Sunil Bhalla
Director
About Us
Our Story
We are an Australian-based charity dedicated to uplifting underprivileged children in India by supporting grassroots NGOs. Through education, livelihood skills, and child protection initiatives, we help build a brighter tomorrow—starting today.
Our Organisation
Child Education and Rights Foundation (CERF) is an Australian based charity, registered with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission.
CERF is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient. All donations over $2 to CERF are tax deductible in Australia.
Our Mission
Provide relief to children in distress in India by ensuring access to education, vocational training, and essential welfare services through funding and partnerships with NGOs.
Our Philosophy
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of religion, caste, or creed. We view intergenerational poverty not just as a lack of resources, but as a deep social injustice reinforced by limited access to education, healthcare, and opportunity. By focusing on children and young people from disadvantaged communities, we aim to break this cycle early, empowering them to become agents of change in their own lives and communities.
Guided by a strong commitment to inclusivity and dignity, we focus on nurturing talent, resilience, and self-worth. Through education, mentorship, and holistic support, we aim to create sustainable pathways out of poverty—allowing young people to imagine and build a future unbound by the limitations of their past.
Our Values
Accountability
Responsible stewardship of resources and transparent impact reporting.
Empowerment
Helping communities take charge of their own development journey.
Equality
Equal opportunities regardless of gender, caste, religion, or economic status.
Empathy
Approaching challenges with understanding, compassion and respect.
Our Approach
Provide a platform to Indian Australians to give back to ‘the land of their ancestors’ and provide an avenue for the broader Australian community to provide relief to impoverished children and communities in rural India. We work with grassroots NGOs in India who have established track records and are approved to receive funds from Australia.
There are many ways you can get involved and support our work:
- Donate to our programs.
- Volunteer and help raise funds.
NGO Selection Criterion
CERF’s evaluation and monitoring processes ensure that we partner only with those NGOs that meet the following criteria:
- Low administrative overheads to ensure maximum funding is going to the beneficiaries.
- Demonstrate successful track record in maintaining financial accountability, compliance with local laws, and approved to receive funds from Australia.
- Serve people regardless of gender, religion, caste, or economic status.
- Engagement and empowerment of the local community sits at the heart of its programs.
Why partner with local NGOs?
Local Knowledge and Cultural Relevance
Local NGOs deeply understand the regional culture, language, traditions, and social dynamics. Programs are more likely to be designed and delivered in ways that are culturally sensitive, locally accepted, and better suited to real community needs.
Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency
They operate with lower overheads and have existing infrastructure and staff. They have much lesser costs associated with setting up offices, hiring expatriates, and navigating bureaucracy, allowing more funds to go directly toward programs.
Stronger Community Trust and Access
Local NGOs long-standing relationships with local governments, leaders, and other stakeholders, which helps in smooth implementation.
Capacity Building and Sustainable Impact
Empowering local organizations builds local capacity, leadership, and ownership. This approach enhances long-term sustainability, ensures programs are locally driven, and helps communities to continue progress even without ongoing foreign support.
Board of Directors
Our organisation is guided by experts from a wide variety of fields. They are independent and voting members of the Board of Directors.
Our Target to 30 June 2026
Children Educated
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Partner NGOs
Supported
Supported
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Communities
Reached
Reached
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