Support education for vulnerable children (India)

Name of Project: Pratham & Pragati Projects

Project Period: Ongoing

Reporting Period: April- June 2021

Specific Objectives of the Project:

• That vulnerable children in Government Homes and Red-Light Districts gain access to academic, vocational and life skill education.
• To bridge the digital divide to help children have access to online learning through provision of mobile devices, mobile recharges/data packs and providing IT infrastructure and IT courses for children in Government Homes and Red-Light Districts.

Achievements of the Project:

• 14 life skills sessions were conducted in this quarter. 212 children attended these sessions.
• Mobile devices were provided to 18 households from red-light areas to gain access to online learning. 32 children could attend online learning through these devices.
• 83 data recharges were provided to 38 children for online learning.
• 3 children were enrolled for Computer Education.

Sahaara strives to achieve its vision of fulfilling dreams of the vulnerable and marginalized in society. With a belief that every person has a dream, our work centers ensure that our beneficiaries can articulate and work towards achieving their dreams. Children living in high-risk environment in the red-light districts are under constant neglect and prone to abuse. In such environments, the school drop-out rate is usually high. Additionally, children in government run homes lack access to quality education and personal attention, which also results in high level of school drop-outs. The Pratham and Pragati programs strive to build strong foundations among such children in math and languages through remedial education centers to ensure that children continue their learning process in schools. They are also provided access to Computer Education and Vocational training courses to equip them to eventually fulfill their dreams.

In this quarter 14 life skills sessions were conducted by organizing reading circles, sharing circles, art & craft, hygiene and a session on feelings and emotions. Additionally, mobile devices were provided to children in need from red-light areas to gain access online school. Sahaara continued offering online education by providing mobile recharges and internet data packs to children to attend Zoom classes during the quarter. Sahaara also identified and enrolled suitable candidates for computer education.

Impact Story:

Against all Odds

Karan* is a bright young child from a family of 5. He lives with his parents and his uncle and aunt in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. He is a very active child and has a keen interest in studies. However, his circumstances have a crippling effect on his hopes of access to quality education. Karan enjoys studying but lacked a smart device to attend his online classes.

This had made Karan very sad because he missed his studies. Moreover, Karan’s father is extremely sick and requires regular dialysis to stay healthy. This carries a heavy toll on the family’s expenses through the month. Karan’s uncle being the sole bread-winner in the home bears the burden of this medical cost. In the month of April, when the Indian Government imposed the lockdown to restrict the spread of the virus, Karan’s family income took a massive hit.

Sahaara runs remedial education in the Ghatkopar red-light for marginalized children. Sahaara bridged the digital divide for many such children. Karan, too, was provided with a Smart Device equipping him with the means to attend the online remedial classes conducted by Sahaara. Karan also helps 3 other children from the area attend their online classes with this mobile device, displaying tremendous drive to regularly attend his class and ensure that other children attend too.

Inspired by the work being done by Sahaara’s teachers, Karan has a dream to become a teacher one day.

*Name changed to protect the child’s identity.

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