Empower 100 Girls in Asia's Largest Red Light Area

 Outreach:

“Your students are better behaved than the other students in the class”- Class teacher of Udaan beneficiaries in school

The objective of the field visit is to make the mothers understand the consequences of absentism among the beneficiaries. Our outreach team members make continuous effort to encourage the mother’s to send their children to our center to avail our services for the overall development of their child.

Regular school visits were conducted in order to talk about strategies that enhance learning among the beneficiaries, track the progress in their studies and school admissions. We received feedback of the teachers and principals of the school which was positive and highlighted the development in the beneficiaries in their studies as well as overall behaviour.

Education:

Eliciting topics from Udaan beneficiaries for Udaan monthly awareness meetings as the beneficiaries had come up with topics of interest like ‘The Solar System’ and ‘Outer Space/ The Universe’ made us feel delighted. - Udaan Teachers.

Formal education:

Regular tuition classes are conducted with Udaan beneficiaries to help the beneficiaries in school studies they are equipped with better clarity of concepts and strong basics for young beneficiaries. A difference has been noticed in the approach of teachers in the teaching method in order to acquire attention of the children who do not reciprocate with the teachers.

The teachers have started focusing on different subjects to generate interest and also conducting regular Friday sessions on varied topics such as body parts, functioning of a library, functioning of senses and body organs, food adulteration and ‘swar aur vyanjan’ (Hindi vowels and consonants).

To develop in beneficiaries a habit of writing their routine and expressing their feelings about events journal writing is regularly practiced among the beneficiaries the elder beneficiaries have started writing details of the whole day and express their moments of like and dislike along with writing skills to polish their verbal communication spoken English classes are conducted. A risen interest in spoken English classes is visible as most of the beneficiaries make an effort to communicate by formulating simple sentences and incorporation of tenses which will brings about an improvement of language.

“I do not feel bored during newspaper activity as I want to find out more words than other team members.”- Young Udaan beneficiary

To improve the reading skills of the younger beneficiaries’ newspaper reading is conducted where in the beneficiaries are given newspaper and are asked to identify one letter and two letter words. The visualization and identification makes the process easier and this paces up the learning process of the beneficiaries. It has been observed that the team members are able to better understand and identify words during tuitions and in school due to the reading supplement in the form of newspaper activity.

In addition, a reading assessment was conducted for Udaan beneficiaries through the utilization of reading assessment tool. The outcome showed that beneficiaries had vast difference in their reading skills.

In order to improve general knowledge of the Udaan beneficiaries’ general knowledge sessions are conducted which included about vegetables by actually seeing different vegetable, displayed to them by teacher, about famous places of Mumbai through an educational video and verbally learnt about the days of week followed by interactive discussion. Visual perception helps the younger beneficiaries retain and learn quicker the impacts of which was visible during the school assignment the younger beneficiaries were able to themselves recognize vegetables and correctly paste the pictures of those vegetables in the project book.

Computer classes are regularly conducted and the impact of the computer skill is clearly visible wherein Elder Udaan beneficiaries are capable of helping other students in school to search educational content and create assignments. The beneficiaries are very attentive in the computer class and look forward to learning new things on the computer which will further enhance their skill.Currently the advancement is seen in them as they are able to process the content such as video, stories shown to them and create word documents of their own in order to answer questions based on the content seen.

Informal Education:

Greed is a bad thing and we should not be greedy while having food, rather we should take in plate only as much as we are able to consume. - Udaan beneficiary.

Along with formal education it’s important to inculcate good moral values as well as horn social skills for further empowerment of the beneficiaries. Moral value education classes are conducted wherein the beneficiaries are introduced to good value system. This is done in order for the beneficiaries to understand the difference between right and wrong through various medium such as orally, with help of videos and practical application.

This platform is also utilized to give a better understanding to the beneficiaries of the prevalent social issues such as hygiene, effectiveness of practical education, gender inequality at homes, environmental issues.

The impact of these issues have been very positive as the beneficiaries have learnt the importance of maintaining hygiene, they have understood that rote learning is not the right way of learning anything rather than understanding of the concepts is important. The beneficiaries understand what is gender equality and also try to remember any instances where they have been treated differently compared to their siblings. By understanding about the environmental issues it was observed that the beneficiaries developed an understanding on difference between dry and wet waste, understood about environmental issues and what initiative could be taken on individual level to prevent the environmental issues from aggravating.

In order to imbibe leadership qualities along with boosting of confidence among the elder beneficiaries Udaan- Umang sessions are conducted these sessions help the elder Udaan beneficiaries to take up responsibility and teach various things to the younger beneficiaries that would impart knowledge as well as it adds to their skills. This quarter the session was to communicate the importance of exercise to young Udaan team members and Umang team members along with an action song in the end, the other topic covered was maintenance of health during monsoon season.

Further to enhance the leadership quality the star chart system is followed wherein the groups who responsibly perform all their task and attain maximum star get rewarded. This reward system makes the beneficiaries competitive and makes them strive towards betterment.

Senior Shakti sessions were conducted with elder beneficiaries wherein the beneficiaries were introduced to the concept of budget. The beneficiaries seemed to be unfamiliar before with the concept but when the facilitator provided day to day examples the beneficiaries got familiar with the term in return they were able to understand their monthly household expenses. It also helped them to think in terms of monthly expenses against monthly earnings of their family.

Junior Shakti sessions are conducted with young Udaan beneficiaries to introduce good habits and improved behaviour in them. In the session a story was recited which made them understand to be helpful to one another. It has been observed that the beneficiaries implement the learnings from the session in the day to day activity. The other story brought into light to them that it is good to be curious and ask why which would help them understand things better. The other topic covered was being persistent and determined to achieve goals.

Udaan Mother’s meeting is regularly conducted wherein the mothers were briefed about food habits of children when they are out of the center and to hear out and discuss upon the issues that mothers face. The impact of the briefing was that mothers agreed that junk foods readily available in the market are not appropriate for children’s health and they would try to cut down on it while children are out on mothers’ responsibility.

The other meeting highlighted on the progress of children in school with mothers, address the issue of irregularity of children in schools due to uninformed plans of taking the children from center for long period. The discussion was taken positively by the mothers and they understood the impact of irregularity can have on the education of their children.

The other meeting highlighted on the importance of opening a savings account for their children. During this meeting it was seen that Mothers were already convinced that savings account is essential for their children’s future. They further enquired about the process of documents for the purpose of opening accounts in the name of their children. The mothers also took in a positive light that change of names is not advisable. Mothers also learnt about difference between birth certificate and birth affidavit.

The meeting also briefs the mothers about undertaking vocational training and varied options of vocation they could opt for. The briefing session brought positivity among the women Mothers were very excited with the idea of learning something that would help them earn and maintain a sustainable living.

In order to maintain discipline and improve behaviour among the Udaan beneficiaries regular Udaan monthly meetings are conducted in which topics of importance such as hygiene, being responsible, cooperative behaviour are discussed with the beneficiaries. These sessions have a positive impact as this makes the beneficiaries realize the mistakes they commit and gives them an opportunity to work on them again.

This quarter a discussion took place with the beneficiaries wherein the concept of Children’s internal committee was introduced with them. Stating monthly meetings would be a platform to discuss all the concerns of the beneficiaries. The encouragement provided by staff members the beneficiaries to share their thoughts while in meeting, motivated few of the team members who shared their feelings about the activities which they become a part of in their routine and also expressed their positive feedback for the felicitation program.

The beneficiaries during the Udaan monthly meeting were explained about personal space its importance and respecting the personal space of others. After the session it has been observed that the beneficiaries understand that teacher’s are required to be given space hence the clinging of younger beneficiaries have comparatively reduced in nature which is visible during day to day activity.

In order to add to their Vocation beneficiaries are involved in fashion designing classes. The beneficiaries are well versed with different type of embroidery stitches and have currently started embroidery design on Kurtas. Each of the Udaan team members enrolled in Fashion designing classes are seen engaged in the process diligently. The fashion designing sessions satiate the need of Udaan team members to indulge in creative action.

Easy cooking sessions are conducted for the beneficiaries to get well versed with simple recipies that can be prepared by the beneficiaries. It has been observed that the beneficiaries have overcomed their inhibition of cooking on the gas rather they enjoy these sessions and experience joy in making others taste the recipies they prepare. During this quarter they prepared Dhokla (A Gujrat food delicacy), Poha chivda and fruit salad

In order to improve the understanding of Digital education session was conducted by One future collective to introduce the beneficiaries to the importance of digital learning by creating a digital library of pool of information this session has made the younger team members view internet as a pool of information and knowledge. Because of the digital literacy session, team members have been able to understand the positive part of internet. They have also shown curiosity of learning more about computers.

Efforts are made to make the beneficiaries think creatively for which Interactive sessions take place which involve physical activities and art based activities that are thought provoking. These sessions are conducted with Art First it has been observed that the activities conducted are helping the beneficiaries to imbibe imagination though it is a continuous process among the beneficiaries.

To expand the knowledge of beneficiary’s various exposure visits are conducted the beneficiaries were taken to the CSMVS museum where in the beneficiaries received an opportunity to learn the process of traditional art of painting coconut masks from Andhra Pradesh, learnt basic hand mudras of Kathak, and observing intricacies of paintings in the museum. It was noticed that the beneficiaries enjoyed the sessions and were really happy with the way they got exposure.

To sensitize beneficiaries upon celebrating the Ganesh festival in an eco-friendly way the beneficiaries got an opportunity to learn to sculpt an eco-friendly Ganapati. The volunteers and the CSMVS museum personnel recited the story of Ganapati in a child-friendly manner, by making use of facial expressions, hand gestures, voice modulation and catchy lines. This made the team members pay undivided attention, as well as made the session enjoyable. After the session it was noticed that the elder Udaan beneficiaries tried to teach the same eco-friendly Ganapati to the younger beneficiaries which showed their interest in the task.

The beneficiaries were a part of the clock making workshop at CSMVS. As the activity was new for our beneficiaries they were eager to learn the process of making it due to their attentive behaviour they grasped the making very soon. Our beneficiaries were pushed to make Unconventional clocks.

As part of the exposure the beneficiaries were taken to the Naval dock in order to know about the Indian Navy Ship and its role in defense services. The beneficiaries observed the old ship’s machines, modules and were informed about their role. They also saw photographs of various ships but it was observed that the beneficiaries could not grasp much about the importance of the ship and its functioning.

The beneficiaries were taken to a ISRO exhibition to attain knowledge about space technology. The children during their visit learned about the latest space mission by ISRO, Chandrayaan- second, about the outer space and the planets. During the exhibition we faced a challenge wherein due to lack of a resource person the beneficiaries could only grasp whatever information they could by seeing videos and models on their own. The staff member and the volunteers tried providing the beneficiaries to best of their knowledge related to space technology. But having a resource person would have intensified their learning experience.

Health:

Physical Health:

It has been observed this quarter a reduction in the amount of medical referrals have happened which shows that the nutritional meal being regularly provided along with Multivitamins are having a positive impact on the beneficiaries as it is helping them develop a strong immune system which in turn is protecting them against any infection or diseases.

The nutritional meals are based on a diet chart keeping in mind the nutritional requirements of the beneficiaries. Height and weight measurement of the beneficiaries are done regularly this quarter it was noticed that the beneficiaries who are regular in the center have increased in weight but the beneficiaries who are regularly absent or visiting their homes and coming back to the center are coming back with a decrease in weight which has made us realize that the diet filled nutrition programme being followed in the organization works well on the health of the beneficiary.

For regular monitoring of the health of beneficiaries monthly medical checkups are conducted. It was noticed during this quarter that no major illnesses were noticed this monsoon season due to the maintenance of hygiene, health and healthy habits.

This quarter dental camp was conducted for the beneficiaries wherein the beneficiaries were thoroughly checked and were provided with a dental kit. The dentists were happy to know that our beneficiaries were following a two time brushing routine everyday which has helped them to maintain their teeth healthy. After the check up camp a dental care awareness session was also conducted wherein the beneficiaries were showed how they can keep their teeth always healthy. The session was interactive which kept the beneficiaries attentive throughout.

An eye camp was also conducted for the beneficiaries in the center it was noticed that very few beneficiaries required spectacles which was allocated to them. It was observed that many beneficiaries were enthusiastic about the camp and some beneficiaries were hesitant to check on the first go.

In order to make beneficiaries aware of the process of menstruation and maintenance of menstrual hygiene a session was conducted by Family Planning Association. The session was informative for the elder Udaan beneficiaries. The session also raise curiosity among the beneficiaries to gain further knowledge about reproduction process and HIV AIDS.

In order to keep the beneficiaries physically fit the beneficiaries undergo Karate classes which keep them active and energetic. The activity also helps them in defending themselves at any unforeseen scenario.

Along with Karate classes the beneficiaries this quarter were introduced to Yoga Sessions comprising of breathing exercises along with varied yoga postures. It was observed that the session helped in making the beneficiaries calmed and composed and it also developed an interest in the beneficiaries towards physical fitness.

Mental Health:

In order to provide beneficiaries with good mental health beneficiaries are regularly taken for garden visits and they participate in various co-curricular activities they also indulge in various indoor games which help reduce stress on their minds and relax.

The beneficiaries are regular with the drama class during this classes along with horning their theatrical skills the beneficiaries get an opportunity to distress by expressing and vocalizing their emotions. This helps them deal with their stressors and become confident to perform in front of larger group and audiences.

This quarter as part of the training process the beneficiaries were taken to NCPA for Kathak dance performance in order to watch and learn the technicalities of a professional stage act. The beneficiaries were attentive and appreciated the coordination in the steps of the dancers. They paid attention to the facial expression of the dancers as well it made them realize the importance of expression in a performance.

The other activity they are involved in is music classes where they play instruments and learn songs which completely relaxes them along with improving their musical skills.

In order to make the beneficiaries aware of mental health and importance of expressing feelings session was conducted by one future collective wherein they used simple materials to talk about intense topic of mental health and emotional health through activities, followed by reflection and discussion. The session helped the beneficiaries to develope an understanding on what is meant by mental health, how important it is to reasonably let feelings out from time to time before they accumulate and take a severe form. They also understood that mental health is subjective to every person. The session provided a platform for beneficiaries to share which engaged the beneficiaries and helped them overcome their inhibitions and speak individually, in group and in pair.

Recreation:

“Teacher I would improve upon my handwriting by next year and win the prize”- Udaan beneficiary.

Many festivals were celebrated this quarter such as Rakshabandhan, Eid and Gopalkala these Festival celebration tightens the bond that Udaan team members have with Umang team members. Also, team members do not discriminate among themselves in any aspect on the basis of religion. This is a reflection of the value of respecting all religions that the staff teaches to all team members during festival celebrations. During festival celebrations beneficiaries are enthusiastic and it also gives them the chance to reflect out their creative abilities of singing, drawing-painting, giving short speeches.

To felicitate and motivate team members for their participation in yearlong activities Udaan felicitation programme was conducted beneficiaries successfully put up an excellent show in terms of planning and presenting their acts. The objective of the program was seen getting fulfilled when few team members who received prizes for various categories even broke to tears of happiness for being recognized for development in academics, vocations and in terms of ethics and discipline. A positive impact has been visible after the commencement of the felicitation programme it’s been seen there has been a significant increase in motivation and drive to perform well in various aspects. Teams that lagged behind in performing duties at the center have started diligently performing their duties. There has been participation, initiative taking and leadership enhancement among team members because of felicitation.

Teacher’s day was celebrated by the beneficiaries as a token of their gratitude towards teachers. Team members expressed their gratitude to all the teachers on the occasion by providing handmade cards to them. Older Udaan team members also delivered a short speech which helped the younger beneficiaries attain knowledge about why Teacher’s day is celebrated. During the celebration beneficiaries remained zealous throughout the celebration. It also gave them an opportunity to reflect out on their creative abilities of singing, drawing-painting and giving short speeches.

Success Story:

Enrolled in the year 2017, eight-year-old Divya* possessed an introvert personality when she arrived at the center. Her mother had enrolled Divya* to the organization on the pretext of being unable to take care of her due to being involved in commercial sex work, as well as anticipating the high risk to the daughter.

Initially, Divya* rarely talked with her fellow mates and restricted herself from expressing her feelings with teachers. She restrained from being participative in activities of the organization. Apart from holding an introvert personality, she showed difficulty to trust teachers and fellow mates.

Over these two years with the help of repeated counselling from staff members and teachers, being part of sessions which enhance personal growth and creativity and being part of various sessions which enhance communication, enabled her to become more expressive of her thoughts. Her excitement and participation in the annual Udaan Felicitation program was appreciable. Together with young team members she took part in regular practices and took upon the stage with zeal.

Pictures: