GIFT THE GIFT OF EDUCATION TO AN UNDER-SERVED GIRL

Literacy India since 1996 as a non-profit organization had been educating underprivileged women and children, and empowering them to become self-reliant and employable. It can rightly be synonymized with three very powerful words: Education, Empowerment, and Employment.

Vidyapeeth is the core program at Literacy India (LI) which aims at making quality education available and affordable to the underprivileged lot. This initiative of Literacy India runs classes up to high school like any other school. The beneficiaries come from the lowest economic and social strata of the society, and many of them are first generation learners. At Vidyapeeth, the students are provided holistic education by a ‘learning by doing ‘approach using projects and practical training.

While making quality education available to the marginalized children is at the core of Literacy India’s mission, it is also important to provide this education with a purpose. And that purpose is to make the youth in our communities employable.

 Vidyapeeth students selected for a course in Mechatronics by the Kiki Centre for Technology

Satyam and Amarjeet, two students from the Vidyapeeth School, have been selected and given scholarship fee of Rs.4.85 lakh for the three and a half years programme in Mechatronics by the Kiki Centre for Technology.  Acknowledged as one of the best training systems in the World, the Kiki Centre for Technology offers a work-study model, where students learn simultaneously at the institute and also at a company.

Vidyapeeth has always believed in ‘Learning by Doing’ and has been mentoring its students in project-based activities in their areas of interest. Satyam and Amarjeet were selected because of the training they received at Vidyapeeth. Satyam and Amarjeet were inclined towards science education and have been engaged in various project-based learning activities at Vidyapeeth over the years of their study here.  After scoring more than 70% in the entrance test, these children went through various personal interviews before they were selected for the long-term course in Mechatronics.

GlobalGiving Supported Education

We are grateful to GlobalGiving for the support provided for their education at Vidyapeeth. Now, these students have an opportunity to pursue the career of their dreams while also earning during the course of their study. They will grow up to become confident youth who will be able to have a sustainable livelihood.

We thank GlobalGiving again for making a difference in the lives of these capable youth.

Name- Satya (Name Changed) Age- 17 Class X- Vidyapeeth Location- Gurgaon

 Satya Kumar(name changed) is a Class X student at the Literacy India School-Vidyapeeth at Gurugram, Haryana. One of our most talented students, Satya has been with us since Upper KG. 

His family migrated from Bihar 12 years ago. His father works as a gardener, and mother is a helper at a saree shop. He has an older sister and a younger brother.

 A confident, vocal and intellectual student, he excels in academics and loves Science and Maths. He has undertaken vocational training in organic farming and mobile repairing and also helps his father farm on the leased land after school.

 Satya is the leader of “The Ideal Village Project” initiated by Literacy India in Bajghera, Haryana. He has taken up various village issues with the deputy commissioner, with courage and conviction.  As a result of his persistence and hard work, the Bajghera village today has forced the government to address issues like the lack of street lights, garbage bins etc.

 Teaching approach “learning by doing” as told by Ms. Sonika ( name changed)-Science teacher

 Activity supported “learning by doing” has helped students to move beyond their academic learning and has truly enhanced the impact of STEM education.  The Learning approach sparks thinking and creativity amongst the students, enhances student engagement, strengthens communication, and builds on collaboration, so learning can become more effective, relevant, and enjoyable.

Links:

• Spearheading social change - Guided by digital transformation

Empowering Women entrepreneurs and Communities by skills

While education is at the core of our efforts to bring in greater inclusivity and mainstreaming the marginalized, however enhancing employability and the ability to earn so that children can continue to learn is equally important. We have been running several employability enhancement initiatives covering the youth, women, farmers, tribal communities under our umbrella program, Karigari, since 2002. Till date we have covered more than 15000 people under this program, training them on various skills.

Karigari, focuses on enhancing the employability of members of the communities that we engage with.  Since its launch in 2002, we have trained more than 100,000 people on various vocational skills, in line with their interests to improve their chances of getting employed. Our training modules include,

•  Computer courses certified by National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (GOI),
•  Hardware & Mobile Repairing
•  CNC training/Electrician/AC & Refrigeration
• CAD Mechanical
• Driving
• Stitching, embroidery, recycled paper product making, block printing, tie & die, and making costume jewelry
•  Beauty & Spa Therapy
•  Pattal plate manufacturing
•  Eco/Social-tourism, Home Stay Hospitality
•  Organic Farming, Vermi Culture & Kitchen Garden
• Bakery & Cooking
• General Duty Nursing
• Candle making
• E- Mitra

  Need assessment

 An assessment of the local ecosystem is carried out to get an understanding of sustainable livelihood options. The assessment results in a skill gap analysis and the skills that the villagers require tapping the potential market opportunities has been identified. Since wage employment opportunities are limited at the rural level the focus is towards self-employment and entrepreneurship. Group has been formed for business activity with 10 women.

 Creating opportunities

  The opportunities are created in the following manner:

 We conducted a Survey of the area (existing and adjacent) and identify beneficiaries for training. 

• Step 1: Assess the skills/ training that will be most beneficial to them
• Step 2:  Training Women in advance product making
• Step 3: Market explored with Demand  & Supply
• Step 4: Order & production started
• Step 5: Delivery & shipping items to market
• Step 6:  Machine Support & other to continue the  business work

 Impact:

• Self-steam and empowerment in women through financial independence
• making the villagers financially independent, and restricting migration.
• Better social and family living
• Our Rural Initiative envisages economic inclusion of a village.
• making the local economy vibrant;
•  improving the income level of villagers through a focus on locally relevant skills & Work

 Stories from Ground:

 Name: Pushpanjali ( Name changed) Age: 34 Location: Rajasthan

The Story of Pushpanjali is that of a fighter. When we asked her how she had managed to overcome so many obstacles, she proudly replied, “My courage is my capital.”Pushpanjali was born into an extremely poor family, but her emotional strength and presence of mind are impressive. “I desperately wanted to study, but being a girl, and that too from such a poor family, I never got the chance,” she says. Anyhow she managed to study up to 8th class. Married off to a man in Manoharthana village when she was just thirteen, she worked as a daily wage laborer even as she kept having children. Pushpanjali says, “My husband was very lazy and have no permanent work. Job. I wanted to have a stable source of income, especially because we had two children. I realized that if I did not start earning properly soon, my children would suffer just like I did.” Pushpanjali started to discuss with her husband what she can do to support the family. In between, she came in contact with Literacy India center about stitching & cutting course. She enrolled herself and got trained in stitching and cutting. Seeing her dedication and desire, she was enrolled in advance product training and also included in the group of women at the center.The group started to take an order of petticoat, blouse, bags etc. from the market as per availability in the market. Simultaneously working at LI center, She started working at home too. She is earning 2500 to 3000/ month.“Literacy India’s few financial Literacy training was very helpful. But most of all, I met so many women and I knew I was not alone.” Pushpanjali is very proud of her achievements. She is sending her children to good schools as well. 

Links:

• LITERACY-INDIA-WITH-SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE-COMPANIES-INDIVIDUALS