Born Learning Campaign to impact 50,000 children.

Our heartfelt thanks to all the donors for their support to our Born Learning Campaign!

In this quarter, we would like to stress on three important aspects besides the regular updates.

• 2015, we have an ambitious plan to initiate partnership with Government run Anganwadis - Government Anganwadi is a government sponsored child-care and mother -care center in India. It caters to children in the 0-6 years of age group. The word means "courtyard shelter" in Hindi.
• A guide to our Born Learning Campaign and it’s importance in India
• United Way of Bengaluru is championing for Born Learning Campaign in World 10K, marathon to be held in Bangalore on 17^th May, 2015.

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We would like to share an excerpt from an article written by Mr. Manish Michael, Executive Director – United Way of Bengaluru(http://www.csrtimes.com/community-articles/a-case-to-shift-csr-focus-area-in-2015/416).  The know-whys for our incessant effort to reach out to many children below the age group of 0-6 years through our Born Learning Campaign.

With the percentage of school enrolment staying at 96 percent or above for six years in a row as of 2014, it is encouraging to note that India is close to achieving universal enrolment for children in the age group of 6-14 years. While reaching universal enrolment is a significant milestone, the daunting reality is that there are immense unmet challenges.

The recent Annual Status of Education Report has found that, children who are enrolled in Standard V across India cannot read Standard II books.  The children in our city are not better off too, a survey done by the municipal corporation of Bangalore (BBMP) found 3800 children being malnourished.

According to World Bank research, children in the age group of 3 – 6 years develop very critical skills which determine their overall development & performance for the rest of their lifecourse. These facts induce the urgent need to shift focus and work with children below 6 years in ensuring their holistic development

As such, United Way of Bengaluru is striving towards addressing the issue of Holistic Childhood Development for children under six years of age, since 2012.

The areas of intervention are

 (i) Enhance early learning skills of children

(ii) Educating parents (esp. mothers) on early child care

(iii) Provide fresh, hot, wholesome nutritious food

(iv) Mainstream Born Learning Centers with Government Anganwadis 

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Activites that were carried out this quarter:

Web preparation:  It is a theme based teaching methodology adopted for the BLC centers. This being an interactive method, children enjoys and retains more knowledge. For this quarter, they learnt about the harvest festival  called ‘Makar Sankranti’ which is celebrated across India.

Nutrition Mela: Nutrition Mela is an awareness building exercise conducted at different BLC centers. The parents are sensitized on the readily available nutrition rich ingredients and its importance in our daily lives.

They cooked all different local nutrition food  such as Ragi roti, herbal rasam, Kosambari, etc, and shared with parents to create awareness.

Preparation of Education Play Materials: A workshop for preparation of play materials at one of the center was organised. They prepared early learning materials such as shapes made out of wood and paper, charts to teach the children alphabets, numbers, concepts of colour, shapes etc.

 PTA Monthly Meetings: Quarterly parents and Teachers Association meeting was held in all 9 centers. The objective of the meeting was to share the progress and concerns of the children. To encourage the parents to enroll their children in primary schools under the Right To Education Act. 

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Success story:

Raziya 

Raziya is the second child born to Mr.Al-Bakash and Mrs.Reshma who live in Hosur Bande. They have four children one elder son, Rihan studying in 1^st standad and  a pair of twins ( two boys). Al-Bakash works as  a driver and his wife is a home-maker. Due to family burden, they did not enroll Raziya to pre- nursery. When Raziya was noticed by one of the field workers, she was malnourished and lacked social skills. After  routine sessions of counselling with the parents, Raziya was enrolled in a Born Learning Center.

Her intervention started soon after getting enrolled to the center. The teachers gave her special attention and was also referred to a Primary Health Center. Today,  after 10 months  she has an improved height and weight.  Moreover, she interacts with her fellow mates and is physically active too.

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 World10K, 2015 Marathon

United Way of Bengaluru is participating in World 10K, 2015 Marathon event – the largest fundraising platform for Non-Profits in South India. We would like to encourage our donors and supporters in Global Giving to help spread awareness on Born Learning by sharing it with friends and families. If you or your relatives & friends are in Bangalore, you can participate with us for W10K event. Or, help us raise funds for Born Learning Campaign!

 To know more visit us on: http://icfn.in/tcsworld10k/UWB/

Links:

• You can like our Facebook Page!

QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT

(September 2014 – December 2014)

 Project Report: Born Learning Campaign to impact 50,000 children.

Goal:                                                              

To provide holistic development to children from vulnerable communities. This includes helping them develop their early learning skills and nutritious supplement meals critical for their normal growth.

Project Location: Born Learning Centres (BLCs) at 9 Quarry villages of Bangalore region in Karnataka, India:

Project locations:

-  Kogilu Bande

-  Hosur Bande

-  Agrahara

-  Hegdenagar

Total No of Children 0-6 years in 9 BLC Centers: 240

Focus Group: Quarry children between the ages of 0-6 years.

 Key Activities carried out:

1. Teacher’s Day Celebration: On September 5^th, 2014 all 9 centers independently organized teacher’s day celebration with sports and cultural programmes and felicitated their teachers. The parents came along with children to help organise the programme.
2. Preparation of Nutrition Food: On September 29^th, 2014; more than 26 volunteers and PTA members jointly came and prepared locally rich multi-grain nutrition foods at Hosur Bande to be served in the BLCs.
3. Celebration of Gandhi Jayanthi: On October 2^nd, QWARIDS organized sports and cultural programmes in all Born Learning Centers, the celebration of Birth date of Mahatma Gandhi. Children also presented Fashion Dress competition and Gandhi’s attire was a special attraction of the day. Sweets were distributed to children and prizes for all winners.
4. Preparation of Education Play Materials: On October 28^th, 2014, volunteers visited Kogilu Bande centre and prepared various educational play materials to be used for teaching children alphabets, numbers, colours, shapes, etc.
5. PTA Monthly Meetings: Conducted monthly parent’ teacher’ association meetings in all 9 BLCs and discussed about mainstreaming this to regular schools. 
6. Engagement with Target Company’s volunteers: On 16^th of October and September 10^th, 2014, Target Group volunteers visited BLCs in Kogilu Bande and Agrahara and engaged in sports, singing, and other extracurricular activities with the children.
7. Health Camps: October 16^th, and November 13^th, 2014, QWARIDS organized two health camps at Kogilu Bande and Hegde Nagar areas. Over 655 people and children benefited from general checkups held in these places. Doctors provided free screening, general tests, prescription and also referrals to emergency cases.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSION

During this quarter, we had focused mainly on early learning and holistic nutrition across all the BLCs. Community was engaged in common activities such as health camp which helps as curative and preventive means to ensure holistic community health, we also had two volunteer base programmes such as: sports, singing. Regular programmes like preparation of nutrition food, monthly PTA meetings and other events like Gandhi Jayanthi were organized with the help of the community members.

CASE STUDIES

Case Study #1: Keerthana

Child’s information

• Name: Keerthana                  
• Age: 3-0 years                       
• Admission date: 1-3-2014      
• Weight: 10 kg
• Height: 79 cm            
• Father’s Name: Sadananda, 32 years
• Mother’s Name: Bhavani, 25 years
• Address: Bellahalli, Bangalore-64

Family Background: Keerthana’s Father, Sadananda is an auto driver and mother is a housewife and Charunya is 1 ½ year sister. Due to poverty and negligence, Keerthana was not admitted in a BLC or Anganwadi

Before Intervention: The child was mal nourished and underweight. At the time of enrolment, Keerthana was assessed and graded III. She was weighing 10kgs and her height was just 79cm

Our intervention: During our house visit, we found Keerthan’s parents not willing to admit her to BLC for fear of high fees, and other commitments. We counselled her parents on the importance of early childhood education and their responsibilities. Parents were then convinced and enrol their child to a BLC. On 1^st, March 2014 Keerthana was enrolled in a BLC at Bellahalli quarry village. Teachers gave special attention to Keerthana’s issue on mal nourishment.  Parents were also counselled to give good nutrition food at home as follow up, which they provided

After intervention: Keerthana responded immediately, and started to improve in six month’stime. Keerthana now gains 12kg and increased 81cm. Parents have become more responsible and are interest in her nutrition.

Case Study #2: Mudashir

Child’s information

• Name: Mudashir                    
• Age: 3-2 years
• Gender: Male            
• Admission date: 2-4-2014      
• Weight: 12 kg
• Height: 76 cm            
• Father’s Name: Musthakim, 30 years
• Mother’s Name: , Esraath, 26 years
• Address: Bellahalli, Bangalore -64

Family Background: Mudashir is enrolled on 2-4-2014 to our BLC. His father is Musthakim who sells dress materials. His mother name is Esraath who is a home maker. He has two siblings, Jaffer who is diagnosed with epilepsies and has been neglected, his younger brother has speech development issues and stays at home always. None of the children are enrolled in a BLC.

Before Intervention: During our house visit at Bellahalli to Musthakim family, we found that all children were totally neglected. Mudashir was 3 years and was not enrolled in an Anganawadi or BLC. As a result, Mudashir was alone and had not developed his language skill, does not interact with brothers, neighbours, is very silent. Parents did not show any interest towards the children’s early childhood education.

Our Intervention: When staff identified Mudashir and his siblings at home neglected, parents were counselled to give proper attention to children’s early childhood education and asked them to enroll Mudashir in a BLC. They also explained how the child was lacking linguistic skills and unable to communicate or mingle with other children. Finally, they were convinced and enrolled Mudashir to our BLC on 2-4-2014 at Bellahalli.

Teacher gave special attention to Mudashir. Every day, they had different physical games and engaged the child to mingle with other children. Though child resisted initially there was gradual improvement after other children in centre engaged him in games and other activities. Teacher gave him many rhymns and poems to sing front of the class, which gradually, helped Mudashir to improve his language skills.

After Intervention: There has been a great improvement in Mudashir in his language development. Every day, parents say that he recites lots of poems in his home and sings aloud. He has come out of his loneliness and mingles with other children in playing various games given in BLC. Parents are very happy and content in seeing him improve.