Vidya

Project Brief:
Project Type: Non-Formal Educational Centers (description)
Primary Focus: girls (description)

Secondary Focus: health and cleanliness

Area: Urban
Supporting Chapter Contact: Silicon Valley
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Venkatesh Iyengar
Project Partner(s):
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , ,,,
DELHI 
Tel:
Stewarding Chapter: Silicon Valley
Dec 2001Silicon ValleyUSD 4000
Dec 1999Silicon ValleyUSD 4000

Total = $8000

This particular project proposal is regarding one Pre-school centre (creche) and one Women's Educational centre. VIDYA runs a number of such pre-school and women's educational centres.
The Pre-school (Creche) programme was first established in IIT Labour Camp, in response to the needs of mothers involved in the women's education programme. It's mission is to emancipate women, to motivate parents to educate their children, and to introduce pre-school children to a learning environment. Today there are creches in Labour Camp, Ber Sarai slum, Shaheed Bhawan slum, RK Puram Sector III slum and Pappan Kalan.

The Women's education programme, called Ekta, operates in three slums. A formal curriculum is provided by the National Literacy Mission Programme; a three book, nine month course which teaches literacy and numeracy to class V proficiency. The programme also attempts to simultaneously engage the women in issues related to women's rights, health, environment, community and national festivals through discussions, creative activities and field trips.
VIDYA's mission :

* To educate and empower the underprivileged through integrated methods,
to initiate and implement progressive social changes.
* To offer opportunities to underprivileged ccommunities of Delhi's slums,
education, an opportunity to earn, and better health, so that they and their
children can break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy, and have a fighting
chance to lead a better life.
* to act as a bridging institution between the rich and the poor, through volunteer
programmes to increase understanding and awareness.

VIDYA was begun by Rashmi Misra and a group of faculty wives from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi in 1985. It was their response to their observation that girls from these slums were being deprived of an education and being forced to assume the maternal domestic responsibilities of housekeeping and caring for their siblings whilst their parents worked. From this humble beginning - 15 girls learning Hindi and English and maths on Rashmi's lawn - VIDYA has grown, continuing to support those members of society traditionally neglected in many different ways.