that are otherwise overlooked, trying to usher in change, one step at a time.