Our Sponsorship Programme

Sponsorship educates not just a child but an entire community. Our Sponsorship programme aims at ensuring that underprivileged children get the necessary education, and support, to be independent. 300 girls and boys participated in this drawing competition prior to our Youth Center 1st anniversary celebrations. The theme for the competition was Unity.

Study sessions at our community centres, under the supervision of local teachers, are conducted every day, for our school going sponsored children. This support is crucial for children since most of them are first generation learners, and the prevailing environment in their homes is often not conducive to learning. The children come to the centre either before going to school (for those attending afternoon school) or after school hours (in the case of morning school students).

Our pre-school centres cater to children in the 3-6 year age group at the quarry sites where our projects run. Children look forward to the fun filled learning activities that take place in the 2-hour session at the Center everyday. The children are also provided a component of supplementary nutrition, organized by the local women’s self-help group or Mahila Mandal, in line with the menu provided by CWB.

As part of income generation programmes in the communities we work in, women are trained in various skills, one of which is stitching/tailoring. One of the earliest activities in this context was to train women to stitch uniforms for our school going children. In recent times, women have been trained in catering and bag making skills as well. The aim is to build their skills to a level required by retailers and to create a market for the products made by these women.

To understand more about locally celebrated festivals while being aware of protecting the environment around them, children were taken through a session of making eco-friendly Ganeshas at CWB. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the God of intellect and wisdom. Every year, the day of his birth is celebrated as a 10-day festival in most parts of Maharashtra.

CWB supports children and youth complete their secondary education, by providing them with educational supplies, assisting them through support classes and organizing scholarships. School going sponsored youth receive educational aid from CWB – these school bags are an example of the aid received.

Our Sponsors love to connect with the children and families that they are supporting. Visiting children and their family is an integral part of their visits to CWB, accompanied by staff from the organization. In addition to bonding with the children, the Sponsors also obtain an opportunity to understand the community and the surrounding environment, besides getting a taste of local cuisine.

Practical ways of getting children and youth to understand the importance of the environment include involving them in tree plantation drives on occasions such as the World Environment Day; sanitation drives in the areas they live in with the involvement of key local functionaries such as the Corporator, parents and other stakeholders in the community as well as through regular workshops. Children are given the responsibility of looking after what they have planted, which encourages them to work harder.

Our income generation activities with women in the communities we work in, has involved training women in various skills, including sewing, catering, jewellery making and bag making. With the catering training received by the women’s group, they have been motivated to set up their own mini-enterprises to earn an income.

A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. This comes from an old Latin proverb and will remain true for all times to come. This proverb also forms the premise of our supplementary nutrition programme for all the children who attend study classes. We remain grateful to our Sponsors who have provided their unstinted support to the nutrition programme.

Nita Raut, one of our sponsored children, has successfully completed a course in Medical Imaging Technology (MIT) and has begun working with a clinic. Her income has provided a tremendous boost to her family. Consistent career counselling provided by our team members help our youth to aim for higher levels of education/skill development, something that their circumstances may otherwise not have permitted. And thanks to our benevolent sponsors, our youth can hope to achieve their dreams.

What we leave behind on this earth is what future generations will have to live with - something that our sponsored children and youth have taken to heart. In this context, cleanliness drives in the communities they live in, are a regular phenomenon - be it in the form of street plays or awareness rallies that cover the local area. With the Swachh Bharat mission having gained momentum all over the country, our children are determined to establish their own little green oasis on the planet.

All national occasions are celebrated by the children in the true spirit of the occasion. A flag hoisting ceremony on the occasion of India’s Independence Day – celebrated on August 15th – has children smartly turned out in their uniforms and ready to render the National Anthem with patriotic dedication.

CWB believes in holistic care and addressing a child’s needs often takes us beyond the scope of sponsorship. In many of the areas we work in, parents work in quarries where the working conditions are extremely hazardous to their health. Tuberculosis is a very prevalent disease in these populations. Through its outreach programme and its continued endeavors, CWB has identified many such families who are being provided nutrition and their health is monitored through regular follow up and check-ups with the help of qualified doctors.

An insight into one of the areas we work in and the conditions in which the community struggles to survive. Walking paths are virtually non-existent and most houses are built very close to each other. The prevailing surroundings also make children susceptible to hygiene related problems and diseases.

Thanks to his grit and determination, and with the wholesome support of his sponsor, Umesh Thakur completed his technical training from Father Agnel school and is currently in his final year of Engineering at Veermata Jijabhai Technological Institute (VJTI), one of the oldest and well renowned engineering colleges located in Mumbai.

CWB is grateful to its sponsors and supporters for their commitment to making a difference in the lives of children and youth. We often get visits from our sponsors and the children and youth are only too happy to showcase their talents and welcome visitors with smiles that come from their heart.