Education India Project #35042

Help 1100 Students affected by Flood in Kerala

by Foundation for Initiatives in Development and Education for All ( IDEA)

Project Report | Mar 20, 2020
REBUILDING LIVES IN TIMES OF DISTRESS

By Krishna Kumar | Consultant

Saving the environment, making paper bags

Dear friends,

Since the past 2 years immediately after the massive flood created havoc in Kerala, we started a project to help rebuild flood-affected schools, students and their families. Over this time, we gave various need-based support to low-cost flood-affected schools like rebuilding science labs, drinking water facility, UPS, school building restoration and repairs, etc. We are also providing 100 affected students, educational sponsorship including school/ college fees and school supplies.

In the last quarter, we concentrated mainly on two schools in the flood-affected areas of Alappuzha district - Kuppappuram Govt High School and Kuttamangalam SNDP High School of Kainakary. The students from these schools were already excited and motivated since they had received school supplies which they had lost in the flood like School bags, Notebooks, Instrument boxes, Umbrellas, and water bottles. Now they were back in school and more focused on learning hence IDEA conducted Spoken English classes and Computer classes in Kuttamangalam school. Spoken English classes were arranged throughout the academic year for the 51 students in Kuppappuram Govt High School. Thanks to your support, we could arrange for the honorarium for the teachers.

To balance studies with extra-curricular, IDEA also arranged for a teacher at Kuttamangalam SNDP High School to give training to the students in Arts like Embroidery work, beads work, Fabric painting, Fabric painting with vegetables, Papercraft, Bamboo products, and Clay modeling.

At Kuppappuram Govt High School, IDEA supported the campaign to minimize the usage of plastic bags and promoting the use of cloth bags and paper bags. Two Sewing machines and an Embroidery sewing machine and raw materials were purchased for the School. Along with benefitting the environment, this also proved to be a livelihood option for the parents of students studying in this school. The school along with IDEA team promoted this during Parent-teacher meetings and also by conducting awareness campaigns in the community on the necessity to reduce the usage of plastic bags. Cloth and paper bags were distributed among the local people either free of cost or at a very nominal cost. This campaign is in full swing proving to be a viable earning opportunity for flood-affected families.

Keeping hopes afloat

Most of the students in Kuppappuram Govt High School are from financially weaker sections of the society. Most of them belong to social and economic backward classes and own a single room house only. After repeated floods damaged their houses, these students were left with no space for keeping their books also. We helped needy students like Abhijith with new study tables and chairs. Abhijith studying in 9th standard is an only child of a single mother, who is differently-abled. They are staying in a house partially damaged by the flood. The study table and chair received by the family helped the student to get back to his studies. Abhijith has also received a school bag and new books. After losing their belongings in the flood, the duo lived in several camps before coming back to their now empty and damaged house. What IDEA is doing is giving them at least something to lean on to…something to keep them afloat.

Athulya of 10th standard also a flood victim, came back to school after a long gap. For her and for several other affected students the study materials provided by IDEA helped a lot. New school supplies and also seeing their school being rebuilt, encouraged them to get back to their studies. Athulya enjoyed the English classes arranged by IDEA the most.

Still trying to recover from this tragedy, another scare – COVID-19 (Corona Virus) pandemic stares them in the face. With rising cases in Kerala due to tourism & migration of Keralites from all the badly affected countries, we have to double the efforts to stop the infections in recently flooded infection-prone central Kerala areas. Friends, your contribution can make a major difference in fighting the Corona Virus pandemic and rebuilding flood-affected schools. Please continue to support this project!

Enjoying Embroidery!

Making cloth bags for livelihood

Abhijith with his mother

Athulya with her family

Links:

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Dec 26, 2019
Flood affected children and families need you!

By Geetanjali | Manager

A flooded school

Dear Friends,

Greetings from IDEA!

As we are celebrating this festive season, it is unfortunate that children and families affected by yet another wave of floods in Kerala have little to cheer. This monsoon, flood re-visited the same districts in central Kerala and much of the rebuilding work done after last year’s monsoon was left undone.

After the floods in August 2018, much rebuilding and relief work was carried out but the tragedy visited this year too and since August 2019, low cost schools and Govt. schools and many underprivileged families are struggling due to water logging yet again.

In a Govt. school in Kuppapuram, the bunds built to keep water away were left broken due to repeated flooding such that the entire area surrounding that school and school compound is flooded with water upto 4 feet height and hence children are using make-shift bridges made of tables and desks to cross over to their school. The children are especially very unhappy at having lost their school playground which one of the very few sources of joy for them in these troubled times.

Team IDEA is continuing its rebuilding work in the affected schools and for children and families in central Kerala. We recently conducted Computer classes and Communicative English classes at two High schools. It is important to keep engaging students through such interactive sessions so that the tragedy does not diminish their interest in learning.

The schools are atleast receiving some assistance from Govt. and NGOs but for families who have lost their livelihoods, help is very little and sporadic at best. Many underprivileged and flood affected families are still waiting for their houses to be re-built and for compensation for the loss of their livelihoods. In absence of other viable alternatives, these families are still suffering.

It happens often that after the initial horror of a natural disaster fades away, we tend to forget the suffering of the affected people, hence it is necessary to keep updating ourselves and others of the ground realities. Our team in Kerala is still working tirelessly to bring some relief to the people and to help them as they pick up the pieces of their lives once again.

Friends, it is our earnest appeal, Please donate to the flood affected families and children from Kerala so that they may rebuild their lives! We request you to please motivate your friends also to contribute to this project.

Children use a make-shift bridge made of benches

Lost playground

Communicative English classes

Computer classes in an affected school

This is a school campus, can you believe it?

Links:

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Sep 30, 2019
Small interventions too make big difference

By Krishna Kumar | Manager

Maya with her mother in front of their house

Greetings from IDEA , a Pune based NGO . As many of you are aware, IDEA , conceptualized by a team of qualified and experienced social scientists and social workers, adopts a holistic approach to promote education & women empowerment.

IDEA has touched the lives of over 80,000 in its journey since inception through its core programmes .This considering the humble beginning in 2002 is an amazing achievement.

Please do read our Annual Report 2018-19 to know more about our initiatives and impact –

https://ideafoundation.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IDEA-Annual-Report-2018-19.pdf

IDEA started supporting schools and marginalised children in a few locations in central Kerala after the floods in August 2018 . Unfortunately the central and north Kerala was affected again by floods in August 2019 . People lost their belongings; houses damaged very badly leaving the marginalised people in the clutches of debt . Students are most affected as their parents are struggling to meet both the ends . IDEA continues its efforts to help families and children IN A SMALLER WAY due to inadequate funds .

Here we would like to take you through two flood affected families :-

Maya ( Name changed ) braves all odds to find a job to help her family :

Maya lives with her ailing parents and elder brother in Kainakari . When the flood completely washed away her house and all belongings , she and her family lost all hope for a few days . But she soon gained confidence when she was selected as a sponsored child. She successfully completed her school final exam and taken admission in a Nursing college for a two year diploma in Nursing with an aim to get a job and help her parents .

Maya’s parents are suffering from many chronic illnesses ; due to severe spondylitis mother can’t even do household chores . Her father though a chronic epileptic patient works as a casual labourer whenever he feels better. Maya’s elder completed diploma as a technician but unable to find a suitable job . At present he works as an assistant to a technician and earn a meagre income to support the family .

The crisis at home never allowed Maya to have many dreams like her friends but her ONLY dream is to be supporter of her ailing parents !

Goat brings happiness in a poor family

In our previous report we have mentioned about a livelihood program we have initiated for a few marginalised families through goat rearing . We are pleased to present how it is making a difference to poor families .

Prejitha, Prejith & Premjit ( name changed ) are three tiny children attending a primary school where we have some interventions to help children and poor parents. These children are the most less fortunate ones in the school with an unhappy family atmosphere due to alcoholism of the father and quarrels between the parents. Their father doesn’t live with the family or supports the family financially but comes home frequently only to quarrel with his wife. The poor mother works in a chicken shop and earns a small income . This family was also selected in our goat distribution program due to extreme poverty at home .

The family , especially the children have taken good care of the goat and they were so happy to share that the goat has started giving milk . The mother sells part of the goat’s milk for a regular but small income for the family while she is happy that she can now afford to give milk to her children . Gaining confidence from the experience the mother now looks forward to rear more goats !

A request ……………

The work still continues …..with more family assistance for livelihood and sponsorship support for children.

Thanks a lot for your support so far and we look forward for more support to reach out to many more needy children and families .

The family with the goat & Kid

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