Research with Children: Mapping the entrepreneurial skills that children use in their everyday lives in India

“In school teachers don’t treat us nicely because we belong to a lower caste. The teacher does not give us our notebooks in our hands they throw them on the floor.” Raja, 16 years, group discussion, in school, Patna, Bihar “Our parents constructed the houses across the road. But now even if we go and ask them for a glass of water they don’t give it to us because we are from a lower caste.” Chotu, 16 years, group discussion, out of school, Patna, Bihar “My mother loves my brother the most. She buys Horlicks (energy drink) for him and will get him admitted in an English medium school. Even I want to learn English but I go to a Hindi school. She also buys him nice clothes.” Sweety, 15 years, depth interview, out of school, Tughlakabad, New Delhi Barriers in children’s lives

“My father always treated me like his son. He took me everywhere he went. I tagged along behind him to the market, to his work place. I learnt a lot about the world like this and this is why I am the way I am.” Sujata, 17 years, group discussion, out of school, Patna, Bihar “I am the first person in my family to study up to grade ten. Other children in my family have my support if they want to study further. In this manner, I have led the way for my family.” Salma, 15 years, depth interview, in school, Jaipur Enablers in children’s lives

E-skill: Trust & Building Relationships

“Trust is like this thread. If it is broken once then it can be joined but the knot will always show.” Mohan Lal, 16 years, group discussion, out of school, Nokha, Rural Rajasthan “People who break our trust deserve a second chance otherwise how will they be able to improve themselves and walk on the right path.” Babita, 14 years, group discussion, in school, Neb Sarai Slum, Delhi “You can forgive somebody twice for breaking your trust but not the 3rd time. Because if we forgive the 3rd time they will definitely break our trust the 4th time for sure.” Naseemabano, 15 years, depth interview, out of school, Tughlakabad, New Delhi On Trust

“We wanted our School to expand from grade eight till ten. But we were only six students which wasn’t enough to start a new class and others parents did not want their children to study further. We went from house to house telling parents that all other parents had agreed to send their daughters to school. In this way we increased the number of girls from 6 to 20 and convinced the school to expand.” Rehana, 16 years, group discussion, in school, Jaipur On Negotiation

“When I see people from lower castes than me getting different treatment like they have to sit separately, eat separately, then I feel very bad. It shouldn’t be this way, I eat with all my friends no matter which caste they are from.” Tikuram, 14years, group discussion, in school, Himatsar, Nokha, Rajasthan “Horses are not fed well or even given water but are made to do so much work. They are even beaten. I think about myself, if I didn’t have food or water I wouldn’t be able to do anything.” Babita, 14 years, group discussion in school, Neb Sarai Slum, Delhi “I feel sad when I see children like me picking through the garbage. I feel that it shouldn’t be this way.” Kalpana, 14 years, group discussion, in school, Neb Sarai Slum, Delhi On Empathy

“I thought I was good at cricket and worked very hard but when they didn’t select me in the team I felt very bad. But I didn’t give up and kept working hard. And I got selected the next time, I felt very happy.” Rakesh, 16 years, group discussion, out of school, Nokha, Rajasthan “When our school was being demolished we all staged a protest against the demolition. There were lots of people there who were asking us questions including media people. I was able to answer the questions they asked and articulate my opinions. This made me feel very confident.” Asifa, 15 years, group discussion, in school, Jaipur On Confidence