Child In Need Institute UK

The Child In Need Institute (CINI) works to break down the cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health and also provide basic educational services to some of India’s poorest communities. Its vision is of an India where children are able to reach their full potential, regardless of their gender, caste, class or ethnicity.

CINI, founded in India, has over 30 years of experience and has a wealth of local knowledge. This ensures that development interventions are culturally appropriate and therefore more sustainable.

CINI takes pride in the way it coordinates its work at the grassroots with local community groups and government bodies. This approach serves to improve and strengthen the capacity of existing community organisations and services, bringing about sustainable improvements in health, nutrition, education and child protection. The aim is to complement state services rather than replace them, and to initiate progress that will continue after CINI has withdrawn from an area.

In particular, CINI empowers women and children at key stages in the life-cycle: childhood, adolescence and pregnancy, with programmes designed to help them lay the foundations for a happy healthy life. Vitally, programmes are implemented by local staff and volunteers, keeping costs lower than organisations dependent on foreign aid workers, and building local skills.

We also endeavour to share successful approaches with other organisations working in related fields. CINI is widely recognised as a leading authority on mother and child nutrition and healthcare in India and has provided training on related issues to major charities such as UNICEF, CARE and CRY, as well as many smaller local NGOs.

In November 2005, the Indian government recognised CINI’s outstanding work to help children and the charity received the National Award of Child Welfare. Recipients for this prestigious award are chosen on the basis of the quality of their work, its significance in leading the way on improving child welfare in India, and the numbers of children whose lives have been touched by the charity’s work.

CINI UK raises awareness and funds in the UK for this vital work. It was registered with the Charity Commission in 2002. The charity provides its supporters with full progress reports on the projects they fund, and actively encourages its supporters to visit projects on the ground.