Objectives

• To improve quality of education of 4685 children of 41 schools of Khilchipur within 5 years

• To improve and innovate upon learning processes of students of 41 schools

• To improve and innovate upon teaching processes

• To reduce drop out (enrolled in schools but excessively irregular) tendency

Major Accomplishments

• 100% enrolment in project villages

• 100% labor was provided by the community in developing school infrastructure facilities

• Increased participation of community in management of schools

• Increase in regularity of school from 42% in 2000 to 85% in 2004

• Increase in girl's student's attendance from 52% in 2001 to 64% in 2004

• Aids, appliances and therapy provided to 44 disabled children by networking with District Disabled Welfare Center

Specific to 2005 

• Regular meetings of Parents Teacher Association (PTA) and effective and active functioning of PTA

• Regular functioning of schools by regularizing the irregular teachers

• Appointment of 4 extra teachers by PTAs and community through their own contribution

• Students started practicing hygienic practices in daily life e.g. started bringing water bottles, personal hygienic practices, dumping school garbage in one pre-decided place etc

• Aids, appliances and therapy provided to 14 disabled children by networking with District Disabled Welfare Center

• 7 Self Help Groups linked with Janpad Panchayat and received revolving funds to start their Income Generation Activities

Main Activities for 2006

Quality Education

• Formation and capacity building of cluster level community forums - Sankul Vikas Parishad

• Promotion of extra and co-curricular activities in government school

• Capacity building of Self Help Groups on village education issues 

• Strengthening of PTAs and Panchayat Raj Institutions through trainings and workshops

• Training of teachers 

• Setting up of pre schools in villages where Anganwadis and pre schools (Shishu Shiksha Kendra) are not established

• Capacity building of workers of Shishu Shiksha Kendra and Anganwadis

• Initiate a PTA election awareness campaign in the project villages to ensure election of active community members in PTAs

Inclusive Education

• Identification of Persons with Disabilities through a survey in project area

• Linkages with government for treatment and therapy

• Assessment camps in the project area

• Assuring that all persons with disabilities and children with disabilities get disability certificates

• Provide assistance and awareness on certification for Persons with disabilities and other benefit schemes

• Training of teachers, ICDS workers, Dais (mid wives) and parents on developing skills in handling children with disabilities and early detection of disabilities

• Capacity building of all project staff members on issues of disability

Women's Empowerment and Education

• Promote self-help activities among women

• Skill development training for Self Help Groups and linkages with financial institutions

• Income generation activities for Self Help Groups

• Orientation of women in governance and Panchayat Raj issues

• Exposure of women to make them aware of similar initiatives elsewhere

• Health education for women and adolescent girls

• Feasibility study to assess the potentials for livelihoods opportunities

Success Stories

Honest effort for noble cause

Lalpuria, a village situated at 25-Kms away from Khilchipur block of Rajgarh district and 13-Kms away from main road, near river Newaj. This village looks really away from mainstream world. The village has only 30 houses scattered in three small groups and had no school building for children. 

The school activities were running at Chaupal (an open common forum in village) where villagers used to sit and idle around. Generally maximum activities revolve around Chaupal in villages and Lalpuria was no different. Due to these activities, children were not able to concentrate on their studies hence education process of children suffered a lot. Villagers had no idea about the distraction they were causing and how it was affecting children's studies. These villagers had no one to make them understand this problem. In year 2002 project UDAN started its intervention in this village. The first problem identified was to bring these villagers divided into three groups together, which project did successfully. 

They formed Self Help Group and reorganized Parents and Teacher's Association (PTA) and started working towards development of school. After discussion, they selected a place in the center of the village for school. Community members prepared a place for students to study without any distractions and later built a shed in the same place by contributing in labor and in kind. Not only this they brought shrubs from forest to make a boundary for school and planted some plants to make school environment safe and pleasant.

Once the school started functioning well the Self Help Group members realized that children are facing problem of drinking water in absence of water body in or around school. Self Help Group members motivated all parents to send their children with clean drinking water bottles. Gradually Self Help Groups members started working for the development of school premises. They regularly monitor and assess the requirements of school. 

Now children have a place to call 'School' where they go and learn their lessons happily. But there still was a big question of how to regularize the absentee students. Children go for cattle grazing or farming at noon and therefore they had to miss their school. Looking into the problem, PTA decided to shift the school timings from noon to morning, so that the children can attend the school and at the same time their work of cattle grazing and farms do not get affected. They shifted time to 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in morning at the place of 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Presently community is still contributing for school premises development. To make school premises attractive community has also installed a swing in the play area with 30% financial contribution.

The 100% result in 5th board exams 2004-05 is the outcome of the honest efforts of Self Help Group members.