By Chetasi Kane | Manager- Documentation and Communication
Hi!
We want to extend a big Thank You for supporting our cause and helping these children go to school. Our Child Friendly Spaces Center aid child labourers to go back to formal schooling to have a fair chance to a better future. Working with these children has been a huge learning experience for us. If you have any suggestions to improve our work at the Child Friendly Spaces, do write to us and we will bring it up for discussion. Once again, thank you for contributing to a better future.
Quarterly Updates for Child Friendly Spaces
July-September 2011
Center: Vasna
No. of Girls: 17
No. of Boys: 14
Name of the: Teacher Jayshree
Class Time: 1230-5pm
Center: Behrampura
No. of Girls: 18
No. of Boys: 9
Name of the Teacher: Urmila
Class Time: 12-3pm
Center: Juhapura
No. of Girls: 11
No. of Boys: 19
Name of the Teacher: Firdos
Class Time: 3-6pm
Daily Activities
The daily activities at the CFS centers consist of welcoming the children. To drive them towards the academics, the teacher has to first involve them in some interesting activity. Once engaged and fully present in the class, the teacher starts with the class for the day. If there are very young children, then they will be given activities that have toys, learning puzzles, etc. With the older students the teacher focuses on Mathematics, Language or Social Studies, depending the day of the week. One day of the week is also dedicated to art and craft.
Challenge: It has been a continuous challenge for us to convince parents whose children are child labours to come and attend these classes. It is difficult to inculcate the importance of education in the mind of the parents. Continuous counseling is the only way out.
Learning: The children who come here have a very short attention span. To keep them engrossed through 3 hours of class, activities have to continuously change. The teachers have to adapt to the mood of the children and plan lessons accordingly.
The following events and celebrations took place at our CFS centers in the last three months:
About Nutrition:
The Children are given healthy and nutritious snacks like Sukhadi (India Sweet), Chavanu (A savoury mix), Glucose Biscuits, Peanuts and other such nutritious supplements during the three hours at the CFS. This is one of the motivational factors for the parents to send their child to the Child Friendly Spaces center.
Read how coming to CFS has changed Shahin's Life:
Shahin’s father abandoned her and her family. She lives with her mother and four siblings. Shahin’s oldest brother works cutting hair, and the rest of her family works at home making kites. Her two elder sisters and Shahin stitch thread on the kites from 7-10pm every day. Given her family’s situation, Shahin’s work is needed to help cover the household expenses.
Shahin joined Juhapura CFS in October 2009. CFS teacher, Firdosben, says that when she first came to class, Shahin did not know how to read and write, and had a serious stammering problem. Firdosben, who had previously received training on how to help children with speaking difficulties, helped Shahin overcome her problem. Shahin’s mother, Rihanaben, says that she is happy that her daughter is now able to read and write properly. She also noticed that after attending CFS, Shahin became more disciplined and responsible.
After 4-5 months attending CFS, Shahin was ready to transfer to a formal school. However, she did not a birth certificate and she was denied admission. Saath trained Firdosben on how to approach formal schools and explain them that by law they have to accept children lacking such identity document. The school’s principal was initially reluctant, but ended up accepting Shahin for the bridge course. She finished the course and took the final exam, which she successfully delivered. After these summer vacations are over, she will start classes at her formal school.
Shahin enjoys attending CFS center and playing with other classmates. She loves her teacher, especially when she makes them play in class. In an interview, she said that she would like to complete post-secondary school and become a teacher in the future.
Please see attachment to view Shahin picture with her teacher, Firdos.
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