MINORITY EDUCATION FOR GROWTH

MINORITY EDUCATION FOR GROWTH AND ADVANCEMENT- SKILLS FOR YOUTH

SUPPORTED BY- EDC, DELHI

Background:

The “Minority Education for Growth and Advancement- Skills for Youth”(MEGA-SkY) began in June 2010 and is funded by USAID, EDC-Delhi for activities in Varanasi at Arajiline block. The MEGA component of MEGA-SkY takes place within the context of growing efforts by key stakeholder groups to provide Muslim children with access to quality education environments in schools and madarsa. Widespread poverty, language barriers, and social discrimination prevent many poor Muslim children from enrolling in formal schools or lead to their early dropout. In addition, education provided is not often adequate to make them employable. Therefore, improving quality education opportunities for Muslim children is high on the government agenda.

Objectives:

• To improve the quality of formal education offered in informal schools teachin children of disadvantaged minority communities.
• To create a favorable environment for minority children, especially girls, in regular schools to enable them to complete their schooling with dignity,
• To offer access to quality education to minority children through alternative non-formal option.
• To link the education provided to marginalized children with livelihood opportunities through skills training and pre-vocational interventions.
• To create and environment of collaboration among organizations working in minority education and establish linkages with government schemes.

Major activities:

1. Enrollment of Muslim Children into formal schooling through schools/madrassas/after school coaching/bridge courses:

In the continuation of MEGA-SkY project and implementing the vital activities to provide education with mainstreaming to the children of minority community, the achievement of the project up to now is given below..

Increasing access to mainstream education up to now total 10 Madarsa covered and through it up to now total 389 children in which 175 boys and 214 girls were newly enrolled for the first time, 300 children in which 150 girls & 150 boys are getting educational support through Support Coaching centre and 90 children in which 56 boys & 34 girls of Vth standard are receiving education to dropout prevention through transition preparedness. In such a way up to now total 1487(girls- 781 & boys-706) are getting educational benefit through 10 various Madarsa with MEGA support.

2. Drop out prevention through transition preparedness from 5^th to 6^th and 8th to 9^th standard: Increasing access to mainstream education through schools: Now instead of 5 primary schools the project is covering 10 primary schools after starting the extra coaching for the children of Vth standard in the 10 villages of the project area. In such a way during this reporting quarter total 186 children of Vth standard is being covered through the extra coaching under the new concept of Muhim Qamayabi Ki.

     In the same way 15 children of Vth standard of various private schools is being taught   through Muhim Qamayabi Ki. In such a way total 201 children of Vth standard is being taught.

3. Formation of C.S.G.:

Project staffs formed community support groups in every village where Tarakki centre is running. Each group has 12 to 15 members. The C.S.G. meets once in a month and supports various vital issues like basic education, child rights and livelihood opportunities. Our staffs and C.S.G is sensitizing the local community members to send their children in school and Madarsa.One day C.S.G orientation: One day orientation program of community support group was organized at block office of the project area. In it not only the members of community support group but also volunteers, other active member of the community, management committee of Tarakki centre and project staff took participate. The trainer was Mr. Amarnath Rai. In such a way total 104 (71 female & 33 male) participated in it.

5. Mission Campaign to suceess( Muhim Qamayabi Ki)

With a great enthusiasm, the Muhim Qamayabi ki started in 10 villages of the project area providing the extra tutorial support in specific subjects like English, Math and Science to the weak and targeted group children. One part time teacher was hired for teaching the children at every place where the MQ is being run.  Each and every part timer is teaching the children for 3 hours daily with his best efforts. In it not only the children of primary school but also the children of Madarsa and private school is coming and getting benefit through the best education material used by the teachers. In such a way total 291(Girls- 178 & Boys-113) children of 10 villages is the beneficiary. The brief status of MQ is given below.

6. Establishment of Tarakki center:

In the continuation of MEGA-SkY project, 5 Tarakki centre has been conducting with success and achieving target to provide the formal education to the target groups. Volunteers are playing their role best for imparting education to the never school going, drop out and out of school youth.

Review and Planning activities:

Monthly meeting with all staff:

In the third quarter of the reporting period total three monthly meeting with MEGA staff has been organized at the block office of the project area. During it, they discussed their monthly progress and achievement regarding the project’s goal and objectives. They shared their challenges also with the block coordinator. They also submitted their monthly progress report. They prepared their plan for the further activity.

Quarterly Review and Planning activities: In this quarter of the reporting period quarterly review and planning meeting has been organized in the field at each 5 Tarakki centers with various participants. In these meetings not only the volunteers of Tarakki centre but also the youth volunteers, Madarsa/ Tarakki center’s active management committee, member of community support groups, and other active personality of the village and community who gave their time fully or partially to the project participated with their views, opinions and true experiences. During it, the progress and achievement of the project in the intervened area was discussed separately with the challenges. All participants expressed their own views and difficulties in the field. The director Dr. Rajnikant took a session of the candidate and reviewing the last quarter activities he gave his valuable input for the next quarter with new energy.

Capacity building activities Exposure Visit:

In the tradition of enhancing the capacity of the volunteers, Madarasa head and the staff, EDC organized two days learning trip for them at Bodhshala, Jaipur from 31^st march to 1^st February, 2011. In that trip total 10 participants participated and benefited with new innovative learning.

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