MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:
-Education: Through its community based primary education programmes, ‘Khel se Mel’ has been implemented in 60 primary Schools which has created Effective Inclusion. In 20 primary schools, Classroom Teaching has shifted from rote methods to Activities Based Learning.
Through its community based supplementary education programme, 200 school students from 8th, 9th and 10th class received supplementary education and out of it 116 students got passed and enrolled in higher education.429 students undertook supplementary higher education classes and 412 students have completed higher education from XI and XII classes and the result achieved was 96%.
Through its institution based higher education and professional technical coaching programmes, 633 students joined and pursued higher education in Science at +2 and +3 level and 612 (97%) (Girls-259 and Boys – 353) students have completed higher education in Science. At least 80% students have initiated micro development works in their own villages through Village Development Initiative programme to promote inclusion and peace in their own communities (As recorded 60 students submitted their VDI documents and others through interview). 328 students have come out successful in respectable technical professional courses and white collar jobs .i.e. 40 MBBS, 35 B. Tech., 20 B. Pharma., 2 D. Pharma, 15 GNM, 20+ B.Sc.(Nursing), 9 Health Auxiliary professionals, 2 M.Sc. (ETC), 2 IBPS,3 Judicial Clerks, 1 Labour Inspector, 170 Teachers, 6 Lecturers, 3 Veterinary Assistants, 3 Agriculturists and 1 Fishery Scientist.
-Women Empowerment:
1216 domestic workers members were associated with SEWA union. Children of these families are no more dropping out from schools. All union members are participate in the Pallisabha and Gramsabha for solving their village level issues like water scarcity , road damage , delay payment of MGNREGS work. Families migrating to cities are getting benefits of better working conditions.
-Peace Building and Rural Development:
1 Panchayat Peace and Development Committee (PPDC) was successfully formed and is working as the apex body of 10 VPDCs.10 Village Peace and Development Committees have been empowered and are functional. They were able to resolve village issues like renovation of Pond, Construction of road in the villages, Drinking water facilities and issues related to proper functioning of schools in the village by working with the newly elected Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI). 10 Nos of Conflict Sensitive Development Plans (CSDP) has been developed in 10 villages. 120 community meetings in 10 villages were conducted for orientation to villagers on the concept of Village Development and on different Government Schemes.
Impact of Our Programmes
Impact of our programmes can be seen at 4 different levels – Institutional
level, community level, family level and individual level.
1. At the beginning when we started our Human Harmonisers programme,
our flagship higher education programme in science for the students of
Adivasi and Dalit communities, we noticed that most of the schools of
our remote rural villages, from where our students come, had none or
very few science and math teachers. Now we can see many of our
students have become science and math teachers in their own local
schools. This helps improve the quality of education in our local schools
and has multiplier effects.
2. When we started the programme, in the first year and second year, we
could get only 7 and 5 poor but bright students with first class marks in
their 10 the standard, respectively, who had aspiration to study science
out side the local area as there are no science colleges in the local areas.
Now there are many first-class students in the 10th standard and aspiring
to study science. This change has become possible because SFDC’s
programme has created an impact that even if one is poor, if one is
bright, there is a hope for getting highly subsidised higher education in
science after 10th standard and beyond. This creates an impetus to have
good results in our local high schools.
3. The discrimination free, inclusive, quality education in pre and primary
schools has life changing impacts on the students when they are in their
formative stages. The joyful and interactive teaching and learning
pedagogy, developed and implemented by SFDC, in the local schools has
not only been accepted well, but also has impacted well among the
students and teachers of pre and primary schools. The preschool
students can learn in their mother tongue dialects and go to primary
schools with better preparedness which not only enhances their learning
levels but also decreases the dropout levels. Similarly, the primary
school students are taught using TLMs in their mother tongue which lays
out the foundation for better academic achievements in higher classes.
This also fulfils the rights of indigenous people to get educated in their
mother tongue and enhances their self-confidence and promotes their
culture and traditions.
4. Students of Adivasi and Dalit communities of our area had almost no
role models to look up to. Now because of our higher education
programme (which now starts from preschool onwards), have many role
models as doctors, engineers, pharmacists, nurses, bank officials,
government officers to emulate, in their own village communities and
passed out from our institutions. The students enrolling in our
institutions, and their parents, report that from the very childhood their
aim was to study in our institution and become a professional. In the
higher caste communities, to become and doctor or engineer may be
passé but for our communities still it is a big thing which our students
were not able to dream. Creating role models is what we have done, and
it has good impact.
5. The leadership capacity building programmes associated with School
Management Committees, Janch Committees, Matru Committees, and
Peace and Development Committees goes a long way in empowering
communities in supervising their own local pre and primary schools,
resolving their village conflicts in a peaceful manner, making the local
service providers accountable, taking responsibility for envisioning and
planning development and peacebuilding of their own communities, in a
participatory manner, and taking ownership of their own and their
children’s lives.
6. The science education the students bring back, one by one, to their
villages, slowly, infiltrates within the psyche of their wider communities,
breaking the superstitious worldviews of the rural, marginalised, Dalit
and Adivasi population. This is no mean impact because these
communities have been thinking that they are cursed, and they must
endure exclusion and marginalisation. With the newfound scientific
temperaments, they will learn to see themselves in new ways and aspire
for liberation from debilitating systems and structure of caste based
discriminations.
7. Almost all our students come from very poor families and are first
generation colleges goers. After graduating with professional degrees,
with the support of our organisation, they get employed and get better
income which breaks the poverty cycle of their families with which they
were trapped for generations. Once the students are educated and
employed, they provide support to their families and their siblings get
better education. We hope and believe that the students supported by
us not only break the poverty cycle of their parents’ families but also,
their own families. Life will never be the same but change for better.
8. Ours is a formation programme and we call the students human
harmonisers. Not only do we help them to aspire higher, and achieve
their goals of becoming professionals, but also give them value
education. When they go out from our institutions, they are the
containers of seeds of values – the real purpose of our education – and
plant these seeds wherever they are. During their stay with us they
discover themselves and their hidden potentials, not only to become
bigger, but also to become better persons which gives them inner
confidence and dignity. As young people, finding dignity within, and
showing willingness to give back to their communities what they have
received, creates a sense that they can do it. Helping the students of
Adivasi and Dalit communities of poverty entrenched families, find
dignity and self-respect takes away their inferiority complex to some
extent, is a kind of contribution we consider vital and we will keep doing.
This belief in themselves transforms the young people to get engaged in
nation building.
