Support education for vulnerable children (India)

Name of Project: Pratham & Pragati Projects

Project Period: Ongoing

Reporting Period: April - September 2022

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.
• 28 data recharges were provided to children from red-light areas to gain access to online learning until schools fully reopened.
• A projector was installed in the government home to enhance the quality of education for the children in the government homes.
• 2 children were enrolled for Computer Education.

Achievements of the Project:

At our education centres, every participant is steered towards articulating his or her dreams with a belief that each one has the potential to achieve them. As red-light areas are highly risky for children living in and around red-light areas, they undergo neglect and are prone to abuse. Although some of these children attend formal schools, the drop-out rate is usually high. Similarly, in Government Homes lack access to quality education and personal attention, which also results in high level of school drop-outs. Pratham and Pragati programs seeks to build strong foundations among such children through remedial education centres to ensure that children overcome the grade gap and achieve grade level competency. They are also provided access to Computer Education and Vocational training courses to equip them to eventually fulfill their dreams.

In this reporting period 28 data recharges were provided to children from red-light areas to gain access to online learning as schools have gradually reopened. Sahaara also identified and enrolled suitable candidates for computer education and 2 children were enrolled for the same. Additionally, a projector was installed in the government home to enhance the quality of education for the children in the government homes.

Impact Story: A mother’s Will and a Child’s Dream

Sanchit* is a 17-year-old simple boy from Turbhe Store, a slum community in Navi Mumbai. He lives with his parents, and a younger brother. He also has an elder sister who is married and lives with her husband.

Sanchit’s mother is the sole bread winner for the family, she works as a domestic help and earns a meagre wage that is just enough to take care of their very basic needs for daily living without any savings for the future. Amidst these difficult circumstances, she desires that her children would be able to complete their education and have a secured future. 

During the first wave of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, everything came to a halt. The schools shutdown and started operating online. Sanchit, who was then in the 9th grade was left with no option but to discontinue his academics as the family could not afford a basic smartphone so that Sanchit could somehow connect and continue his education.

As we spoke to his mother, she admitted that she is really feeling helpless and requested if Sahaara could help them with a device and provide a monthly recharge so that Sanchit and his brother could continue to pursue their online education. 

Sahaara accepted Sanchit's mother's request and provided a smartphone and regular monthly recharges for the entire lockdown period until the schools started operating offline this year. In this year, Sanchit has successfully passed his 10th grade examination securing 54%. He has also been enrolled at a nearby college to pursue his further education.

Sanchit is grateful that his limitations hasn't stopped him from pursuing his dreams.

 *Name changed to protect participant identity.

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