Dates

Events

Third week of June 2002

Ms. Vijaya Ramachandran, (daughter of India’s former president Mr.R. Venkatramam), Facilitator, Jagriti Bal Vikas Samiti Lodhar Village (Kanpur), sent a proposal to Asha Chennai. Vijayaji is working with migrant labourers children and therefore fully aware of the enormous difficulties and road-blocks in the education of migrant labourers. We at Asha Chennai were jerked into studying a reality so close to home:  More than 80,000 children are working in brick industries near Chennai city alone. These children face a more difficult situation than child laborers in other industries because they are the children of migrant workers. They accompany their parents to the brick chambers and assist their parents in their work. Since their location changes, it is difficult for them to enroll in a full time school. They also face respiratory illnesses, malnourishment and dire living conditions. The website below describes the plight of these children in more detail.

http://www.ashanet.org/chennai/projects/build.htm

Last week of June 2002:

With amazing speed that the US end, D.P. Prakash got the project into asha-pwg.

1^st July 2002:

Vijayaji, Pasumai Trust Murthy, Lakshmi S met to discuss this project. Vijayaji felt we at Asha Chennai, with pedagogical inputs from Lakshmi and Olcott Memorial High School, and K. Murthy’s determination to help the brick kiln workers’ children we would be able to get ahead with such a challenge. She blessed the project, also explaining to us the immense difficulties along the path- the many failures and the small successes in the path for projects for children of migrant workers.

4^th July 2002

50% of the $6000 was in from

“an Asha phenomenon,- as he feels the pulse of India very quickly and moves like the Phantom - faster than the shadow. This is not the norm in Asha...but the news is one to rejoice alright.”-This is a quote from our emails

10^th  July 2002

Thanks to D.P.Prakash-NNV Prasad a civil engineer from IITM, joined in into Asha Chennai and took up stewardship from India side. Jebadurai, Asha Chennai’s new intern, supported him.

Two young volunteers- Vijay and Bhavna from Houston and Tokyo joined in so beautifully mentored by DP who helped them at every step to understand Asha and how things work here..

13^th July 2002

The project was approved in the worldwide telecon- a telecon that 13 Chennai and 6US members attended. Again DP’s effective coordination brought us all together.

3^rd, 4^th week July 2002

Discussion on similar projects-Vijay, Bhavna was very active digging up info.

NNV, Jeba, Lakshmi, Murthy K, DP, Bhavna, Vijay, Rajesh were having more discussions on how to go about the work. Chennai volunteers met at the brick kiln sites, in Besant Nagar. US and Chennai volunteers “met” over email.

28^th July 2002

Naming of the Project- by vote Build coordinated by Bhavna

from Build, CHECK (Child Help through Education Courage and Kindness), Rise High and High Rise.

15^th August 2002

Bhavna was ready with the web page on Build and we were already discussing the page. Vijay and Bhavna became Asha Stars, well mentored by DP.

23 August 2002

Visit to Cholai Bridge schools for quarry workers (Prasad, Lakshmi and Murthy K). This was to understand the impact of bridge schools, where children went to schools at different ages, bridged academic gaps and entered mainstream schools. We all saw the need of a health educator for the children and the families. Murthy was confident that he would be able to get enough support in this area from the Govt. Primary Health Centres and other NGOs like Rotary and Lions clubs.

Status of Project 9^th September 2002

Vijay did the consolidation in the following manner-

“The following is the status as of today-Project team identified, Initial proposal draft completed Initial site visit completed, Raised funds $3,600, Initial project website completed.

The following are action items that we have to focus on in order of priority- Determine short term (2 months, 6 months) and long term goals (5 years) (All), Project approval from Asha US chapter (Vijay), Finalize proposal (NNV), Upload pictures to web page (NNV, Bhavna) Determine short term and long term funding needs (All)”

We had a shared long-term vision -“Build a School/Educational Institute primarily for children of migrant workers with Hostel facility.”

Mid Sept 2002

MurthyK, Lakshmi, NNV, Jeba, Raja (an Asha scholar who was called in for his Tamil skills for drawing up the ads and assessing interview candidates’ written work) draw up plan of action for starting schools in January 2003.

28^th Sept 2002

Interview for selection of teachers (animators) at Pasumai Trust Office in Aranvayil (near the kilns). Murthy K. Lakshmi and Raja interviewed 17 candidates through written and oral means. Selected 11 candidates for training- of those who qualified after the practical training, 6 would be appointed and others kept on hold for contingencies arising due to resignations, future schools..

NNV, Harish, Anita. Jeba - Asha Chennai volunteers went to explore sites for the Build Learning Centres. (Schools)

October 16^th to24th 2002

Training program was conducted for the 11 Animators to get ready for the Brick-Kiln season to start when the workers arrive by January 2003. Selected the six top performers and kept 4 of them on hold. One candidate did not qualify.

November -December 2002

The Animators designate worked at making the required teaching aids, talking to the brick kiln owners along with Murthy K, for the sites for the Learning Centres.

The first activity was exciting and rewarding, the second frustrating.

3^rd December 2002

The phantom moved again with the remaining 50% funds- $3000. It is this phantom and the Asha stars that have made the Build Project Possible.

January 2003 to date

Schools have opened, children are learning, animators are working hard, more effective nutrition is being researched, Pasumai and Asha Chennai are working hard to match the budget and expenses, the more than expected number of children, their quick learning and demand for more learning material, nutrition. It is a wondrous exercise.

Dated 14^th April 2003

An Update on Project Build

(Yet to go up on the website)

The schools are functioning regularly.

Timings- full days: 9.30am to 3.30 pm; half days: 9.30am to 12.30pm

The schools work Monday to Saturday. Wednesdays and Saturdays are half days

The 6 teachers/animators meet for sharing, lesson planning on Wednesday afternoons.

Mr. Murthy K. the project coordinator is in close touch with Asha Chennai Build Focus Group.

 Children are enthusiastic about school. There is an increased demand from the teachers for notebooks and standard government textbooks.  Murthy K. is sensitive and gets these without delay. This indicates that some of the children are moving towards being able to use the standard textbooks J -cautious optimism.

The daily nutrition has moved from milk and bananas to Kanji. The children love the Kanji in its forms-mixed with milk and jaggery, salt and jaggery with a banana. The recipe for Kanji powder is a balanced combination of nutrients for healthy living along with the smell roasted grain and elaichi. The ragi in it causes slow and steady release of energy and therefore sustains children longer. The added nutrition for the cereal food will certainly help improve health. The Kanji powder is made for the week and delivered for the week, for the last two weeks. J J

Most children at Tamarai and Chembarathi are washed and neatly clad when they arrive. The children at Roja (school inside a brick kiln ground) are from deep South, Madurai district. They are really poor. do not even have sufficient clothes to change. At this centre we have additional helpers to bathe and comb the children who just run to school directly after helping on being with their mothers and hence are dusty and unkempt. This help is coming from to older girls who work in the kiln on a small payment. A helper teacher has been found from the neighbourhood to help with the diversity of levels of age and grasp so that the progress in literacy can happen. We are also collecting clothes for these children. J J

Only a few children who enrolled are not regular. There are a few cases of children who just come in once or twice a week, nothing that is unexpected.

We are all working in good faith for a better tomorrow.