Muskan
BACKGROUND-
The carpet and Varanasi sari industries are spread in vast stretches in urban and rural areas of Varanasi and its surrounding districts employing a very big majority of child labour. Through its fund Goodweave reached the children of the “Last Mile” in the rural and urban areas of the oldest living city of the world and its surrounding districts Goodweave brought welfare oriented initiatives which support them and establishes preventive measures to restrict movements of children at risk to the carpet making looms. The minority muslim and dalits who are unable to participate in welfare schemes returns to mainstream of development through Goodweave. HWA is utilising Goodweave’s grant for good causes like – Sanitation and Hygiene practices, Awareness & Sensitization as well as Capacity Building of Staff, Community Volunteers and school going children and youth especially young girls who were overlooked by the government.
Goals and Expectation:
Original goals and expectation of Goodweave grants are to –
- Generate awareness about child labour and child right issues, basic education as fundamental rights in the region amount the employers of children, the parents, child labours, community leaders, school going children, openion leaders, social activist and the like.
- To support educational centre and materials to the poorest selected project school for mainstreaming are situated at Mirzamurad, Dudhawa, and Chowki (Kapsethi).
- Forming Child Right Forum in the project area school in structured manner for their rights and voice.
- To provide trainings on quality education, joyfull learning and child rights issues to the teachers in selected schools.
- To involves all the stakeholders in the process of development in the surroundings.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES
BASE LINE SURVEY:
The project conducted base line survey caring the objectives of the project and covered 10 villages under it.
OUTCOME:
After baseline survey and regular visit of the project area HWA found that there are a very big majority of child labor employing in carpet weaving sector. They labor back breaking for 10 to 14 hrs a day. The hard labor of child labor causes several diseases and mal nutrition. –
Enrolments Campaigns:
Facilitators, Motivators are regularly doing enrolment campaigns to motivate children enrolment into NFE centre for elementary education and occupational opportunities.
Door to door sensitization
Staff & volunteers are conducting door to door awareness campaigns for promoting basic education with more occupational opportunities in future.
CSG Meeting: Project staff and Volunteers are regularly monitoring CSG meeting in project villages for discussing core issues like elementary education, child rights, and health and livelihood opportunities.
Awareness Rally:
Awareness rallies under project area are a regular activity in intervening villages. In rallies – kids holds written slogans in their hands and pronouncing it. Slogans are best on child rights, human trafficking and right to education.
Wall Writing: Wall writing conducted at the surrounding areas of intervening villages, the messages are again trafficking and for inspiring people for schooling and protecting child rights.
Formation of Child Right Forum:
To form the child right forum, capacities building of staff were conducted in project area. Then after at every NFE centre, child right forum for leadership skill improvement and best use of child resource.
Community and External Relation:
On social issues like child rights, child labour and elementary education were build up with various religious leader, gram pradhan, head masters and teachers of govt. schools.
Challenges:
- Working with Muslims and Dalits who were over looked by government and welfare schemes are unable to participate in various programme such as education ,health, family welfare income generation and awareness .due to this a number of disparities cropped up a large number of people mainly weavers of the project area have been left behind from the mainstream of development working with such communities is itself a great challenge.
- Their motivation, livelihood activities and education to their kids was another challenge because majority of muslims and Dalits believes that Dini Talim learning of Urdu, Arbi and religious books are much significant than that of Duniavi Talim (Hindi, English, Maths, Science etc.)
- Base line survey, appointment of NFE centres staffs, place identification and launching of project in intervening villages were other challenges, because in begning some where community was not supporting and some where Madarsa committee has opposed us.
- Through rapport building and hard work of volunteers and staffs and community support Goodweave in large and HWA has gained he support and trust of the community.
Achievements –
Now the non school going children, potential child labour are getting education through the project, education centres, they have created positive learning environment in the surroundings. Total numbers of kids studying in these centers are 232 out of which there are 96 girls and 136 boys and 23 children enrolled in other schools through education enrolment campaign and awareness created by the local community, volunteers and project team.
Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation:
- For monitoring, learning and evaluation Project Director and Project Coordinator monitor the project in field at regular basis.
- Monthly meeting of the project staffs at organizational level conducted in even month to know about the progress of the project.
- Photo documentation of the project activities.
- Monthly report of kids and teachers attendance.
Community Contribution:
The community of project area is providing full and unconditional support to the program.
*Dudhawa & Mirzamurad: Here the community gave free of cost place to run the NFE center.
*Chowki (Kapsethi): here the community gave rent free place to run NFE center apart to that they also manage a piece of land to construct NFE center.
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