Adhikar

Project Brief: Non-Formal Education Centers (15) for children from tribal and scheduled cast communities
Project Type: Non-Formal Educational Centers (description)
Primary Focus: other (description)

Secondary Focus: to go to formal school

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: DC
Status: completed - sustainable
Project Steward: Mona Sehgal
Project Partner(s): Mona Sehgal
Other Contacts: Kamala Raman
Project Address: , 192 Dharma Vihar,,Khndagiri,,Chandanhandi block, Bhubaneswa,
ORISSA  751030
Tel: (91) 0674 - 2351051
Stewarding Chapter: DC

Asha Stars, if any:

Kamala Raman

Oct 2004DCUSD 2832
Oct 2004DCUSD 4168
Jun 2003DCUSD 5000
Oct 2002Work an HourUSD 5000

Total = $17000

15 Non Formal Education centers in 13 Gram Panchayats in Chandanhandi block of Nawrangpur district of Orissa. The project is expected to benefit approximately 420 children. This area is predominated by tribals and schedule cast people, and has the lowest literacy level in the state. The centers were started in 1996 with government funding, but financial assistance was suddenly withdrawn in March 2001 due to lack of state resources. Since then, about 20 centers out of 50 have continued operation, albeit irregularly.

Adhikar has requested funding for 15 centers that are the strongest and most promising. There are sound indications of community involvement such as: all teachers are local, most classes are conducted in the teacher�s house or rooms dedicated by villagers, local community has been contributing basic school supplies, etc. However, the villages in which the NFE centers operate are extremely poor.
The objectives of this project are:
- To promote universal enrolment and retention of children of 6-14 years age group in the operational area.
- To help improve the quality of education through relevance of curriculum, diversity in learning activities and innovative methodologies and materials.
- To create a learning climate by involving local community, parents and formal school teachers.
- To cater to the learning needs of the girls, children from SC, ST and economically weaker sections of society.
ADHIKAR started its operation in Bhubaneswar slums. But at present its activities are spread over four districts namely Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack and Nawaranghpur in Orissa covering 10 blocks. It has also covered the earthquake-affected areas of Gujarat. Since its inception, Adhikar has undertaken a number of projects responding to various problems. Simultaneously, Adhikar has established its own identity over these years in the area of voluntary movement.
To ensure practical applicability of the mission and vision and make the marginalized people to arrive at a new horizon of development, ADHIKAR has chalked out the following strategies.

� Preparing a band of active and effective village cadres and women SHG leaders for working out better development policy.

� To facilitate access of the downtrodden people to formal financial sector as well as government machinery.

� To ensure in timely and accessible justice for the poor people especially women living in rural and urban areas.

� To create ample scope for the poor especially the women in Micro Finance sector through developing an alternative model.

� Fact-finding and documentation on the violation of socio-economy and political rights of people in general.
Project Administrator: Mr. Mohammad N. Amin
Email: adhikar@satyam.net.in