Digital Literacy India Project #15522

EMPOWER & IGNITE THE YOUTH FOR A BETTER NATION

by Literacy India

EMPOWER & IGNITE THE YOUTH FOR A BETTER NATION

Project Report | May 2, 2014
ICT Education Empowered Tribal Youth & Community

By Capt. Indraani Singh | CEO & Managing Trustee

Youth in Lab

Project Location : Village-Khatanga, Post-Khatanga, G.P-Chitmu, Block- Jhalda-II, Dist-Purulia (W.B)

Situation of Khatanga:

Purulia is the westernmost district of West Bengal with all-India significance because of its tropical location, its shape as well as function like a funnel. It funnels not only the tropical monsoon current from the Bay to the subtropical parts of north-west India, but also acts as a gateway between the developed industrial belts of West Bengal and the hinterlands in Orissa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarpradesh. Literacy India is working in Baghmundi, Jhalda II block of Purulia district. The blocks are remote and placed within the small hills and dense forest where communication between the places is really problematic. Local residents are mostly tribal. The villages are located in remotest part with no economic and social development. Some years back, Khatanga village under Jhalda Block was experienced with aerial drop of arms; that time there was a huge media hype that showed the exact conditions of village. However, that hype was for two and three months, after that no one recall the village. Occupations in the communities mainly revolve around agriculture, however, other activities such as wage labor, trading, remittances, and art & craft only involve small proportions of the populations. The use of improved technologies, other than crop varieties, was found to be very low among the farmers. The educational statuses of the villagers are found very poor. Women are not enough aware about the basic sanitation and health & hygiene. Briefly, there is an immediate need of several interventions various aspects of life and livelihood of the villagers. Youths are not able to go outside the village and take higher studies, vocational trainings due to lack of communication as the village is 8 KM far from the main (NH) road and there were no means of transport. People use to go by walk or bicycle to reach their nearest main road.

It was in that pretext, the centres in Purulia came into operation.

Activities undertaken :

(i)Computer Training: LI has been providing 3 months basic CCC and 6 months CCA course for Computer students. Three batches of Khatanga and surrounding areas had been successfully passed out Basic and CCA course from Literacy India, Khatanga Centre. There are still 34 students who are learning their course sincerely.

Spoken English Classess: Those students who enrolled into CCA course are also undergoing the spoken English course. This is a part of grooming for job placement.

Computer Education:

Total 34 students are undergoing training on CCA & Spoken English course
Among those 34, there are 20 students who have applied for jobs.
Close to five students have successfully found job for themselves.

Impact on Trainees:

More and more tribal youth are joining in the Computer based Basic training

Increased knowledge and skill among the trainees
Tribal youth are gaining opportunities and receiving call from district official and block official.

Story of Change:

Name: Pinki ( Name changed)

Pinki’s family consisting 4 members; Pinki’s father is a Driver. They have livestock such as Cow & Buffalo’s at home. They belong to Brahmin family. Pinki is very hard working. In Purulia, for a girl marriage is the only option in life for social mobility. Pinki felt she has to do something beyond marriage. She started to apply for job. After completion of herhigher secondary education with good results, she did not find any scope for further studies owing to monetary constraint of her family. So, she was admitted to Literacy India’s Center. She would like to become a teacher in future. Now she is getting training to becomes a IT Faculty into the center and has done it very well. She is applying for various jobs in both corporate and govt. “I am born and brought up in the small village at Purulia village. I never thought of taking computer training and could apply for job. I can now think about the mobility by choice also”.

Name: Subhas ( Name changed)

Subhas Hemram, lives in village Korchy of Chitmu Gram Panchayat under the Jhalda –II block area. He belongs to a Santhal family, His father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. They have an mud house which is the shelter of their all family members. They have a piece of land which is not support the family throughout the year. . Subash is very sincere and hardworking young chap. He realized every bit of miseries they suffer. But the poverty was a strong barrier and he could not avail the opportunities of higher education just because of financial crisis. Soon after the completion of his graduation he got the information of computer vocational course run by Literacy India at Khatanga village. Without delay he attended at the center and took admission in CCC course. He did the course very seriously and received a qualified certificate from Literacy India. He was trying lot to get a job to support his family as his father become old and couldn’t work anymore. In the meantime he received a call for an interview from Goa. He attended and successfully appeared in the exam. Presently he is working in Goa in a private sector and regularly supports his family. His family members are also happy and they feel proud. Now Subhas admits that “It would have never been possible without the support of Literacy India. Without computer education I wouldn’t get this job”.

LI 2

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Feb 3, 2014
EMPOWER & IGNITE THE YOUTH FOR A BETTER NATION

By Capt. Indraani Singh | CEO & Managing Trustee

Using Skype

EMPOWER & IGNITE THE YOUTH FOR A BETTER NATION PROJECT KARIGARI

Project Location: Bijwasan Village New Delhi

Bijwasan centre provides support to women, Children and youth of the migrant population which mainly works in nearby factories and industrial area of Gurgoan. It was observed during the survey conducted by Literacy India within the community that most of the parents and guardian of the children are migrant from Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, MP and West Bengal had education problems.

Their parents come to New Delhi for employment purposes; however they cannot afford to stay in proper city. Apart from this Bijwasan is a village of Jat community which is looks down upon the lower/poor class of people. The permanent residents of this village provide housing on rent to these migrants,

The unique purposes of Bijwasan Centre:

To facilitate the children of these migrant parents as well as permanent residents to access to education center.
To involve the beneficiaries into the livelihood opportunity programs through vocational training so that they can have right to choice for selecting career and profession of their own choice. Therefore this makes the center multipurpose with a reachout to close to 500 beneficiaries per day.

Activities undertaken during six months:

Survey and Identification of groups at center
Total of 64 beneficiaries were enrolled.
Pre- entrance discussion and assessment with students were undertaken.
All beneficiaries at centres had been provided with English communication classes through TVC and BBC English Communication program.
Children have been provided classes using SKYPE as a medium as well for interact active classroom exposure.
Computer Lessons had been prepared and implemented as per NIELIT curriculum.
Internal grooming and mock interview had been taken place.

Achievements of the program:

FGD and Survey analysis had been conducted; the areas have been explored and implementation program had been addressed accordingly.
Out of 64 enrolled Total 62 beneficiaries completed the program and 2 are still continuing in the centre for computer training.
Regular English classes focus on both writing English and communication.
Monthly assessments with children have shown their progress in the computer operation.
Approx. 43 will appear for online exam in the month of Feb 14 & March 14.

Overall impact on Community

64 students were enrolled for 1st batch from July 13- January 2014. Earlier girls were not allowed to go out for work, even if they are allowed, it is only for teaching job. The positions of receptionist, administrative secretary, data entry operation was not permissible from family. But at present, the girls are allowed to go for interview and parents are also supporting them. An overall impact has been assessed within community. Community has doubts and misconception also about private sector and corporate sector. The perception has changed when community members talked with corporate women who visited the centre frequently. They were eventually convinced. Best support came from women folk of the community. According to them these girls will be the change makers.

Impact on Trainees:

Women trainees took training on computer courses. Women had learnt in the classroom overall office behavior and discipline. The program not only helped them to acquire the skill for an office job but also upgrade the knowledge on financial empowerment. The students are now capable of presentation through Power Point, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.

Enhanced IT Skills:

The IT skills of the students have enhanced a lot. They can now operate computer individually without the guidance of the teacher. The students are well acquainted with daily use of software’s. Even some of the school students are using computers for their school projects, they have become technology friendly. At least 75% girls are using facebook and skype and exposed to use the technology.

Story of change:

Name: ESHA (Name changed) Age: 20 Location: Bijwasan Esha, 20, was pursuing B.com from Delhi University via correspondence. She lives in Bijwasan with her family and as her father has expired, they sustain their household expenses by taking monthly rent from their tenants. Nisha joined Literacy India’s centre in Bijwasan to do a computer course. She had taken keen interest in computers but was hesitant in learning it, as her English was weak. We assured her about the computer classes and that she could learn, but she would have to work harder. She completed her CCA course successfully. Esha has been placed as intern in WIPRO LTD Sector 22, Gurgaon. She talks passionately about her job. She currently earns Rs. 5467 per month and is motivated to work harder and earn more. She believes she owes her success to Literacy India, about which she found out in an advertisement, and later had decided to join its CCA computer course. She says “After joining Literacy India, I attended some youth seminars and personality development classes; it helped me to boost my career.

Name: AARTI (Name Changed) Age: 21 Location: Bijwasan

Aarti joined in SBI Credit card Shankar Chowk infect tower c, Gurgaon. She talks passionately about her job. She currently earns Rs. 7000 per month and is motivated to work harder and earn more. She believes she owes her success to Literacy India, about which she found out in an advertisement, and later had decided to join its CCA computer course. She says “After joining Literacy India, I attended some youth seminars and personality development classes; it helped me to boost my career. She is very grateful to literacy India for transforming her destiny and in helping her to realize her true potential.

children in the lab

Esha & Aarti

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