Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Gonwara (ASV)
Recent Major Updates
Please contact the chapter through the contact page for further details about the progress of the project.
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Mar 10, 2009: Advanced course in sewing to be started for women who graduated from the sewing center in December 2008.
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Feb 17, 2009: A motorbike was bought for the volunteers of the project through local funds raised and the personal contributions of members of Asha Philadelphia. The motorcycle will help the volunteers navigate the area when the season of floods comes by.
Feb 06, 2009: One of the girls who graduated from ASV in the school decides to join in as a part-time teacher and help other children. She is working under the ASV Gonwara framework now.
Jan 15, 2009: Exposure camp held. The children were taken on a tour of Patna with visits to museums, the local planetarium, libraries, etc.
Jan 06, 2009: Funds disbursed for the period January-June 2009 .
Dec 2008: First batch of women graduate from the sewing center.
Project Description
Asha Samajik Vidyalaya was started in December 2005 by an Asha volunteer with the objective of initiating the process of education among the Mushar and Chamar communities in a tola (hamlet) called Gonwara, in Samastipur district, Bihar. These Dalit communities are landless and most of them including children below the age of 14 work in brick kilns. Total population of this tola is about 300. The major issues are untouchability, exploitation, poverty, illiteracy and consequent lack of awareness. This project has identified education as one of the ways to empower these communities and bring them into the mainstream of society.
The main goal of the project is to create an interest in education and help the children in these communities to become part of the regular schooling system with the aid of community education centers. There are around 40 children (age range 3-14 years) who are currently enrolled in Asha Samajik Vidyalaya and the project team uses play and learn methods to teach the students. Children are learning to read and write in Hindi and basic English. They are also learning how to perform mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and also get opportunities for creative thinking using arts and crafts. The project is trying to enroll the students in government schools so that they can use government facilities like scholarships, mid day meals and free books. Initially Asha Philadelphia was supporting only the school in Gonwara, but it has extended support to two more centers in nearby areas. One is in Mahe and has 20 children of different castes and one at Denghrahi with 40 children of Mushar community.
The vision of the project is to use education as a tool to spread awareness about government facilities; raise issues of child labor, exploitation, low income etc.; and raise consciousness among the community members about their right to information - all as part of a much needed Jan Andolan (people's movement).
Project Summary
Main Poject Page on Asha-wide Database: http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=783
Project partner: Asha Samajik Vidyalaya (Gonwara)
Head: Manoj Kumar
Project Responsible:
- Manisha Joshi (Philadelphia)
- Maheshwar Lal (Philadelphia)
- Sumit Kumar (Philadelphia)
- Vallabh Pandey (Varanasi)
Address: Village/Post Mahe, Samastipur District, BIHAR, India 848208
Tel: 91-9931956501
Email: manoj81_asha AT yahoo DOT com
Project Components:
- 2 non-formal educational centers and 1 tuition center
- 4 teachers
- Flood relief activities (for details on 2008 flood relief activities visit:
- Sewing center for women
- Health camps
- Exposure trips for children
Primary Focus:
- Non-formal education for children of marginalized communities, especially Musahar and Chamar communities
- Right to information and social awareness activities (related to the education system, public distribution system, NREGA scheme, child labor issues etc.)
Secondary Focus: Integrating children into mainstream education system (nearby government school).
Area: Rural
Number of Children: 100
Number of Teachers: 4
Asha for Education @ Copyright 2008