GIFT THE GIFT OF EDUCATION TO AN UNDER-SERVED GIRL

Form Garbage sorting to Gyantantra Digital Dost Learning in schools...

“From garbage sorting to create an environment where the children would concentrate in the academic course - is a long journey for us & Literacy India. However, it is true joining hand with Literacy India make the journey easier as the Digital Learning Course of Gyantantra is a complete package that helps to facilitate an environment which at first makes a connection with computer operation and then with the academic course through play and games” -Teacher-In- Charge Mr. Ajay Choudhary of Sastri Shiksha Sadan School Winner of Karmaveer Bronze Medal from Apeejay Surrinder Group Kolkata

 About Project Gyantantra Digital Dost Learning at Sastri Shiksha Sadan (Belgachia Kolkata, West Bengal)

Children at Belgachia:  Children in this area are basically rag-picker’s and engaged into the profession of sorting out the garbage. Earlier the children were unwilling to come to school. The Government Primary school, however, school use to have very low attendance during summer, autumn & spring; as the children used to engage themselves in garbage sorting activities. However in monsoon and winter the children came to the school. Against this backdrop, Literacy India along with the Primary Government School teachers started the journey to re-track the children in the educational mode on a regular basis through Gyantantra- Digital learning tools. The effort of teachers especially the teacher-in-charge, staff and volunteers group of Literacy India was remarkable as the enrolment drive this year exceeded around 500 Students.

 Activities undertaken during the last year (2014-15)

• Survey and child tracking had been undertaken
• Parent-Teachers along and literacy India’s volunteers group meetings were held regularly
• In order to support the children and their family – free health check-up along with OPD was being organized twice on a monthly basis
• Regular evaluation and assessment of students is being undertaken
• Regular Volunteering actives from the corporates is being organized
• School bags for students were distributed in the beginning of the session.
• Regular classes were going on in the school and time table for the same has been prepared accordingly.

Achievements of the program:

• Total of 500 students have been enrolled in the school in the year 2015.
• 250 students have appeared for the Pre-test and groups have been created.
• 130 School Bags were distributed among the children whose parents were very poor and were below the poverty line.
• Literacy India nominated Teacher- In – Charge’s name for Apeejay Karmayuga Competition for award winning for remarkable Volunteering. Teacher- In- Charge’s name and his work has been selected by Jury for Bronze medal with felicitation. 
• Medical check-ups held  twice in a month for all students
• Monthly assessment of students conducted
• Parent- teachers meeting were held
• Corporate, Business Schools, Media personnel are doing regular volunteering here in Sastri Shiksha Sadan School.

 Overall Impact of the program:

Impact on Community:

• Community has become conscious about sending the children to the school.
• Few parents are still in the garbage collection and sorting out profession- however, they are sending the children to school regularly
• Parents are happy also to see the performance of the children in the school.

Impact on Children:

• Children have become tech-savvy and learning has become faster 
• The learning through games and play involves the children into the program
• Spelling and construction of sentence forming  had developed sizeable number the children
• Children love to practice Math and English that ultimately improves the qualitative performance among children.

Impact on Behavioural change:

• A lot of change has been observed in the behaviour of the students. Earlier it was observed that the children have the tendency to run away from schools, even if there was mid-day meal provision. However, once the Digital Learning class started the tendency of runway has shown a decline. 
• The school premise use to be dirty and unfit for classes, the children did not know about cleaning of the room- they use to throw the paper, pencil, chalk or tiffin waste. At present, with exposure visits and peer learning from other school students, LI students have started using Paper Dustbin Box in the school. They learned making these boxes from the Literacy India’s Volunteering work of Art& Craft workshop.
• School Captains are chosen from each class who are responsible to look after the school premise as well as the behavior to greet the visitors and teachers, observation of various memorable days and so on.

Challenges faced in our Interventions

• Still there are absenteeism among the children as the parents suddenly changed their work sites
• As these students are the first generation learners & most of the cases both parents are working, it was found that often that a) children are absent during exam due to  exam phobia b) children  lie to their parents about schools

Special achievement:

•  Apeejay Surrinder Group, India has created India’s first and pioneering initiative, Apeejay India Volunteer Awards, to celebrate and reward Indians who volunteer, Corporates who promote employee volunteering and NGOs who engage Individuals who want to volunteer for social causes.
•  Teacher-In- Charge Mr. Ajay Chaudhary of Sastri Shiksha Sadan Supported by Literacy India School under Gyantantra digital Dost project won Karmaveer Bronze Medal from Apeejay Surrinder Group, Kolkata for implementation of ICT innovation in school & increase children attendance. Mr. Chaudhary nomination has been recommended by Literacy India project team.

Stories of change:

Goutam Das (name changed) is staying at Lalgate area in the railway yard of Liluah Station which is near to garbage dumping station. He is in class IV at present. Earlier, he used to sort out   garbage. He is at 11 years old. In the year 2014 he was tracked by the LI field staff and was mainstreamed in the Sastri Shiksha Sadan School in digital learning classes. He managed to cope up with fast track academic course. Last year it was found that he will be able to be admitted to class IV easily. He is very good at Math- he can count so fast- that no one can imagine. He lovesto fly kites. At this moment, he is aspires to be a footballer in future.

Sanskriti Shaw & Jyoti Shaw (name changed) are two sisters who are in the above picture. Sanskriti loves to do Gyantantra in computer while her sister was shy and afraid of operating the laptop. Both of them are regular in school, however, one of them is an introvert. Sanskriti, is the one who regularly brings her sister to the school and pushes her to participate in the digital literacy program. Both of them are studying in class IV. They have two brothers who are in class VIII.  Sanskriti loves English while Jyoti loves Hindi. Sanskriti is willing to join in better school so that she can learn & speak English. Both Jyoti and Sanskriti were aim to be a teacher in future.

 Khushi Gupta (name changed) is 10 years old. She is in class IV. She has three brothers and two sisters. Khusi’s father is engaged in casting factory and mother is working as domestic helper in neighbouring area. Khushi, is not very regular as she has to manage the household work. The constant interaction with her mother confirmed her regular attendance in school. She is very good in Hindi and Math. She is aspiring for CID in near future as ACP Pradyuman is her Hero. She loves watching Children CID in TV. One day in near future while she will be adult she will definitely meet ACP Pradyuman.

Links:

• Empowering minds