Bhumkar Vasti Survey by Udaan Volunteers

Volunteers from Udaan-Pune visited construction sites in Bhumkar Vasti area of Hinjewadi. Huge constructions - residential, commercial, and industrial - are coming up in this side of the city. Almost all of these construction sites host large labour camps, where labourer families live with their children.

 

The volunteers found 15 children who are of school-going age but are not going to school.

The details of children have been collected and admission process will start soon.

Thank you Udaan-Pune, for taking these children forward on path of progress!

Preparatory Camps

During survey of 6 to 8 years old children under Every Child Counts campaign, volunteers and field staff come across communities living in highly fragile environments. All elder members in the family are out earning, while children of very young age are often left to fend for themselves. There is even ignorance towards health and hygiene of the children, let alone their education. The children of all ages are seen loitering or picking rags.

At such communities, "Preparatory Camps" are conducted by Door Step School. The objective is to help children get interested in "school", a concept they have never seen or experienced. These camps are conducted in temporary shelters set up closer to the communities. The teachers gather children from huts and shacks, and keep them engaged for two to three hours a day. Since these camps are run for very short time (during May and June, till the schools reopen for next academic year), very few educational tools are available for children. Most of the activities involve singing, story telling, and interactive games. These Preparatory Camps are also used to set up a dialogue with parents in the community and to create awareness about importance of education and provisions of Right To Education Act.

Last year, 20 such camps were conducted in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and on the outskirts, reaching out to around 500 children.

ECC in GIAN EduJesuit Editorial

Here is an excerpt from article published on edujesuit, the communication and participation tool of the Right to a Quality Education of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network (GIAN) -

"...There are several simple strategies which have been tried successfully by other organisations, for example: Every Child Counts (ECC), launched initially by Doorstep School in Pune, is a campaign which inspired him (Trevor Miranda, SJ, Core group representative for India and Nepal  in the GIAN for the Right to Education) with its simplicity and capacity to create change at a low cost. It involves essentially taking the time to find, encourage and inspire children to enrol, utilising the right of every child of 6 years (whether included in the census or not) to receive an education. The method of action is a detailed Survey of parishes and schools to identify children of 6-8 years, Enrolment of the children in the nearest municipal school, and then Follow-up with both the children and the school to ensure regular attendance, with organisation of out of school activities continuing during holidays to instil the importance of continuous education to both students and parents. There are challenges involved of course, there are difficulties involved in making the campaign systematic and consistent, locating out of school children, ensuring availability of places in municipal schools, providing transport etc… however there are ways to overcome this; through the successful implementation of ideas such as this, and through the avocation of the rights of children to a quality education to policy makers."

Read full article at - http://edujesuit.org/education-goal-2025

'Every Child Counts' campaign now in Nashik

The 'Every Child Counts' citizens' campaign initiated by Door Step School in Pune and PCMC is now expanding its reach to Nashik. Under guidance of Door Step School, the campaign team at Espalier Experimental School, Nashik has initiated survey of 6 to 7 years old children from migrant communities living in the Panchavati area of Nashik city. The survey and RTE awareness activities are being conducted with help of citizen volunteers. The campaign team has also launched a helpline number (8983335555) for citizens to report out-of-school children seen anywhere in Nashik. The campaign is being supported by office of the Labour Commissioner and the National Child Labour Project (NCPL), Nashik. The ECC Nashik team is appealing citizens of Nashik to volunteer for finding out all 6 to 7 years old children in the city and helping them get their right to education. For more details about the campaign and to join hands with ECC Nashik team, please contact 8983335555. A small effort from you can help a child get formal education and build its career!

Survey & Parent Awareness by Udaan-Pune

UDAAN Pune is Pune chapter of informal employee group of Geometric Ltd and 3DPLM. Udaan volunteers have been working with Every Child Counts campaign for last couple of years now. Last year they conducted survey of children living in labour camps on construction sites near Hinjewadi and enrolled them in nearby ZP school. (Read the story here.)

This year again Udaan volunteers stepped in to help out-of-school children in Hinjewadi-Wakad area reach schools. The volunteers visited labour camps on construction sites and spoke with labourers about education of their children. Details of children were collected for the purpose of school admissions.

The volunteers even arranged street-play to demonstrate importance of education and benefits of Right To Education act. 

The labourer parents were surprised to see these highly educated youngsters 'wasting' their weekend time just to ensure every child from the camp attends school.

 

The parents provided all necessary details of their children and showed interest in sending their children to schools.

 

The Every Child Counts campaign will continue till we ensure every child reaches school.

Thanks to volunteer groups like Udaan that we feel confident of achieving this goal soon!

Every Child Counts- The Campaign Continues

The seeds sown by Door Step School and a passionate group of Volunteers in 2011 have slowly taken root and the branches have now spread across Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and New Pune areas in the year 2014 in the form of the Every Child Counts-Citizens' Campaign , a Campaign for Universal Elementary Education, a Campaign for educational inclusion of Migrants, a Campaign for reaching and enrolling children into schools at the "right age" of 6-7 years !

Thanks to the involvement and support of Volunteers from Colleges, Companies, Individual volunteers and NGOs across Pune, The Campaign has reached 1584 construction sites, brick kilns, migrant dwellings and 1400 children have been enrolled into mainstream schools since June 2014.  Many generous donors have since made sure these children can travel safely to schools by sponsoring their school transport and lending their school buses.

These children would never have had the opportunity to attend a school, but for the efforts of all those involved !

With seasonal inward migration expected in November, the team launched an Enrollment Drive across all areas with a Volunteer meet on 1st November . Our thanks to all the Volunteers who participated in this meet. Mrs. Rajani Paranjpe, our Founder and President made a moving appeal to all volunteers to help each and every child exercise their "Right to Education" and reach schools across Pune.

Mr. Ajay Dasgupta of The Kahani Project was a special invitee and as usual, he came up with an appropriate story "Darr" to inspire and motivate our Volunteers .

We thank Sangam Girl Guides for making available the venue for this meet.

Over the next few weeks, Volunteer groups stepped in and planned various activities for the School Enrollment drive.

Volunteers from Deepasthambh Counselling Parents at a site

Volunteers from Geometric -Udaan have planned to visit sites in Bhumkar Vasti and Nigdi on 30th November..  With this spirit and our many torch bearers, we are sure that many more children will reach schools this year. !

Geometric-Udaan continues the Campaign!

The Campaign Continues. Join hands by writing to volunteer@doorstepschool.org

Diwali Celebrations

Volunteers and field staff of the Every Child Counts - Citizens' Campaign ushered in the festival season of Diwali with parents and children at many locations across Pune,Pimpri Chinchwad and surrounding areas (Wagholi, Hingewadi, Ambegaon).

Children  participated in activities like making "Aakash kandils" and greeting cards. Drawing competitions were held at some sites ."Workbooks" for practicing alphabets and story books were distributed to the children along with coloring books. Their joyful and enthusiastic participation was a treat to watch.