Attendees: Vinod, Teesta, Amit, Sachin, Anshu, Vivek(new vol), Prema, Manoj, Neehar, Vijay
Pratirodh Sansthan (Teesta), update
- works with tribals in Chittorgarh,
- works on rights movement
- residential school, 54 girls, age 9-12, 2 full time trained teachers, curriculum relies on teaching aid from Digantar and follows activity based pedagogy… non-formal
- Class1-3: 23, Class 3-5: 20, Class5: 11
- Class 1-3: can’t read or write anything
- Class3-5: basic math, read and write sentences
- Class5: read and write paragraphs, can read books on their own, arithmetic … state level
- 10 out of 11 girls appeared for govt. 5th grade examination and successfully cleared – two girls stood first and second in the exam. (state level)
- 10 girls have been admitted to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, a residential school
- all 10 girls got an opportunity to learn computers for one month at Shaymadas Sansathan
- 15 girls are preparing for 2011 5th std. exam
- 5 new girls were admitted during the first half of the academic year.
- KGBV are one per district? Not everywhere right now. Started 3 years back.
- 3 big rooms for girls, one small room for teachers
- Teesta and Amit visited villages – One person from upper Rajput community had died of hunger, while Rajasthan govt. claims that no one died in last year’s drought.
- There is a govt. primary school, only 6-7 students, all present were boys and only one teacher.
- It will be good if the teachers can get more training.
- Parents are happy that their daughters are getting education and food and they trust Sumanji so they are all happy with Pratirodh Sansathan.
Seva Mandir (Amit), update, site visit report, new proposal
- We have been working with SM since 2007
- 626 villages, around 70000 households,
- Shiksha-kendra, seasonal learning camps for tribal children
- Activity centers in govt. schools capacity building
- Action research project (with MIT)
- Jan shakti Niliyams (libraries)
- Uurja Ghar-Youth Resource Centers.
- Afe-SV supports: 20 Shiksha Kendras in Badgaon block, 5 activity centers in govt. schools, and support 25 students in learningcamps.
- Total 104 children are now attending govt. schools (up from 63 from last year)
- 5 activity centers, about 550 students…. Activity based learning.
- Sometimes Seva Mandir teachers are asked by school to take regular classes. When teachers are not present, schools have authority to appoint para-teachers, but most of the time these teachers are appointed on papers only.
- Every class is given one hour every day to go to activity room… good improvement in students’ learning after activity based learning.
- On average 30% improvement in attendance all across schools.
- Instructor retention is a challenge
- All activity centers now have English learning.
- Residential Seasonal learning camps: 55 days.
- Children who work, spend time in these residential camp for 55 days, three evaluation, goal is to bring them up to level 2 (read and write) and encourage them to continue in a school after going back.
- 3 camps every year.. about 40-45% repeat students every year.
- Children’s from Jhadol are highly sought after in neighboring field of Gujarat for picking cotton, where they work 18 hrs a day (on their feet) for meager amounts. These children even can distinguish different currency notes and don’t know how much they are earning.
New Proposal:
- Continue: continue 23 Shiksha Kendras, 5 Activity Centers and support 25 tribal centers for learning camps.
- Expansion: Kotra block, one of the most remote and one of the biggest blocks and also one of the poorest ones.
- 55 Shiksha Kendras.
Budget: 2010-11
- Continue: Rs. 2, 507, 725 (2010-11) about $55,825
$39,700*48 = Rs. 1,90, 5600 (2009-10) (20 Shiksha Kendras)
Revised Budget: $41,736 (2010-11)
Option to drop learning camp, Budget: $29,086, recommendation not to drop, since this is the only option for the kids who work in mines and fields to get some education.
- Expansion: 55*45,300 Rs. About $55K (we can not support this)
- Detailed budget and documents on project webpage.
Prabhananda Boy’s Hostel: Manoj (Mid year update)
- Room, board, education and everything else for 100 boys
- Asha-SV support from 2007
- Funding per student per month is about Rs. 900
- Budget proposal (2009-10): Rs. 12,52,606, requested Rs. 11,12,000, we approved: Rs. 10,80,000, half is sent.
- Second installment is due. Rs. 5,40,000
Changes:
- we suggested to start sending boys back to outside public schools – higher grades (5 in 5th grade, 2 in grade 7 and 3 in grade 11) are now going to local high schools
- School (in-house), up to grade 4, extended to include upper KG
- Some training for completely “untrained” students, before they join outside schools.
- Boys only, suggestion was to include girls as well. They have started to include girls for school part (no boarding), very minimal fee is charged and requested.
- The parent organization Bharat Sevashram has established a primary school for 80 students (50 girls). Hostel facility for 40 students.
Expenditure reports from project.
- Unexpected expenditure in the second half of the year because of sky-rocketing food prices. They spent Rs. 8.86 Lakh.. (on loan) we will be sending Rs. 5.4 Lakhs.. they will have to find remaining money somehow.