Children International Delhi has been working for 18 years to empower children and youth in the Bawana and Shahbad Dairy slums in Delhi through long-term programmes focused on life-skills, employability and wellbeing. The organisation also focuses on social issues such as poverty, child labour, missing children, child abuse, education, children’s rights, mental health, and emotional well-being. Children International Delhi provides young people with the necessary life skills, social and financial education they need to navigate life’s challenges and become healthy, socially responsible and productive adults in their communities. Working through cooperation, trust and support, they value the potential of every child and youth they encounter, empowering them to become agents of change.   

Our partnership 

In 2016, Children International Delhi became an Aflatoun partner and started implementing social and financial education through the Aflatoun, Aflateen and Aflatot curricula. During this partnership, they have increased awareness on social and financial education, children’s rights and social responsibility, on the importance of saving, and strengthened life skills among 4,718 children and youth!  

For Children International Delhi, an important aspect of Aflatoun’s curricula are its core elements: life skills, the promotion and protection of children’s rights, social responsibility and community service, and civic education. Through the Aflatoun club sessions, children and youth are saving money regularly to purchase stationery and other household items, as well as saving water and energy. Inspired by Aflatoun’s programme, students also take part in at least in 10 community projects each year raising awareness on social issues through community meetings, workshops, and pamphlets. With the skills learned through the Aflatoun curricula, children are able to become agents of change in their communities. 

Adapting to COVID-19: A focus on emotional wellbeing 

In the face of the COVID-19 global health crisis, Children International Delhi adapted its education strategy in order to continue reaching isolated students digitally by providing them with tablets, mobile data plans, as well as learning worksheets for delivering education and health programmes. They also provided stationery, groceries, masks, sanitiser and food assistance to families.  

Children International Delhi also began emotional well-being sessions for children, youth and caregivers in the Aflateen programme to help them cope with the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic took on mental and emotional health. These sessions focused on developing emotional wellbeing, and building resilience. Children International Delhi not only continued to provide social and financial education using new methods, but they also provided children and youth with tools to deal with stress, and build their emotional resilience in the face of adversity.  

Building Community Leaders

In 2020, Zainab joined the Aflatoun Programme. She was elected leader and helped organise and facilitate virtual club meetings and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Aflateen programme, she learned social and financial skills, and improved her decision-making, problem-solving and teamworking skills. By learning the importance of saving, she was able to save enough to purchase stationery and other household items. Zainab also began teaching kids in her neighbourhood, becoming a role model within her community. Zainab’s favourite memory was working on a social project to raise awareness about child labour in the community.