Asha Insights: Spring Summer Q1 2017

Asha Zurich is happy to present to you our first newsletter for 2017.

In the first quarter of this year, we successfully organized a Bollywood party and sent a team of 70 runners including 15 teams to the Zurich Marathon. These events increased our visibility and raised over CHF 40’000

to fund Asha Zurich’s projects. An article about our marathon fund- raiser was also published in the online magazine Namaste Switzerland. Please take a look at here.

education of 30 students in Shirpur, Maharashtra. The total student population re-duced to 705 recently because par-ents migrate in search of livelihood in summer, which is an annual phenomenon. A study camp was organized for Palas students in March (51 students) and May (91 Students).The objective was to help academically weaker students, selected with feedback from their supervisors and teachers who monitor their performance. 6 students from Palas attended an English language camp on 17 March. Additionally, an educational movie ‘Wichitra Duniya’ was

shown to the children to increasetheir exposure to the outside world.

Sabuj Sangha is a non-profit, non-government development organization established in Nandakumarpur village in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. It is an area where child marriage is prevalent, because of various factors including low literacy and poverty. To combat this, Sabuj Sangha initiated project ‘Nayantara’ to help those girls whose education was interrupted to complete their education till class 12. The project also provides vocational courses and extra-curricular activities for youth older than 18 years. Progress reports of the children in this project are sent to us on a quarterly basis. The pilot project started on 15 February 2015 with 18 students living within a 3-4 kilometers distance.

- Provision of educational material such as text books, stationery and school uniforms.
- Nutrition support provided in the morning before school starts.
- A hygiene kit, comprising of basic amenities such as toothbrush, soap, and a pack of disposable sanitary napkins, is regularly given to all the girls . The use of the sanitary napkins is encouraged to eradicate the age-old practice of using a cloth during menstruation.
- Physical Education including practice of ‘Bratachari’, a type of body movement synchronized with songs to improve heath and well being, is organized after school twice a week.
- After-school classes on Information and Communication technology.

- Training in life skills, such as problem-solving ability, decision making capacity, creative thinking/lateral thinking, coping with

stress, trauma and loss using role plays and discussions.

- Extra-curricular activities such as art and craft classes, pottery, woodcraft, paper craft, applique and waste material recycling.

“Nayantara” program highlights not only the educational growth of a child but also her overall development as exemplified in the case of Suchitra (Refer Box).

Overall, the activities of BTS and FM schools are progressing well. The school is currently closed for sum- mer holidays and will be reopened on 1 June. Examinations for all students were conducted just before the schools closed for the summer. The answer papers are being corrected and we expect the children to have performed well. The admission in the Boys town for the upcoming academic year started recently. The school strength is expected to increase to 300 in the new academic year. The building work for the new school is almost complete. In fact, the children wrote their final examinations in the new building. BTS have applied for the matriculation school board so that they can offer 6th standard education. One of the chal- lenges faced by the school is staff attrition because of factors such as pregnancy, marriage, and transfer of husband. BTS are currently recruiting new staff and have received 40 ap-

plications for 6 open positions. In order to increase loyalty and decrease staff turnover, BTS plans on offering higher staff salary (a 10 to 15 percent increase), which should also help attract more experienced staff.

Some special highlights:
• One boy appeared for the medical entrance examination.
• BTS organized a seminar on“Crimes against Children”, where 35 scholars and students presented papers. Representatives from the government, NGOs, police, Child Protection Units, and the social welfare board participated. The program was broadcasted live by All India Radio.

Asha Zurich has been associated with this project since June 2011. Lok Biradari Prakalp (LBP) is a school for tribal children that offers a sanctuary of peace in a region inhabited by wild animals, venomous snakes, and Naxalites (ultra-left rebels). The project was started by Dr. Prakash and, his wife, Mandakini Amte in 1973 in the forests of Hemalkasa, a remote region located between Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. The school serves

Asha Zurich is proud to announce that 44 students out of 45 passed the 12th board examination this year, an achievement that also featured in the Times of India: here Dinesh Madkami topped with 77.69% (505/650), closely followed by Sunita Vachami with 75.38% (490/650). Shriniwas Alam bagged third position with 73.69% (479/650). Besides academics, the students are encouraged to participate in sports, school trips and various activities that range from paintings, robotics, and creative events. Programs are organized throughout the year on various themes including personality development, health-awareness, first-aid treatments, and the constitution of India.