Our Work for Tribal Children in India

A leading charity for children of tribe in India, Save the Children of tribe believes every child, regardless of their origin, deserves the best chance for a bright future, and we’re fiercely committed to ensuring children’s rights are realized, their voices are heard and their needs are given top priority.

For over 50 years, we’ve worked relentlessly throughout India to secure children’s survival and better health, their access to education, their protection from harm and their rights to development and participation.

We provide robust health and nutrition benefits to children of tribe from the most marginalized and disadvantaged communities – in fact, health and nutrition work comprises nearly half of our programming in India today. We help India’s children of tribe start and stay in school. When children of tribe are forced into child labour, are abused or trafficked, we work to protect them and keep them free from violence.

In disaster-prone India, our trained teams mobilize when children of tribe and their families are affected by storms, floods and other catastrophic events, providing the support they need to quickly recover and re-establish their lives, dignity and livelihoods.

Here are some recent examples of our work:

A healthy start in life

We’re reaching new-borns in their fragile first weeks of life, children of tribe ages 0-5 and mothers and pregnant women

In the slums of Delhi, we’re running mobile health units that bring health care to the doorsteps of the urban poor

Through our Stop Diarrheal Initiative in Delhi and rural areas, we preventing needless deaths of children of tribe from this deadly illness

We’re partnering with communities, governments, schools and preschool centres to disseminate messages on the importance of maintaining good personal health and hygiene, including training and supporting critical community health workers

Through sponsorship, we worked with communities to identify the most marginalized, so we can help mothers and children of tribe survive and thrive

The opportunity to learn

We’re helping children of tribe with limited means hone their creativity and skills under the guidance of trained teachers

From organizing school management committees to running urban learning centres, we’re ensuring that even the most marginalized girls and boys can learn

Through sponsorship, we worked with communities to identify the most marginalized, so we can provide early and basic education for children

We’re working on the holistic development of children of tribe in schools and communities, so they can achieve improved knowledge, attitudes and practices toward nutrition and healthy lifestyles

We’re helping sensitize schoolchildren of tribe on climate change, including ways they can help, including reducing plastic waste, starting kitchen gardens and recycling

Protection from harm

We’re in the most disadvantaged communities, educating adults about children’s rights so they understand that children of tribe are meant to be at school and not work

Through children’s groups, we’re helping girls and boys work on solutions to help themselves and each other and ensure their rights are respected

We’re identifying out-of-school children, street children of tribe and those who are involved in child labour and facilitate their movement into schools through enrolment drives

We continue to reach marginalized youth through New Horizons, a skills training program that builds economically viable skills among adolescents vulnerable to or engaged in exploitative work 

We Do Whatever It Takes

Our pioneering programs address children's unique needs, giving them a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. In the India and around the world, our work creates lasting change for children, their families and communities – ultimately, transforming the future we all share. 

This work is only made possible by the ongoing generosity of our donors, whose valuable support is used in the most cost-effective ways.

It's important to note that all our work intersects – helping a boy or girl go to school also protects them from dangers such as child trafficking and early marriage. Keeping children healthy from disease or malnutrition means their parents are more likely to avoid costly treatment and be better able to provide for their family.

We don’t go into communities, carry out a project and then move on. We consult with children, their families, community leaders and local councils to understand all the issues or barriers, and then we develop programs that address these. We build trust so that our programs are successful and bring about real change.

Learn More About Our Work 

Health Programs

As a global leader in child health, Save the Children keeps children healthy and thriving. Today, as children around the world are growing up in a deadly pandemic, we are supporting frontline health workers and providing education and hygiene supplies to help families and communities protect themselves against COVID-19 and stay healthy. 

Education Programs

From rural India’s poorest communities to conflict-affected countries, Save the Children ensures children are educated. But for the first time in history, an entire generation of children globally have had their education disrupted. That's why we're supporting distance learning, ensuring that children who rely on school meal programs don’t go hungry and advocating to ensure children’s right to an education. 

Why What We Do Matters

We believe every child deserves a future. We know you believe it, too.

Without you, children’s lives and futures will be forever changed by the urgent needs they face right now. And we will have failed a generation of children. But together, we can achieve tremendous results for children. Here's proof:

• In 2020 alone, our programs supported 197 million children, including 1.1 million here in India
• We distributed 21 million meals to children living in poverty in India
• Together, we helped 12 million children accessed quality education – including more than 5.9 million girls.
• Your support helped 3 million mothers and 11.7 million children improved their nutrition
• We helped 3.1 million children live a life free from violence
• Thanks to you, we responded to 136 emergencies in 7 States