GIFT THE GIFT OF EDUCATION TO AN UNDER-SERVED GIRL

The youth and women in our society are in need of livelihood options. However, most often they do not have the means to get the required skillets for the same, more often than not, limiting their options.

Karigari helps to improve the status of women / Youth in society by providing them with livelihood options through vocational training in the areas, based on beneficiaries’ preferences and aptitude.

• Computer literacy allows beneficiaries to have careers in IT related fields like BPO Centers, Data Processing Units and lately in UID centers etc.  especially at our centers in the cities like Delhi, Gurgaon & Kolkata and creating entrepreneurs. 

• Stitching, Embroidery, Beauty Culture, Block Printing, Tie & Die etc enables beneficiaries to have employment in the garment industry or set up their own stitching and tailoring units. 

• Vocational training in driving encourages beneficiaries to have careers as drivers in automobile, transport and travel industry or seek self-employment as professional drivers.

• Community based skills like,Home stay, kitchen gardening, Organic farming empowers them to self-sustain in their community.

 Creating opportunities

 The opportunities are created in the following manner:

Step 1: We conduct a Survey of the area and identify Beneficiaries

Step 2: Assess the skills/ trainings that will be most beneficial to them

Step 3: Set up and installation of equipment and machines 

Step 4: Invite beneficiaries for an Orientation session

Step 5: Regular ongoing training till completion of the program.

• Workshop on business development and motivational sessions.
• Test to measure the progress / proficiency achieved by the beneficiarios, and certify the beneficiaries

 What makes Karigari unique:

-   Complete program is free of charge, with all equipment and raw material provided by Literacy India

-   The beneficiaries are exposed to real life workshops/ centre where the work is happening

-   The involvement of Literacy India does not end with training. There are regular visits by coordinators to help the beneficiaries get jobs/ start their own enterprise.

  Name: Sanita  ( Name Changed)     Age: 20     Location: West Bengal

It is said, when you empower a rural and tribal woman, you in-turn make a complete family socially and economically independent, thereby energizing the whole village and ultimately contributing towards the progress of a nation. 

Sanita, a 20 year old, is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree from Sarbori Panchokot Mahavidyalay. She lives with her parents and siblings in their self-owned house in Madandih village in Neturia block, Purulia, West Bengal. It has been Sanita’s dream to work in beauty parlours/ salons. To excel, Sanita knew she needed to undertake training, but faced many barriers. the biggest challenge facing her was financial crunch in the family. She required INR 10-15000 to get the training from any institution.

 During the Mobilization Programme (by Literacy India) in their village Sanita, came to know about the beauty culture training that was to be held in their neighboring village. Literacy India offers this course to the poor adolescent girls and women and make them skilled enough to get employed . The center’s quality teachers also help girls enhance other skills like personality development and time-management, to make them more competitive and ready for the real world.  Sanita enrolled in the beauty culture course at the Literacy India’s training Center and underwent training for for six months. She learned practical skills and developed the confidence to visit local beauty parlors and see how work happens. 

Sanita says, “After visiting other parlors, I had lots of questions about the machines they use. I was able to ask my teacher and get answers to all my questions.” She says that the support and “love” that she found from her mentors and peers was extremely motivating and unlike what she had experienced before.

She has started a small parlor at home as a first step. This will help her sharpen her skills and save some money before she ventures into a well furnished parlor. Apart from this, Sanita goes to a nearby parlor twice in a week to get exposed to better equipment. Currently her income is   Rs. 1000 -1500/- per month. Of this money, she keeps Rs. 500 for her monthly expenditure, and saves the rest amount for her future. Sanita says, “The only thing else I want to say, is that girls need to have skills in their hand. Girls should be independent.” Sanita is a role model in her community, and despite the many barriers she has faced, is on-track to pursuing her dreams.

Links:

• INDHA" Power to Empower Women - Project of Literacy India

Project “Gyantantra Digital Dost” uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to innovatively address multiple problems associated with the quality of education available to the poor in India: - Poor teaching quality, lack of quality teacher training - Inconsistency in teaching while teaching difficult concepts - Lack of motivation among children of the illiterate and the poor, to go to a nearby school –Absence of practice and printed work books in the Government  schools, that is a right of  every child - Lack of access to colourful storybooks, videos, and interactivity based multimedia learning content. This project has been able to empower and educate the children with lessons using ICT- Information Communication and Technology which fast tracked their learning on important subjects like Science, Maths, EVS, up to grade V along with subjects like HIV, Sexual Abuse, and Voting Rights & Opening of Bank Accounts. Gyantantra is a composite learning module feature -Well-structured curriculum, important text book subjects also focusing on Value education, financial literacy and stories on sexual abuse etc. Children between age 5 and above have benefitted from this module – their level is matched as per their faculties.

  This unique virtual teacher was able to: 

1. Accelerate the learning process
2. Raise the child’s reading ability to an age appropriate level
3. Settle the child in an age-appropriate grade at the end of the intervention period
4. Help children operate computers and use technology to learn at their own pace
5. Utilize the computer lab to showcase various documentaries such as financial literacy, life skills workshops and educative presentations.

 The GDD pedagogy helped:

1. Students to explore their own ideas and build robust knowledge on subject
2. Effective use of technology and intervention for betterment of learning outcome
3. Both students and teachers feel empowered to use technology in classrooms for better learning
4. Teachers find a way to leverage technology for professional development

 Name:  Manisha (Name Changed)        Class: III

 The situation: Manisha, 12, has been associated with Gyantantra Program, M.Thana Govt. School and is currently a student of class III. Earlier she is not friendly and doesn't face any difficulty getting along with others. She did not take much interest in his studies and hasn’t yet participated in any extracurricular activities because of her shyness and hesitance. She got only 10 % in pre-test and didn’t have basic knowledge in subjects.

 Background: Manisha belongs to Manoharthan town. His father is a daily wages labor and mother is house wife. She has three siblings and stay in a small accommodation.

 The change:  The digital program contains audio as well as video material on numerous topics subject wise. Now Manisha is enabled and has comprehensive understanding along with fun learning. She got 79 % and 72 % in periodic tests and she now knows course contains numerous topics such as days of the week, names of different months, parts of body in English, calculations and arithmetic in Mathematics, reading comprehensions in Hindi & English and general awareness on the importance of hygiene, harmful effects of smoking etc.  She is eager to cover everything at the earliest possible.

However, the teachers constantly encourage her as well as other students. This has helped her overcome her fear, and she now looks forward to participating in dance competitions etc.Manisha scored 10 marks in Pre-test out of 100 and he respectively scored 72 & 79  in consecutive periodic evaluation.

 Prashant (Name changed)  Class: V 

The situation:  Prashant is student of Govt. high school having 700 children and limited teachers only as usual in Govt. School insufficient resources. During enrolment as per Pre-Test, he was below average student. He hardly knew alphabets of Hindi or counting in Mathematics. His pre-test score was 18%.

 Background:  Prashant along with his family has migrated from a small village in Madhya Pradesh. They are now living in Jawar. His father here works as daily wage worker in break factory while mother is a house wife. Sagar realized his potential post the special attention he received in LI and was motivated to put in his best.

 The change: As a result, the monthly assessment conducted after the completion of each month, scored 62% and 69%. Now S Prashant not only knows about alphabets in Hindi but can also frame sentences. He has got a good grip in Mathematics too where he knows multiplication, subtraction, division. Maths is now his favorite subject and he is eager to solve its problems. In English as well, he has mastered days of the week, days of the month, parts of body and parts of face. His reading power is excellent. His knowledge has improved and he is continuing to do better which is a big reason of happiness for Prashant as well as his family. She is a fun loving, yet hard working boy. Besides academics he also enjoys participating in sports and extra-curricular activities. He aspires to be a teacher.  Prashant scored 18 marks in Pre-test out of 100 and he respectively scored 62 & 69 in consecutive periodic evaluation.

Links:

• Pilot to Champion for Children's Education: Story of Capt Indraa