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Keywords
government schools, urban, poor, deprived, balwadis, slums, women, empowerment, micro-credit, livelihood, health government schools, urban, poor, deprived, balwadis, slums, women, empowerment, micro-credit, livelihood, health
Geographical Location
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Languages
Hindi, English
Philosophy/Beliefs
We are a group of people who believe...
- In the inherent capacities of people to take decisions appropriate for themselves.
- In people's right to develop and express them selves by accessing opportunities equitably (irrespective of caste, class, sex etc.) and attain an optimal quality of life.
- Our role lies in providing an environment whereby people and particularly children have opportunities for enhancing oneself, and confidence to access these opportunities.
- There is a process of teaching and learning in which the teacher and the learner are 'live' participants of education.
- The teaching and learning is on various aspects that help the student to grow towards a more effective and productive person for himself and people in his reference.
- Definite components of this interchange should be literacy and academic progress which are attained through being oneself, with oneself and with others and exploring towards using the potential each one of us are inbuilt with.
- Provide education for the deprived children, with opportunities for growing up emotionally strong and secure, capable of choosing and pursuing goals in life with vigor, creativity and responsibility.
- Create an environment for the slum dwelling poor communities and specific vulnerable groups within them, through and in which they can negotiate their rights and access opportunities for their growth in an equitable manner.
Work Description
We are working in six slums of the city, towards providing opportunities of growth and development amongst children who are in deprived circumstances and in a situation of labour (at home or outside). We believe that love, trust and acceptance are the premises of any meaningful education, and these needed to be built into our package of enhancing the ability to read and write. Our activities with children take shape through slum-based education centres, workshops and fun trips to developing meaningful and sensitive relationships with children; providing academic inputs through child-centered and activity-based methods of teaching; and enhancing creativity, confidence and inculcate habits of self-learning in children
We have tried to integrate children in the formal schools and support them in every way so that children are able to adjust to formal school requirements. However based on our experiences with schools (public and private) our directions of work has changed to strengthen government schools and start an education centre for children who are not part of the school system so that they can learn in a more natural and empathetic environment, and give the certified examinations directly.
We have started a residential facility for (very selected) children whose studies are being interrupted due to several uncontrollable reasons (adolescent girls facing pressures of marriage/ young children having to earn for the whole family/children of migrating families). Interaction with the children and a constant exposure to the hardships the communities has resulted in an increased response to other concern areas in slums, especially health, livelihoods and savings.
Health - We are building linkages with affordable health care providers for curative treatment, and to enhance preventive health care (hygiene, vaccinations, supplements, basic nutrition). Workshops with adolescents and young couples are carried out on a periodic basis for a conscious awareness of their own health and personal interactions.
Livelihoods - Enterprise management capacities of women in one slum have grown through the growth of a broom production unit. From a group of 3 - 4 women in early 2002, this has grown to 40 women in the slum who are involved in the production and marketing of the brooms. Capacities to manage accounts and stock-keeping are being built.
Savings - A savings group amongst women was initiated out of the jhaadu group in Ganga Nagar slum. This has spread to other bastis, so that women are able to have more control on their household earnings. It has also helped them to combat the high degree of interest bound indebtedness to some extent.
Resources Available
Learning aids, training and consulting resources (issues related to elementary education, art and craft activities, urban poverty, vulnerability assessment of slums, gender), documentation.
Contact Information
Shivani Taneja
14 Nadir Colony
Shamla Hills, Bhopal
Madhya Pradesh 462013
Phone: (0755) 274 9446