Our Projects
how it started
Dehradun, (Uttarakhand) [India]: Countless children in our country are deprived of the basic fundamental right- the right to education. Though it’s a fundamental right, it is far from reality. Despite government efforts, the literacy rate among children falls short. The current literacy rate in many rural areas of India is around 70%, which is way short of the national average. Amidst these tough times, organizations like Silverlining are actively working towards bridging the gap. Having impacted the lives of over 5,000 children, they are dedicated to providing quality education to more underprivileged children, empowering them to create a brighter future.
It was back in 2017 when Ms. Kanika Vizan and Mr. Ajay Singh stood at a crossroads, united by a shared dream. The dream was to transform lives through education. Both came from diverse professional backgrounds, but their hearts beat for a common cause: ensuring that every child, regardless of their circumstances, could access quality education. Their belief is reflected as they share, “Kids are bursting with enormous potential. The only thing they need is high-quality education accessible to them.”
Their determination led them to establish Silverlining. Today this social enterprise continues to grow, still sustained solely through the founders’ resources and sheer willpower. “We started without any massive funding. We just wanted to make an impact,” says Kanika. This empowering NGO started with modest beginnings in a small neighborhood in Dehradun. The founders began by organizing evening classes under makeshift tents, teaching children who had never held a book before. These were children who juggled chores and odd jobs, often sacrificing dreams to help their families survive.
“We realized it wasn’t just about academics. These children needed holistic support,” Ajay recalls. From this understanding grew the multi-faceted programs Silverlining offers today. Over the years, this charitable company has implemented a range of initiatives tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by underprivileged children. From providing scholarships, learning materials, and inclusive opportunities, the NGO has touched every aspect of their young beneficiaries’ lives.
One of Silverlining’s standout achievements is the diverse range of transformative projects they are running. “A vast number of these children leave school because they feel it isn’t for them. Especially after the pandemic, numerous kids discontinued schooling,” says Ajay. “Through mentorship and personalized learning, we’re showing them that education can be their silver lining,” adds Kanika. This welfare organization is not just about working for change—they live for it. Every child they meet, every animal they save, and every life they touch brings them closer to a world filled with love and hope. Currently, Silverlining is driving three major projects with a deep commitment to improving lives:
- Project Udaan: This initiative is dedicated to the children who call the streets their home. Project Udaan offers them the wings to dream, learn, and rise above their circumstances. Each book they read and smile they share brings them closer to a brighter future.
- Project Kites: Believing that early childhood is where the magic begins, Project Kites nurtures young children with love and care, helping them grow strong, compassionate, and ready to soar in life.
- Project L.I.Z.E (Love, Impact, Zero Exploitation): Project L.I.Z.E works tirelessly to end animal exploitation, advocating for a world where all creatures are treated with compassion and respect.
(EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION)
While it is generally recognised that the right to education is relevant to primary, secondary, tertiary and basic education levels, it is important to recognise that this human right also applies throughout ‘early childhood’, which the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) defines as the period from birth up until the age of eight.
Early childhood is understood as a critical developmental phase as it represents the most rapid period of physical, cognitive, social and emotional growth of the human lifespan. These formative early years necessarily require a mixture of care and education for children, with close support by parents, families, other caregivers and broader communities. It constitutes both a significant and meaningful stage itself, and impacts the realisation of other human rights throughout a person’s lifetime.
Consequently, the early childhood care and education (ECCE) that children experience, from earliest infancy through to the transition to formal primary schooling, has a direct effect on their well-being, how they make sense of the world, and the extent to which they are able to make the most of future opportunities. Research on ECCE demonstrates its importance in, among other things, tackling gender and other barriers to accessing primary school, increasing participation and achievement in school, and lowering school repetition and drop-out rates – thereby decreasing wastage in the education system. It also contributes to reducing gender inequalities and broader societal benefits such as enhanced social cohesion, a lower rate of future violence and crime, higher individual incomes and stronger national economic development, a stronger cultural identity and a reduction in health costs and poverty cycles across generations.
The international human rights framework offers guidance to states and others about a rights-based approach to ECCE. As outlined by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, education in all its forms and at all levels shall exhibit the following interrelated and essential features: availability, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability of education. As the CRC has explained, these elements must be adapted to the interests, concerns and changing capacities of children during early childhood. States must consider the best interests of the child throughout the early years, promote nurturing and non-violent forms of parenting and education, and – of particular significance at this time of life – ensure the right of the child to rest, leisure, play and to free participation in cultural life and the arts. States should work closely with communities to develop ECCE programs that complement parental and caregiver roles in early education, to ensure continuity of experience for children as they grow and transition to primary school. Given the essential mix of care and education, it is important that states adopt a comprehensive, holistic, multisectoral approach to ECCE, encompassing education, health, nutrition, sanitation and safety considerations.
In addition to legal commitments to ECCE, states have also committed politically through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensuring by 2030, that ‘all girls and boys have access to quality early children development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education’ (Sustainable Development Goal target 4.2).
The complementary Incheon Declaration for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 envisions ‘the provision of at least one year of free and compulsory quality pre-primary education and that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care and education’ (Article 6).
In light of the fundamental role of ECCE, increasing numbers of states around the world are committing to make at least one year of preschool education available and – significantly – free of cost for all children. However, government measures differ significantly in terms of ECCE research, planning, implementation, monitoring and accountability. Significant action is needed to develop a more coherent human rights approach to ECCE globally, so that all children can access good quality ECCE on an equal basis. This will require an appropriate balance between international target setting and the promotion and support of localised, contextually grounded approaches to supporting ECCE policies and practices, recognising that children live across widely diverse contexts.
A human rights-based analysis of ECCE also highlights broader societal issues beyond the education of children in early childhood. At present, women provide approximately three-quarters of all unpaid care work globally, including in relation to the care and education of children in early childhood. This results in significant restrictions on their ability to access formal employment, achieve pay and pension equality with men, and take advantage of other opportunities. States have a direct and transformative impact on gender equality when they build and strengthen robust ECCE frameworks, in compliance with their obligation to facilitate shared responsibility for caregiving between women and men and society as a whole, including as regards parental leave provisions.
Momentum for ECE in India
India has seen a growing momentum to prioritise ECE in the recent years, despite existing challenges. Both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women and Child Development are making sustained efforts to enhance early childhood education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 underscores the necessity of providing universal, equitable and quality early childhood care and education, emphasising a play-based approach to ensure optimal child development. This policy shift marks a significant turning point in recognising the importance of early education.
The National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stages (NCF-FS 2022) and the recently released Aadharshila framework establish clear standards for states to develop quality ECE programmes. Furthermore, NITI Aayog has incorporated early education into its annual plans, emphasising key areas for early childhood care and education as part of broader developmental goals under Viksit Bharat @ 2047. These plans prioritise strengthening the Anganwadi system and integrating ECCE with primary education, focusing on quality infrastructure, teacher training and curriculum development. Notably, the total budget allocation for ECE by states increased from approximately ₹900 crores in 2022-2023 to around ₹1,300 crores in 2024-2025 — a 46.75% increment, indicating a growing commitment to improving early education in the country.
- Programmatic Enhancements and Impact
In line with its commitment to early childhood education, Uttar Pradesh has taken significant steps to strengthen programmatic inputs. The state has seen notable success in Grades 1 to 3 by adopting a structured pedagogy approach, which is now being adapted for ECE. For instance, a 12-week school readiness curriculum has been developed for the Balvatika grade (ages 5 to 6) in co-located Anganwadis. This curriculum aligns with the NCF-FS and Uttar Pradesh – State Curriculum Framework, focusing on foundational literacy, numeracy and social-emotional development. It provides educators with a clear and structured plan to prepare children for formal schooling.
The rollout of this curriculum in Aligarh has yielded promising early results. Learning time in classrooms has doubled, with new materials enabling Anganwadi workers (AWWs) to allocate time more effectively across developmental domains — from literacy to play-based learning.
- Positive Feedback from Anganwadi Workers (AWWs)
- 60% of AWWs appreciated the curriculum manual for its clear daily and weekly routines and a well-defined progression of activities.
- 73% of AWWs found that children could easily navigate the workbooks, leading to greater engagement in the classroom.
Qualitative feedback from AWWs highlights the creative and engaging nature of the activities, which maintain children’s interest throughout the school day. One AWW remarked,
“The materials are easier to understand than anything we have used before. All we need to do is focus on teaching.”
Navita Nirmal (Anganwadi Worker, Pala Sahibabad, Aligarh)
Project Kites is a heartfelt initiative dedicated to providing free early childhood education to children from underprivileged communities. Focused on the critical early years of development, this program aims to lay a strong foundation for learning, growth, and lifelong success.
Through Project Kites, we strive to:
- Offer free, high-quality early education programs tailored to young minds.
- Provide a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for holistic development.
- Focus on developing essential skills such as language, motor skills, and social-emotional learning.
- Supply free learning materials, nutritious meals, and health support for overall well-being.
- Empower families with awareness and tools to support their children’s early education journey.
At Project Kites, we believe every child deserves a strong start, no matter their background. Like a kite catching the wind, these little learners are ready to soar, and we are here to guide their flight!
Education is a powerful tool that can break the cycle of poverty for underprivileged children. It opens doors to better jobs, improved health, and a brighter future. But for underprivileged children, access to quality education is often a distant dream. Poverty, social barriers, and lack of resources keep too many bright young minds from reaching their full potential.
That’s why focusing on education for underprivileged students is so crucial. Education gives kids the skills to think critically, solve problems, and believe in themselves. It empowers them to make positive changes in their lives and communities.
Project Udaan is a mission-driven initiative committed to empowering children living on streets and in remote areas by providing access to education and essential learning resources. True to its name, Udaan symbolizes the flight towards a brighter future, breaking the chains of poverty and illiteracy.
Our goals include:
- Bringing quality education to children living on streets, ensuring they have the opportunity to learn and grow.
- Delivering educational resources such as books, stationery, and digital tools to children in remote and underserved regions.
- Setting up mobile learning centers and community-based classes for easy access to education.
- Offering mentorship and guidance to help children discover their potential and dream big.
- Creating a support system for families to prioritize education and break the cycle of poverty.
Project Udaan is dedicated to ensuring no child is left behind, regardless of their circumstances. Together, we can help these young minds take flight and reach new heights through the power of education.
PROJECT UDAAN INCLUDES;
Silverlining NGO plays a very vital role to bring change in the society and help the poor section to fulfill their basic needs like food distribution drive , cloths distribution drive etc . These all drive took place through the program udaan in this firstly areas get decided and then the drive get launched to deal with the situation like deprivation of food and warm cloths during the winter season . with the help of active volunteers the drives get launched to fulfill the need of the people. In the last 7 years several of dives took place which includes more than 1000+ beneficiaries.
One of the most striking examples of the unequal distribution of resources on the planet is the existence of chronic hunger in some parts of the world. Especially for children, hunger can be deadly or have grave consequences. As such, one of the millennium development goals is to reduce severe and moderate malnutrition by half among children that are younger than five years old. To deal with such situation silverlining conduct time to time food drives to ensure no one get died due to hunger in their working areas.
Every animal deserves love and respect. Through Project L.I.Z.E, we are dedicated to ending animal exploitation and cruelty. Our mission is to build a world where all creatures, great and small, are treated with compassion. By raising awareness and taking direct action, we work to ensure that every animal receives the care and dignity it deserves.


