GIFT THE GIFT OF EDUCATION TO AN UNDER-SERVED GIRL

Project Location: Bhati Mines,Delhi, India  

Bhati Mines have migratory population from Bihar, UP and Hindu refugees of Pakistan across the Thar desert now settled at Bhati mines area in Delhi. Most of them know traditional and ethnic craft work. Since this was a community uprooted long ago, it has resulted in the erosion of their skills and the techniques have a distinct gypsy flavor. Bhati - Mines village where Literacy India is operating faces with some major issues around Education, clean water, sanitation, health, livelihood and employment. When Hindu refugees migrated from Pakistan, looking at their condition, Government of India established refugee camp in Bhati mines area and many refugees were rehabilitated in the same. However, during the course of time, many other people occupied the land illegally and started living in the Sanjay Colony.Till today major source of livelihood for the locals is labor work, driving, white washing or the small shops that they have opened in the market. Women mostly are house wives as they do not possess any skill to work.

Literacy India aims at providing training and guidance to these women to enable them acquire skills and resources in order to become earning members of their families.

Activities undertaken during six months:   

• Survey and identification of beneficiaries
• Discussion with family members   
• Introduction session with volunteers on Training of Driving as livelihood option
• Showing of the documentary to motivate the group
• Exposure visit to Shakha training center to see peers women drivers
• Theory session on driving and its training process
• Training of simulator and application for the learner license
• On road Driving training with trainer and peers to motivate 
• Meeting with peer beneficiaries, who are working as chauffeurs
• On road Self driving

  Major achievements of the project: 

• Enrollment of beneficiaries and motivation towards skills for livelihood
• Successful engagement of 5 beneficiaries for the training
• Exposure visit and meeting with working women cab drivers
• Successful completion of training and now professional chauffeurs specially for Privileged families Wives & Children.

  Challenges:

• Literacy India mobilized 5 beneficiaries for training but one is continuing.
• Family members are not supporting towards driving as vocation.
• Community  traditional thinking about gender

      Way Forward:

• On road Self driving training
• Exposure visit with working women cab drivers
• Facilitating and motivating beneficiaries for placement
• Assisting beneficiaries in post vocation problems / issues

  Story of change & Potential beneficiaries

  Name:  Suman  Age: 38  Location:  Bhati Mines, Delhi

 Suman is a 38-year-old woman with a husband and two kids. She came to Delhi with her husband 10 years back in search of livelihood. Knowing driving, her husband started job of cab driving which gave Suman quite a happy and satisfactory life.  However, her husband developed drinking habit badly and started beating her when she asked for money. Due to bad financial condition, her kids had to drop studies with one in 9^th class and the other in 8^th. This was when Suman decided to do something on her own that someone suggested her to visit Literacy India Learning Centre in Bhati Mines. She visited and attended a workshop on women driving training. Her age was above the limit but looking at her dedication and enthusiasm, she was enrolled in the driving batch.

She has completed almost 6 months and her driving is good. Though she still has some hesitation on square road and in traffic jam but she is trying to overcome it. She is very hard working and dedicated towards her training. She does 50 km up and down for training in Greater Kailash from Bhati mines.

She is supposed to complete her training by July post which she will be placed as a women cab driver. Suman Says, “Learning the driving is not only a skill to earn my livelihood, but it has given me the right direction to give a good future to my children and myself. I never thought but the native chauffeur motivated me and now I am trained to drive on the road.”

Links:

• Literacy India Project Nandini

Skill training to Sustainabilit

Project Location:  Valigonda Telanagana India  

Valigonda village,Nalgonda district near Hyderabad, Telegana where Literacy India is operating. The broad issues are related to water, sanitation, livelihood and employment, and education.The panchayat mainly has mixed population of Schedule Caste & Tribe.The major source of livelihood for the villagers is labor work, small shops in the market and agriculture.  Out of this population, a mere 13% population owns land, while 87% of the population is landless. The entire village women & colonies women engages in Cotton Field to work as Labor to earn livelihood.There is no other source to earn to come out of Poverty, therefore helping women in training so that they get to earning mode at the earliest,

 Activities undertaken during six months:  

• Survey and identification of beneficiaries 
• Assessment of skill for beneficiaries 
• Regular ongoing training
• Workshop on business development for marketing, and motivational sessions.
• Project audit during  project implementation period 
• Regular center visit and review meetings
• Exposure visit workshop done with beneficiaries 
• Identifying local community need for training 

 Major achievements of the project

• Enrolment of beneficiaries and community meeting
• Recruitment of staff of the ongoing project
• Total 33 women beneficiaries enrolled and trained under skill training.
• Women empowerment workshop had been taken place at centres
• Financial literacy workshop conducted at centres to motivate and empowerment.
• Soft skills training for business development/ exposure to digital world for Desine & Marketing conducted for women.

Way Forward: 

• Women’s financial literacy workshops are planned along with training on Managing the cost of products.
• Facilitating women, to start own business in entrepreneurship model through which the community get benefited
• Assisting beneficiaries into revenue generation activities.

 Story of change & Potential beneficiaries

 Name:  Rajeshwari (Name changed) Age: 19   location:  Telangana

Rajeshwari is 19 year old belongs to Valigonda village. Rajeshwari`s life has been under consistent economic strain. Her father is working as Auto driver and income was not sufficient. Rajeshwari enrolled for stitching classes and within in six months she excelled in her stitching skills so much that she began training others during the class time. She has started working in community and instant income while she was still learning made her very happy.

 As told by Rajeshwari  “Learning the craft of sewing and stitching has not only developed my confidence, but given me right direction to grow and earn for my family. 

Name:   Hazira begum (Name changed)    Age: 31    Location: Telangana

 Hazira is a 31 years old woman who lives in Valigonda village ,Telangana. Due to her family’s poor economic condition she had to discontinue her studies after passing her VIII standard examinations which itself is an achievement as she belongs to monirity community. Valigonda village is still far away from the fruits of development as basic public amenities are in shambles. Her husband have small battle shop.. She excelled in her training and has reached a point , where she is helped to start her own enterprise.She was helped by trainer to plan her business.

Gyantantra Digital Dost project at Rajashthan Jawar inauguration and Expansion of ICT project to empower  ICT deprived Govt. school children to enhance and strengthen  the learning.

Literacy India inaugurated its new ICT project Gyantantra Digital dost project lab in Jawar Govt. model girl’s middle school. The lab inaugurated by SDM of Manohar Thana Mr. Gaurav Agrawal along BDO Mr. Kailash Chand Meena, ABEEO Mr. Ram Narayan and Sarpanch of M.Thana Mrs. Nikhilesh Nama and members of community. Total 15o children  has benefited through operated labs. The project will envisage implementing ICT activities to accomplish an integrated approach to skilling and use of technology to most ICT deprived school children. These include:

• Establishing and provisioning the availability of access to technology in schools.
• Accelerated Learning level
• Learning has become fun as the course curricullam has whole lot of educational games to solve problems , therefore increasing the children s engagement.
• increase in teacher competencies
• increase in children turnout  in classrooms 

Links:

• Media coverage of Project and online links