Education India Project #1784

Empowering women for a better tomorrow

by D VIRMANI EDUCATION TRUST & MANAGEMENT SOCIETY

Project Report | Mar 20, 2018
Enlightening Lives Through Education

By Anju Wadhwa | Project Head

Republic Day Celebration

TITLE: ENLIGHTENING LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION

Dear Donor,

Greetings from Women’s Literacy and Empowerment Programme!

We describe here the outline of our Women Literacy Centers and Empowerment Programme. Our project ‘Empowering Women for a Better Tomorrow’ has a vigorous and vibrant strategy towards educating the penurious illiterate adult women of the society. We educate women through Mahila Shiksha Kendra (MSK), where her abode becomes the teaching place. Various rallies are organized in the community regarding awareness about health, safety, and hygiene. This programme focuses on educating women as the positive effects percolate to her family, community, society and the whole nation. At the end of the day, this is what we want and this is what we work for.

“Priyanka” never got the opportunity to go to a school as she got married at 17 years of age. After getting married, she got busy with other things and never understood the importance of education. Later in life, Priyanka realized the need of getting educated as she couldn’t help her kids in studying.

Rajan, our coordinator enquired that Priyanka is willing to read and write Hindi. Rajan explained her importance of education and also about being independent in life. Priyanka was convinced and didn’t want to leave this opportunity. She readily said yes. After getting educated, she is able to help her kids with studies, keep a track of house budget; vendors no more befool her for money. Also, she has opened her own parlour and is an independent woman now.

We are really grateful to share with you that this year our number of Women Literacy Centers has increased from 452 to 646 centers. The increase in the number of centers is due to the collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services.

CELEBRATIONS:

1. 26^TH JANUARY- REPUBLIC DAY

The 69^thRepublic Day was celebrated in all its solemnity and grandeur at our entire Women’s Literacy Centers. Coordinators along with the beneficiaries, brand ambassadors and center in charges made the arrangements for the celebration. They all sang patriotic songs, made beautiful greeting cards and wrote slogans in their notebooks. At the end the beneficiaries hoisted the Flag and sang the National Anthem.

2. 21^ST JANUARY- BASANT PANCHAMI

Basant Panchami is a cultural festival that marks the arrival of spring and celebrated equally by Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in various ways. It was celebrated at our entire Women’s Literacy Centers with joy and enthusiasm. Beneficiaries made beautiful rangolies with colors. This festival marks the start of preparation for Holika bonfire and Holi, which is forty days later. Basant Panchami also marks the beginning of Saraswati Puja who was the deity of music, art, knowledge, science and technology. People worship books to pay tribute to her.

3. 14^TH JANUARY- LOHRI

Lohri is a popular winter time Punjabi festival folk, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus. This festival was celebrated by our beneficiaries at all the Women Literacy Centers. Lohri was started by lighting a bonfire and all the women sang folk songs to make the day more joyful and memorable. Women tossed rewaries, sugar- candy; gur in the bonfire and dance till the fire dies out. At the end of the celebration popcorns and groundnuts are distributed to everyone.

4. 2^ND MARCH- HOLI, THE FESTIVAL OF COLOURS

Holi popularly known as ‘festival of colors’ is celebrated widely across the entire Indian subcontinent. It was celebrated at the entire Women’s Literacy Centers with love and joy. Beneficiaries bond with each other over colors, dancing, singing and of course an elaborate feast. You can see the streets with hues of green, yellow, pink, red and blue and spot people meeting and greeting their friends and family. At the end of the celebration beneficiaries distributed Gujiya’s, one of the popular sweets that make up this festival.

5. 8^TH MARCH- WOMEN’S DAY

Women’s Day was celebrated at all our Women Literacy Centers with love and happiness. Beneficiaries gave speeches and narrated their life changing stories after getting educated. Some of them also prepared a dance and wrote powerful and strong slogans in their notebooks. Even today, people feel shy and disgust in talking about mensuration. So the beneficiaries decided to hold pad in their hands and gave the message that peroids are a natural process and there is nothing to hide about it. In the end gifts were distributed to all the beneficiaries to honour them for courage and stepping forward to make a change in the society.

We feel proud in telling you that Virmani Trust is a platform where beneficiaries from all the castes celebrate every festival with love, respect and happiness.

Regards,

Anju Wadhwa

Children at Republic Day Celebration

Beneficiaries celebrating Basant Panchami

Lohri Celebration

Holi Celebration

Beneficiaries breaking the norm of Peroids

Permalink

Sep 24, 2016
Progress at Women Literacy Centers

By Anju Wadhwa | Project Head

Cards Making on Teachers Day

Dear donor,

We are pleased to submit the progress report of Women’s Literacy and Empowerment Program from last three months up to the present.

This project consumed a huge amount of work, research and dedication. Still implementation would have not been possible if we did not have support of individuals like you. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for helping us wage a war against illiteracy and strengthen the women of our slums.

At our 371 Women Literacy centers, 21,930 illiterate adult women would be taught Hindi, Arithmetic and a vocation with the help of Computer based functional Literacy Software in the FY 16-17.Your donation has helped us to purchase new computers for our beneficiaries of Literacy centers, as the women are eager to learn from the audio visual software in the computers. On every 2^nd and 4^th Saturday of the month, the center in-charge along with beneficiaries conducts rallies to make the community aware about the importance of education. In the FY16-17, 735, 2400 and 300 beneficiaries completed their literacy course in the month of July, August and September respectively at different centers.

The women, who at the time of admission used to put their thumb impressions in the Parent teacher meetings at school of their children, have started signing the report cards now. They could now easily access their bank accounts as they can read the no. and are aware of operating their ATM cards.

Amarjeet Singh, a 40 year old lady who was a beneficiary of WLC of batch December 2010 to May 2011, is now working as a coordinator of Civil Line district and a teacher of a WLC at her home. She says that “I feel so proud when I teach the illiterate women of my community and dedicate my time to empower them. Everyone respects me as a Teacher which makes me feel proud and happy. I can even earn money for my children. I thank for the opportunity which Virmani Trust has provided to me.”

On the auspicious day of International Literacy day, the center in-charges organized a speech competition on Women Education in which the passed out and currently enrolled beneficiaries participated actively. They also wrote some quotes on Women Education and shared their experience of learning.

On 5^th September 2016, Teacher’s day was celebrated at the centers. The passed out beneficiaries played the role of teacher and taught the women. They also shared the benefits of learning. The beneficiaries, who were not even able to hold the pen properly, made beautiful cards for their center in-charges.

Apart from education, Virmani trust organised Cleanliness campaign at every WLC. The center incharges along with the co-ordinators, and beneficiaries on 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of the month conducted rallies in their community with brooms cleaning the streets, posters shouting the slogans and making everyone aware about personal Hygiene and environmental cleanliness.

We would love to keep you in the loop with our emails and newsletters. You can read them on our website (www.virmanitrust.com ) too.

Anju Wadhwa, our C. E.O. is always available to set up a visit for you, or to answer any questions you may have. Don't hesitate to whatsapp her at 09268689361, or email her at anjuwadhwa70@yahoo.in.

Again, thank you for all you do for our beneficiaries. You are a part of their lives too.

Very truly yours,

Virmani Education Trust

Cleanliness Campaign

Amarjeet

Literacy Day

Permalink

Jun 27, 2016
Progress at Women Literacy Centers

By Anju Wadhwa | Project Head

Republic Day Celebrated at Women Literacy Center

“Education is the most Powerful Weapon which you can use to change the World.” - Nelson Mandela

There can be no lasting peace or social development without education. This is the bedrock on which DVET has built its priority programme to provide education to disadvantaged women.

Our Vision

Our founders Mr. Diwan Chand Virmani and Mr. Jawala Das Virmani had a vision to help in transforming the lives of the underprivileged section of our society by providing them an education.

Mission

Our Mission is to bring Happiness & Joy in the lives of the Disadvantaged and Marginalized section of society.

Maximize the Eradication of Illiteracy through Computer Based Program.
Create Awareness about Hygiene, Health and Safety.
Support Women of Disadvantaged Communities to gain Confidence, Respect and Honour in the society.
Engage with other Organizations for Transforming Lives of the Underprivileged Women

Over time we were able to build the Dhanpatmal Virmani Senior Secondary School, the Virmani Public School, a number of scholarship funds, a Vocational Training center and the Women’s Literacy and Empowerment Program.

“VIRMANI TRUST IS WORKING TO EMPOWER WOMEN FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.”

Since 2004, Women Literacy Program provides free education to illiterate adult women with the help of Computer Based Functional Literacy Software (a computer module developed by Tata Consultancy Services) in several centers set up in slums across Delhi/NCR and Uttrakhand. It assists to enable them to gain self respect and confidence, to manage financial issues, to read newspapers, hoardings and report cards of their children.

Stationary and Other essentials:-

We provide Stationary, Post literacy kit, News papers, an old donated computer to run CBFL program, a blackboard at every women literacy center for the beneficiaries.

“Economic empowerment of women strengthens families and societies.”

“Self Help Groups facilitate economic self sufficiency”

Virmani Trust along with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited runs Self Help Groups at different Women Literacy Centers where a group of 15-20 women is formed. These women deposit a small amount of money in bank and later they can take a loan for initiating self employment at a nominal interest as per their needs.

This scheme has been of immense benefit to the poor women living in the slums.

In addition to these projects, our generous donor Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited appoints the literate women of our centers as their Brand Ambassadors in different J.J. clusters and provides them employment.

Women Brand Ambassadors move door to door creating awareness about safety issues from electric wires and make people get benefitted from Drug De-Addiction Camps and Mobile Dispensaries.

An Earn While Learn (EWL) Programme in which the women who make the defaulter residents pay their old electric outstanding dues and install regular meters in place of illegal connections are paid an honorarium.

Dhanpatmal Virmani Education Trust and Management Society is a not for profit organization and is supported by donations from the Virmani Family, Friends and Corporations like Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, BSES(BRPL/BYPL) and ATS Green. The generous support of our donors and sponsors has enabled us to teach approx. 40,000 women to read and write HINDI, ARITHMETIC, and a VOCATION during the last eleven years.

After opening 361 centers teaching 21,780 women annually in Delhi, we have ventured to Uttrakhand and have opened 05 centers teaching 75 women annually. Our target is to teach 30,000 women by the end of this year.

It fills us with pride & joy that illiterate women taught at our centers are now able to read the bus numbers, use a telephone, read newspapers as well as their children’s report card. They are able to attend their children’s school meetings.

We are looking for contributions for all these efforts and would be grateful for your continuous support to enable us to carry them forward.

Greeting cards made by beneficiaries

Cleanliness Campaign in Slums

Permalink

1 2 3 4 5 6 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.