Here, a child can be born and still not exist

THE OBSTACLE: Inequality and Discrimination

 Many in India are pushed to the margins of society, with children trying to learn outside of the school system. Unseen and overlooked, here invisibility is inherited — shaped not only by distance, but by generations of systematic discrimination.

A child’s future shouldn’t depend on a piece of paper, but in Allipalem, it does. In tribal areas, children are often born but aren’t officially recorded. Without a birth certificate, there is no proof they actually exist, barring them from being able to access basic services like health or education.

“There is no proper road or bus facility, and we face many challenges,” says Kavitha, a Grade 6 student. Many parents simply give up on their child’s schooling altogether because they can’t afford to send them. Instead, they end up as child labourers or are pushed into child marriage. Why? Most often it’s because they lack the necessary legal documents, such as a birth certificate or an Aadhar (ID) card, which is needed for school and government support.

“I was a school dropout because I did not have proper documents. I suffered a lot and felt very sad,” Kavitha says.

Children are seen and heard

Jins Joseph, a member of the Children Believe team in India, did not grow up feeling excluded, but he noticed early how some children felt confident in school while others stayed silent. Having experienced a time when documentation was difficult to obtain, he felt for this community.

Living “outside the system” does not mean people are not part of the country. It means access to services is uncertain, he explains. “Something that is simple for others — like enrolling a child in school — becomes complicated.”

When Jins began working in Allipalem, a remote forest village in central southern India, he saw that invisibility every day. Families lived without basic services, children went to school irregularly, and many lacked essential documents like birth certificates or ID cards. Without them, access to education, healthcare, housing, and nutrition was limited.

Children Believe through partner Social Activities for Rural Development Society (SARDS) started with a simple but powerful step: documentation. They helped families understand its importance, guided them through processes, and worked with local officials. Slowly, coverage rose from under 40 percent to nearly 90.

For families in Allipalem, and children like Kavitha, being counted has opened the door to stability, opportunity, and hope for the next generation.

With the help of Children Believe’s partner SARDS, camps were held to help families apply for documents. And so, Kavitha rejoined school and says, “I am happy and enjoying my studies.”

Did you know?

In all of our work worldwide, Children Believe helped over 186,000 children be officially registered last year, giving them a name, an identity, and a chance at a safer future.

Read more stories like Kavitha's in our latest edition of ChildVoice!