Asha for Education P.O. Box 322 • New York • NY 10040-0322
TM www.ashanet.org
6 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT Please send fill out this form and send back to Asha for Education within 3 weeks from the time you receive this form. Thank you for your time and patience.
PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM AND MAIL IT TO: _MS.Anushila mahalanobis _Project steward, projects build of Pasumai trust, ASHA FOR EDUCATION, Houston chapter, USA. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________
CONTACT INFORMATION Name of the organization PASUMAI TRUST Organization description _Pasumai trust is a voluntary Non for Profit social development organization
Date of establishment
14.05.1993
Contact person(s)
K.Murthy
Phone number
9443340137
Email
[email protected] Address
No.10, Siruthondan 1st cross street. P.H.Road, Manavala Nagar, Thiruvallur District, Postal code: 602002, Tamilnadu, India.
Location (village/town)
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Description of area Pasumai trust build project working area is situated 40 km away from Chennai Metro city. Most of the brick kiln industries situated in Poonamalli Taluk of Thiruvallur district, Tamilnadu, India.
STATISTICS Number of children currently enrolled in the project: of 3-5, total children covered: 214
155 in the age of 6-14 and 59 in the age
Ages of the children _6 to 14 & 3-5 Standards taught _1st to 8th Number of boy’s ___84 &29 Number of girl’s ___71 & 30 Number of teacher’s ___5 Number of MALE teacher’s ___0 Number of FEMALE teacher’s ___5 Current Teacher/student ratio ___1:40 Salary of Teachers ___Rs.4000/- for senior teacher Rs.3000/- for junior teachers.3 senior teachers + 2 junior teachers. School timings __10AM to 4 PM School days __Weekly 5 days from Monday to Friday. Over all school attendance percentage 175 Medium of instruction _Tamil and English ___________________________________________________________________________________ Economic background of the parents of the children. The families migrating to brick kiln chambers
in Poonamallee Block of Thiruvallur districts are mostly agricultural workers from Villupuram District. Their life has been shuttled between 2 districts in the Northern Tamil Nadu July to December, during monsoon they stay at their native and tolling in their agricultural land for sustenance. Nest six months Jan- June they migrate opt Thiriuvllur with their children for work in Brick kiln by receiving advance from the agent of the Brick kiln owners. Nearly 20% of the families are having lands in their native
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place. However due to drought and increase in input cost of Seeds, fertilizer and low price for agricultural products etc, the farmers are unable to invest in Agriculture. Drought has very serious human implications as it affects the livelihood security of the population. The majority of the population, which depends on the monsoon for livelihood, has only become more vulnerable with poor coping mechanisms. The government subsidies are also inadequate. The status of landless agricultural laborers is even worse than those have lands, the monsoons failed to arrive in time, and when they did were woefully inadequate, causing extensive damage to agricultural production and rural livelihoods in the District.
Gadilam River which flows through Thirkovilur Taluk, Malattar River which joins Gadilam before flowing into the Bay of Bengal, Pennar River which flows through Thirukovilur and villuppuramTaluks, Sankaranparnai River which rises in Gingee Taluk and flows through Villupuram Taluks are the main rivers flowing through the District. The rivers are only seasonal and none of them is perennial. These rivers could not be used for irrigation purpose to the expected level because of low precipitation. The agricultural lands in villupuram districts are depend on the Sathanur Dam in Tiruvannamalai district, if this dam is dried due to decreasing flow in the rivers all the agricultural land are affected. Even during the monsoon season July-Dec, due to no rain, families are unable to cultivate only food grains, and every members of the family learns to sleep several nights a month on an empty stomach and this deprivation continues unremittingly until the next harvest. They survive by migrating to distant places, for work in brick kilns or as construction workers. Widespread under nutrition and main nutrition still prevail, largely because of the lack of adequate purchasing power in families possessing no assets such as land or livestock or fishponds or trees for majority of the population. Access to common resources is denied to dalit families due to explorative structure of caste system prevail in the villages, Even under Public Distribution system nearly 200 families in each village have no access. They are denied ration cards due to their seasonal migration to Thiruvallur District. Hence they depend on the food grains they obtain from their own land and landless laborers depend on the outside market. The per capita availability of arable land and of irrigation water is going down year after year. At the same time, problems of pests and diseases and soil degradation are growing. And cropping pattern had been changed from food oriented crops to cash crops. Further the district has got vast track of lands cultivating sugarcanes nearby Sugar Mills run by Government are procuring those sugarcanes through co-operatives. For the past 3 years the farmers are not received their price for the procurement from the government. Hence production gone down and the sugarcane workers and small farmers
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are increasingly migrating to other cities in search of employment with their families. Majority of them are engaged in bondage at the Brick kilns of Thiruvallur district. Under the prevailing conditions where trade is becoming free and not fair, the international prices of food grains is going up enormously when India enters the world market for the purchase of large quantities of food grains. The poor are suffer more, because of high prices and increasing unemployment. 90 per cent of the population, particularly the poor, earns their livelihoods directly or indirectly from agriculture. Hence, inadequate attention to agricultural intensification diversification and value addition result in an increased number of women and men lacking secure livelihoods and their survival is at stake.
Is the school in a rural or urban area _Rural area. Is it a residential school? __Non residential school How far away are the homes of the children? _average __half kms How do the children get to school? __Children come to school by walk. School days _ 5 days in a week. FCRA Number: ___076020051
Below are some general questions regarding the project. Since your feedback is valuable to us, please make your answers as detailed as possible. Please tell us the progress of the school in the last 6 months (usually from April to September of the current year based on typical April 1 – March 31 school year in India)
Actually we conduct school from January to June 6 months because this month’s only children stay here in brick kiln chambers. From July to December children go to their native villages where in Viluppuram and others districts. So we go to those districts to follow up children and monitoring the continuation of their education in government primary schools. We made follow up visits during July to December 2010. And we have started our bridge schools from February month because all children came and settled in brick kilns after pongal festival in January 2011.
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Details of the bridge schools S Location of the No bridge schools
1 2 3 4
Kannadapalayam Nemam Pudhuchathiram ( Saibala Chamber) Rajankuppam Total
School age (6-14) Children Boys Girls
Preschool children Total
Boys
Girls
Total
30 16 16
25 6 22
55 22 38
8 9
9 13
17 22
22 84
18 71
40 155
12 29
08 30
20 59
Introduction: PASUMAI Trust, has conducted baseline detailed individual survey on the reasons for not sending their wards to the schools, they are drop outs, or attained eligible ages, and found the parents are willing to support their children studies, however, the location of the brick kilns chambers, and the schools location, distance between these two locations, risks of children in the alien village to travel and return safely crossing busy four lane new high ways, etc. However, they expressed their willingness to send their children to schools if the location of the said schools will be within few yards from their locations. That is why the bridge schools have been inaugurated and being run at these 4 locations where the eligible and children drop outs are in good numbers.
Kannadapalayam School: This school has been inaugurated on February 7, 2011. Sekar Mohan and Kamadhenu brick kiln chambers owners, came forward to support the running of the bridge schools to benefit the children of their workers. Sekar Mohan Brick kiln Chamber owner donated Rs.2000/- per month, for the past 2 months, while Kamadhenu chamber owner donated Rs.1500/- per month for the past 2 months. These donations supported us to provide the children the noon meals without any hardships.
Puduchathriam Saibala brick kiln School
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On March 3, 2011, bridge school has been inaugurated.The brick kiln chambers are located in between Nemam and Puduchathiram Panchayats, the children at these chambers are not getting admissions in any of the Government schools. The parents hesitating to send children to schools crossing the busy four lanes Thirupathy and Chennai National Highways. Hence, the school has been started in a building premises owned by the Sai bala brick kiln chambers The children of the workers from the two brick kiln chambers viz. Sai Bala and Balakirshna are attending the school. Sai Bala and Balakrishna owners came forward; together they supported the children at this school with educational materials, school stationeries. Besides these support, the owners are providing one packet of biscuits per child instead of providing lunch daily basis. Nemam School The owner, of the Vigneshwar Chambers, donated the school going children of their workers, by distributing note books, school stationeries, school bags, and other educational materials to facilitate the bridge school successfully for the children of workers belong to their chamber. Since the Government Primary School, is located nearby their brick kilns, Vigneshwara and Pavani chambers, the parents are sending their children to the school without any hesitation .Ms.Radha Teacher is facilitating the education of these children. Totally 21 children attended regularly in this school. We have succeeded in getting the educational materials from SSA officials to the children who study at this school. Rajankuppam School In this school situated in MSD brick kiln owned building in Rajankuppam village. This is our 7 years old school. This year we started classes on February 7 th 2011.We only provided biscuit and bananas to children in this school. Because owner was not supported us to provide midday meals.
How do you think the school has improved in the last 6 months? Evaluation of the students/ children: The children were given white blank sheets and asked to write whatever they know. Then we divided them into 3 groups based on their outputs as follows: Group 1: Children who do not know write or read Group 2: Children who identify the letters, numbers and can read and write with difficulty. Group 3: Children who are able to read and write.
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Based on their situation and level, the training has been started and the teachers train the children as per their standard and level using ABL (Activity Based Learning) cards and imparted Tamil, English, Mathematics, Environment Science and Civics, Drawing and Games and Songs.
Tamil: Cards such as bull card, arrow card, triangle card, squirrel card, lion card, elephant card, Tiger Card were utilized to train and educate the children. As a result of these trainings and education, the children now become able to read and write the alphabets, consonants, vowels successfully. Also the children are now able to evolve and tell, stories by watching pictures, forming sentences, joining words, dividing and writing the conjoint words, telling the meaning of the word, matching the words appropriately, and recite poems and songs. These skills are possible out of the sustained trained education and involvement of the children themselves. English: Road Roller, tractor, aero plane, , bus, train motor cycle, baby walker, lorry cards, bullock cards parachute card , bicycle cards were used to impart English and train their children in English.
The result is the children are now able, to write English Alphabets, read the alphabets (capital and small letters), finding out the missing letters, telling two and three letters. For e.g. it, to, of, is, by, and was, ant, bat, egg, bag, etc. In English the children are now able to count 1 to 100 successfully and also write these numbers in English. The children are now able to tell the names of the fruits, birds, animals, vegetables, flowers, and parts of the human body besides telling the English poems successfully.
Mathematics: Crow cards, birds’ cards, cock cards, peacock cards, duck cards and other cards have been utilized. The children learnt to write down the numerals, and spell the numeral correctly after identifying correctly. The children learnt to do sums, multiplication, division and subtractions from single to three digits numbers. The addition and multiplication tables have been learnt by the children during these periods. Also they learnt ascending, descending, missing numbers identification successfully. The children are being given training to count the numbers in reverse orders and also in normal orders, that is 1 to 100, and 100 to 1 etc these exercises are also in writing too. Crow cards are being largely used to do the exercises, of addition, subtraction, etc. Environmental Science:
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The children are being taught about the oneself and his or her relation with others, others doing different occupations, viz. mason, carpenter, driver, scavenger, farmer, electrician, teachers, scientists, leaders, doctors, police etc. How these people contribute and serve their own people and interdependency of each other explained. The children learnt the following, Types of houses, each one value and benefits during different seasons, materials that are being used in building houses. Kinds of birds, animals, and small living organisms, their relevance to the existence of human beings, and harmful living beings, their physical structure, food habits, life cycle, their dwellings. Poems or songs Mouth cards, rabbit cards, being used to train the children in songs and poems. Socially relevant songs were taught to the children to enhance their awareness thru the learning. Drawing pictures The children have been trained in drawing, painting, coloring the pictures with the pencil cards (ABL), and allowed to draw their own imaginary pictures and colors they like and appropriate. Games and group activities Plays and games using ABL Cards viz. banyan tree, monkey and squirrel cards have been played by the children with interest and involvement. The children also played and enjoyed sports activities such as kabbadi, kho-kho, hide and seek. Children share their experiences as follows We enjoy this school than our regular school, as the learning is playful and interesting to us. The teaching methods and approaches are quite different and positive to us. Parents share their opinions…. Our children are happy when they share with us all the learning that they have learnt in the bridge schools. They also share their own experiences with the children who are not attending schools or not enrolled and to witness these children experiences sharing is really interesting. We appreciate PASUMAI organization and their supporters for their support in opening up such schools to educate our children who we thought are going to end up as semi literates or non starters and become bonded laborers in brick kilns, now resuming their school education with your help and we express our sincere thanks. We request PASUMAI organization to open up schools to the children of migrant workers, working in brick kilns and other industries in the district and nearby.
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What are the problems you have faced in the last 6 months? We faced the problem that no proper school building for us. There are not available proper buildings in Most of the villages for rent. We have not own school building. Only government primary school available in all the villages but that is far away from children’s residents in brick kilns. Transport facilities have not available for these children. Walking is a very unsafe for children because any time Lorries transport going in to small road. There is no way to walk. And another main problem we faced that midday meals not provided for migrant children in government schools. Many times we were met district administration and we have given petition for seeking midday meals for migrant brick kiln children no improvement on this issue. This year we were planned to go to take fasting struggle with children for asking mid day meals and proper school education for these children. But here Tamilnadu assembly election declared. (March 1st to May 17th code of conduct by election commission) so police refused permission for fasting. How would you rate the overall effectiveness of this project over the past 6 months? We have effectively implemented this project for the past 6 months. Our staff team meets once in week and we planned and evaluated all our activities and further steps. We have good rapport with our children and parents in this period and we only taken innovative follow up visits Activity. We went long distance to Thirunelveli district for this 6 months period. And also government education department recognized us for our good conducting of bridge schools and enrollment in government schools for migrant children education. In February 2011 the Chief educational Officer SSA, visited our centre in Kannadappalayam and Education supervisor also visited every month. Our team also learned many things during this period from children and migrant workers and education official. We would like to continue our programme another 3 years for children education and we would like to use RTE Act as a tool for getting proper education to migrant children in coming years.
Please give examples of activities at the project in the last 6 months. Please give details.
Follow up visits have been done for fast four months from September to December in 2010.We made 4 follow up visits to Viluppuram and Thirunelveli district. We conducted first visit to villages like Ayanvelur, Kunamangalam,Athiyurthirukkai,Kandachipuram in Viluppuram district from 23.09.10 to 25.09.10. We met 25 families and 37 children. All children were reenrolled in the primary school by produced our transfer certificate. Parents were very happy about our follow up visits to their native villages. We also conduct meeting with all migrant brick kiln workers and discussed about their children education and getting enrolled in unorganized workers welfare board. People would like to getting membership and also enroll in the unorganized workers union. They told that, wages providing by owners is very low in now a days, prices increased in double. Brick price increased in double time. In 2009 3000 brick priced Rs.12, 000/- but in 2010 it was Rs.21, 000/-“they said.
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.We made our second visit to Sivagiri, Mugavur villages in Thirunelveli district on 12 and 13 of October 2010.Our main objective was to met family of Mr.Kuttythambi who was murdered by the brick kiln owner in our working area.Kuttithambi is 32 years of age and he was working in Veern chamber in fast 5 years as a maistry.He was got advance Rs.3 lakhs from his owner. And not return this money by way of booked workers and bring them to brick kiln for making brick. Due to this reason kuttithambi threatened by owner and kuttithambi went to his native village with his family wife and 2 children. Brick kiln owner are local panchayath president and local political party man. So that he went to Sivagiri village with his gang and with the support of local police kidnapped Kuttithambi to Brick kiln area in Thiruvallur district. And done torched several days finally murdered by owner. Case has been booked that suicide kuttithambi by himself. We went to met police inspector and asked FIR copy and some basic questions about kuttithambi death. But police do anger with us .Not given any documents. We met kuttithambi family and relatives in Sivagiri village. Relatives and co workers conformed that this was a murder. But his wife was torched by local police so that she was not ready to come to file a case against chamber owner. We said, we will support you for conduct this case in Chennai high court by our expenses for getting compensation to children under the workman compensation act. Because strong evidence is there through news paper report about Kuttithampi death. But kuttithambi wife was refused our help because fear of their brick kiln owner. And we met 25 families during our visits. And all children were continued their school those who was studied in our bridge school in brick kiln. th
th
Workshop on Rights of children, free and compulsory Education Act 2009 The Government of India has passed the RTE act in the parliament in 2009 and it was published in the gazette with effect from 1.04.2010. And it was said that rules for this act should be framed by all the state governments. So that the Tamilnadu government was not enact such a rules after its six months fast. So the civil society organization will have to take this issue .Unicef was organized 2 days workshop for all Ngo’s and civil society organization in Chennai. I was participated in this workshop and I was taken responsibility to conduct workshop in Thiruvallur district. UNICEF was agreed to support part of the budget for this workshop and they were sanctioned Rs.1, 60,000/- for this workshop. We have been conducted 2 days workshop on behalf of Pasumai trust and Campaign against Child Labour (CACL) on 7, 8 September 2010 at Balavhihas Kendra at Thiruninravur near Thiruvallur for Ngo’s, trade union, teachers union and local body members. Totally 60 participants were participated in this workshop.RTE act briefly taken and model rules were enacted by all participants. The participants came and participated from remote location around the district of Thiruvallur.Our pasumai trust staff team (Teachers) were also participated in this workshop and they learned about RTE ACT. The main provision there in this act for migrant children and out of school children that, all migrant and out of school children will be enrolled in neighborhood school and School Management Committee will take responsibility for continue this children education.
BRIGDE SCHOOL FOR BRICK KILN CHILDREN We are conducting bridge school for migrant children. We have started these schools in February first week. We have been started these schools in three places and we have been enrolled children in government primary school in Nemam village and our teacher covering this children in that
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school. This teacher was appointed us in this school in January 2010.and continuing for taking class for these children. And we have given details and progress for these schools.
Brick kiln workers organizing and got registration in welfare board. We have been enrolled 55 brick kiln workers in government welfare board through our unorganized workers union. And also we were applied and got benefited educational assistant (cash scholarship) for 15 brick kiln workers and 10 construction workers from Tamilnadu government welfare board for unorganized workers. Totally Rs.80, 000/- have been received from the board for the workers daughter’s and son’s education in 10 th and 12th passed. We have also created awareness among brick kiln migrant workers about minimum wages for brick kiln workers, legal rights and G.O.75. For food grains supply (Ration) for migrant workers in working places.
Please explain how Asha funds were used in the last 6 months.
. Amount spent during the period from July 2010 to December-10 1.4 teachers + 3 staff salary total for 6 months = 1, 48,700.00 2. Travel expenses for 7 persons = 14,577.00 3. Follow up visits to other district Travel, food and accommodation = 34,230.00 4. Office rent = 18,400.00 5. Office maintenance Cleaning sweeper wages = 1,800.00 6. Staff meeting expenses Weekly meetings = 5,889.00 7. Communication Telephone charge with internet = 14,110.00 8. Printing, stationery = 2,042.00 9. Auditor fees for accounts auditing 2009-10 = 3,000.00 10. Bank charges for money transfer from ICICI to PASUMAI A/C = 214.00 11. CACL (Campaign against Child labour) programme expenses Children Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act -2009 workshop conducted. = 20,000.00 --------------------Total Expenses = 2, 62,952.00
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---------------------Total amounts received from Asha = 4, 04,920.00 Total amounts spent up to Dec-10 (-) = 2, 62,952.00 --------------------Total balance amounts as on 31.12.2010 = 1, 41,968.00 ------------------------
January -2011 Expenses Teachers salary senior animators 3 person x 4000/Junior Animators 2 person x 3000/Staff salary- Accountant 1 + union organizer 1 Rs.4500+6000/Programme coordinator salary Salary total
= = =
12,000.00 6,000.00 10,500.00
= 9,000.00 ----------------------------------------= 37,500.00 ----------------------------------------
Work responsible for Union organizer – organizing brick kiln workers us union and enroll them in to brick kiln workers welfare board constituted by government of Tamilnadu.And getting educational assistance ( aid) for workers children studying 10th std and above. And accidental benefit, Maternity benefit etc.
2. Travelling expenses for 5 teachers& programme coordinator 3. Office rent 4. Communication Internet + phone charges 5. Office maintenance 6. Stationery 7. Staff meeting expenses weekly meetings on Saturdays Tea snacks
=
2,156.00 =
4,000.00 = 1,409.00 400.00 = 282 .00 = 529.00 -----------------Travel & maintenance expenses total = 8,776.00
-----------------Total expenses spent per month for all expenses. 46,276.00 We have spent Rs. 1, 38,828/- up to March 2011. Previous balance as on 31.12.2010 Rs.1, 41,968/- and amount Spent during January to March 2011, RS.1, 38,828/- balance available as on 31st March-11, RS.3, 140/-. We have no funds from April for the project expenses.
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Is there any other feedback you would like to provide to Asha for Education?
We would like to share that our working area is very challenging because migration. Our programme is not only school for migrant children in one area but we like to implement proper sustainable full time school for all migrant brick kiln children in our working area through government education department this will only sustainable for more than 80,000 children in brick kiln industries. Our project is model and resource centre for government and other NGO’S. And we need adequate funds for implement this project. We would like to ask Asha that you can help us full budgeted amount rising from any other chapter and head chapter of Asha. Here all prices and Petrol prices increased and our teachers expect salary increasing every year and senior teachers have been asked welfare benefit for their future.( Bonus or insurance or monthly savings etc) 4 teachers are working fast 8 years in this project in Asha Chennai chapter they provide 13 months salary for their teachers. We also put 13 months salary in our budget but we have not enough funds to provide it to our teachers. And we would like to evaluate our project impact in the end of 10th year in August 2012 through external evaluator. And we are sharing our happiness and thanks to Asha team for continue supporting us to achieve rights of the needy children.
Please send fill out this form and send back to Asha for Education within 3 weeks from the time you receive this form. Thank you for your time and patience.
Your Signature K.MURTHY
Your Name Printed 16.05.2011
Date
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