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| CRY - Child Rights & You! |
Welcome to the grim world of the deprived Indian child! The future almost always seems to look bleak for them, and never ever rosy!
We are so fortunate that sometimes we forget that there are so many others who are... how shall I put it - misérable! Among them, the Indian child stands out! Yes, the torch-bearers and the future citizens of India, and none other! Fact is, the word ’’misérable’’ does not even begin to describe their plight! We do not like to be reminded about these things, but the realities of life are always around the corner! The high and mighty keep promising the world, and delivering nothing...
This is where CRY comes in! CRY and Care!
Website: www.cry.org
CRY is actually an acronym for Child Rights and You. The acronym seems to carry (unfortunately), a twisted meaning to it, albeit a sad one - that of the generally deprived Indian child! It focusses on improving the plight of Indian children primarily! Non-Indians may ask - what is this? Discrimination? Why only Indian children? Don’t all children deserve a better life? You would be absolutely right in asking that question! Yes, all children deserve a better life! It is just that there must be a starting point to begin from, and the Indian child would be the appropriate community to start with! After all, do we not have shameful statistics on our side? Most of the deprived children live in India! Further, though CRY began in 1979, it still is not such a huge organisation (or any way near), to be able to cater to the world!
Most Indian children are deprived to the point of not even having their basic needs taken care of viz., food, clothing, and shelter! Yes, the ones that we take so much for granted that we rarely have space in our thoughts for them! And that includes me too!
Truth is, it is not really our fault!
We live insulated lives, and insulation can only shut us off from harsh reality! Needless to say, insulation can occur in the most simplest ways to the most complex! Take a regular employee who works 6 days a week (sometimes, even 7 days too), from 9 AM - 6 PM. Where does he have the time to look around and see the less fortunate communities! Or take a wealthy person, a politician, or a person who is residing in a posh locality in an advanced country - his environment does not even permit him to see these things! And the jaunts that we hang out in, or the leisure spots that we take a stroll in? Fact is, we are so caught up in our lives that we don’t have time to spare for these things!
Nope Guys! It is not really our fault!
In fact, most of us have the essential goodness in us, and would like opportunities to help! It is just that though we do care (perhaps, in a passive way), we do not really know how to help!
It is here that CRY takes a different approach from other charitable organisations! It brings out the passive element in us, and shows each of us a way to contribute to make a better life for the deprived Indian children! Most charitable organisations seek cash donations or the equivalent, whereas CRY provides alternative models for providing help to the Indian child (cry.org). In fact, the CRY website is is a beautiful site with an even more beautiful and noble purpose! It is well designed to the point of simplicity! The site design, the images, and the messages on the site reflect a happy child! A happy child who has been provided a better life through individuals like you and me!
Partnering with CRY is a pleasure ’coz it actually allows and provides a way for every individual in society to contribute, and not always through cash donations. Just take a look at the various modes of help that an individual or corporate can provide meaning to the under-privileged Indian child - by volunteering time, skills or materials, spreading awareness about CRY and its goals, by disseminating information about CRY (like sending free CRY eCards, downloading free CRY wallpapers and screensavers and passing them on, adding a signature pledge of CRY to our eMails), buying CRY Cards or CRY products from shops (like diaries, desktop calendars, telephone and address books, puzzles, wooden toys, educational games, household linen, candle stands, frames, and jewellery), cash donations either online or offline (the most obvious!), and sponsoring children's’ health and education.
Simplistically put, CRY makes use of everything, your money, time, skills, materials or even your moral support to whatever extent is possible. And all for a noble purpose. This is one site that is worth visiting and contributing too! It brings out the ’’human’’ in us!
I mean, if non-Indians can care for Indian children (think Steven Waugh), can we not take care of our own? May be not through cash donations always, but definitely through the other options!
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