When the Ekta team arrives, a ripple of excitement spreads through a rural village in Tamil Nadu, South India. Most of the Dalit and Tribal children know they will be allowed time off from their chores to attend the Speak Out programme. The Ekta team welcomes the opportunity to play games and teach them life skills that will guide them in an uncertain future.

“Giving children the knowledge and confidence to speak out is an important way to stop harm and sometimes death in these vulnerable communities. Ekta negotiates first with their parents and gives prizes to the children. By working with children as well as adults and government, Ekta is improving gender awareness and protecting women and children from future violence and abuse,” says Murray Overton, Christian World Service National Director.

In the rural areas, Dalit and Tribal children usually sit at the back of the classroom where they are often ignored by their teachers. The expectation is that they will take on menial chores or work as agricultural labourers, as their parents do. The landowners expect them to follow caste rules and do whatever they are told.

The Speak Out programme teaches children’s rights and encourages them to stay in school. The mostly Dalit leaders teach participants good communication skills and how to make sensible decisions. By example, they show the benefits of positive thinking and the importance of speaking out against sexual abuse and child labour. The programme explores the different expectations families have about education, chores and food allocations for boys and girls. Through games and drama the group learns to work as a team, a skill that will help them stand together to challenge injustice and adversity.

Read the Spring Story at cws.org.nz to find out more.