EMPOWER & IGNITE THE YOUTH FOR A BETTER NATION

DIGITAL ENDEVOUR TO SUSTAINABILITY

 About Literacy India & Manohar Thana ( Rajasthan)

Literacy India was set up19 years ago with the objective of empowering underprivileged children and women by making them self-sufficient. With the three E’s Education, Empowerment and Employment, as its goals in next decade, Literacy India began its journey on an exciting yet challenging mission. Keeping in view the rising problems of population and unemployment, Literacy India has not only taken on the task of creating awareness on the importance of education for under privileged children and youth, but also bring them to level of reaching it.•       Identify young boys & girls from under privileged backgrounds and help build their confidence and awareness; Support children in active schooling•       Use role models to inspire the youth to take up issues concerning their communities•       Provide women and growing up children with vocational skills.•       Empower women economically from rural & slum areas.•       To nurture, mentor and assist children to become human resource assets in the community and to restore dignity amongst the underprivileged.

Literacy India’s endeavor is to meet this objective through imparting basic education and through exposing our students to a variety of vocational skills in performing arts, computer animation, multimedia etc. The organization believes in innovative pedagogy in order to retain the children within the purview of education. Literacy India is working across Delhi NCR, Haryana, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, UP, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Today we have 42 centers in an around Delhi, NCR across other states in India and have reached out to more than 30, 0000 beneficiaries. Presently we are catering to over 4000 children per day in classrooms directly and impacting 50,000 beneficiaries annually.

Manoharthana is located near Kota in Rajasthan. This part is named as Cherapunji of Rajasthan as it has a good amount of rainfall.  Literacy India had started here since 2010 through its learning centre. The learning center includes the ICT based Education for children through Gyantantra Digital Learning, Computer learning of Youth and Tailoring for women.

Youth Vocational Computer Training Program:

In this area both young girls and boys face real challenge in education, vocational training and employment opportunities; during survey and initial discussion and FGD showed the following issues:

• Youth are careless to join any vocational courses until and unless the placement is secured. They want easy & quick money- as a result there is a constant challenge of absenteeism, non-acceptance of work, drop-out, and abrasion from jobs.
• The high schools in this area do not have computer lab. Apart from that affordability and access to computers are becoming major challenging factors.
• Youth are learning through vernacular language with local dialect. As a result, the youth are lacking Spoken English which was needed to face interview.
• Opening of livelihood opportunities became restricted due to their lack of awareness on various schemes and opportunities.
• Even sometimes when opportunities come, the attitude, inhibitions, laziness among youth
• Currently only few women / girls are creators of ICTs, yet more and more job opportunities are emerging in the ICT sector. Literacy India Karigari project is empowering girls and young women to enter the growing field of ICTs and explore these new opportunities. 

 Activities undertaken:

• Survey has been undertaken
• Mobilize the youth on the basis of FGD
• Operational of computer Lab
• Training Continued by Trainer
• Classes have been regular.

 Impact of the program: 

• Out of 22 enrolled youth 20 attended the classes
• 5 have been selected for Placement
• 2 have already been started working in the community
• Potential girls beneficiaries are under internship for  GDD project
• Rests already applied for job
• Batch of 18 beneficiaries enrolled for new session 

Overall impact on Community

67 students were enrolled during April 2013- September 2014 were directly benefited by the grant. Earlier girls were not allowed to go out for work, even if they are allowed, it is only for teaching job. The positions of 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 for data entry work, teaching ICT in schools. An overall impact has been assessed within community. ICT skills are increasingly required in both traditional and tech-driven way in rural area for youth and community. ICTs are transforming the way youth entrepreneurs do business and grow their skills in their local community with in available resources.

 Girls and Technology – Dream come true

The communication skill of the students from the pre-project situation to next 12 months post-project situation have completely changed. Earlier the girls knew the name of computer as a machine; at the present stage they are practicing on the machine without fear. Most of the students, especially the students from the far-flung villages of Jhalawar at Rajasthan, had never seen a computer physically, before joining the CCA course. Some have seen it on TV, but never used it physically, but now they came to know what the computer is, function of computer, importance of it in the present era.

 Stories of Change:    

 CCA aspiring Hemlata to get a dream job 

Name:  Hemlata( Name Changed)  Age: 19 Location: Manoharthana Rajashthan

 19 years old Hemlata  is residing village of Manoharthana, Rajasthan. She had completed 10+2 examination.  After completion of Higher Secondary she took admission in Graduation in Arts stream. Her father earns only around Rs. 3000/- P.M subject to availability of the employment opportunity as he is doing contract job. So Hemlata was not able to ask her father to provide money for joining any professional courses that yield employment opportunity.  She wanted to learn computer and support her family. She enrolled under CCA program of Literacy India and completed computer course. She is sincere and encouraged to study. She is also happy and inspired. She has potential to do better.

 Name:  Aman ( Name Changed) Age:  23 Location: Manoharthana Rajashthan 

 Aman is a 23 year old boy. He lived with his father –mother and three siblings. Aman village name is M.Thana Tehsil M.Thana Distt. Jahalwar (Raj.).  His father is a poor farmer and hardly earning anything for sustainability. His mother is a home maker. Aman studied up to class 12^th. He is hardworking boy. After completing his 12^th class education, he had to quit his studied due to financial crises in the family. He wants to do some technical course so that he can earn for family.  However he could not choose the type of technical training that could help him to earn. One day Aman came to know through his friends that Literacy India learning centre provides vocational computer courses in the Maheshwari Bawan, Center M.Thana. He joined to computer  application program of CCC  Literacy India and completed the course.

He earlier had an interest of photography and that time he took training on photography. Hence the combination of photography and computer CCC course had paved the way for his earning to sustain. He after completing the CCC course had opened up a photograph shop in Manohar thana market. His shop provides the services of CV making, shooting photographs, downloading photographs & printing photographs.  He is planning to install a Xerox machine also.  

 Name:  Amin  ( Name Changed) Age:  23 Location: Manoharthana Rajashthan                          

Amin lives in a little town M.Thana, Thesil-Manoharthana Distt. Jhalawar (Raj.). Amin’s father was engaged in Pvt. Job from where he had been retired also. His mother is a home maker. He has a financial crisis in the family. They live in a little house at Manohar Thana. Amin did M.A.  But did not get through job.  His family cannot afford to pay the fees of the technical education. Then he came to know about Literacy India’s learning centre from his brother. He then joined the computer application program at the center. After he completed his CCC, Amin was successful in getting a job. He Joined as a computer operator in the SAHARA INDIA, FRANCHAISE OFFICE, MANOHARTHANA. Now with the help of computer skill he is earning 5000/- per month. Amin is very happy with his job and very grateful to literacy India that make possible to change in his life. 

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