Educating poor rural children in Goa

Anil, our Project Leader in Goa, has sent through a progress report sharing the impact of their work with poor rural children in Goa. Key highlights from the past six months include:

Our two hostels:

• 74 boys and girls admitted  for intensive educational and personal development support
• 3 students who had failed 9th standard twice, dropping out of education, have been admitted, re-enrolled in school and being provided with intensive support to ensure they pass 9th standard this year and go on to complete their School Completion Certificate
• The hostel is also providing residential facilities for 9 young men and women so they can continue with further education at technical insitutes, colleges and university. 

Our study support classes:

• 120 primary school age students attending study classes in 7 villages
• All students are participating with confidence in other school and study class activities like sports, music, dance and school non academic activities.

The project is aiming to continue with its success rate from last year, when it reduced by 100% the drop out rate of children from 1st - 4th standard in the villages it was working. 

Our parental engagement programme:

• Parents are eager to know more about career options for their children, not just those studying in our hostel but also other children
• Awareness of the importance of girls education is increasing

I will be visiting this project in January and look forward to being able to share more photos and stories with you in early 2017.

At the time of her father death, her uncle laughs at her family, saying that you all are girls and you have no brother, so how could you run your home and have a future?

She is Suvarna.Her father died when she was in 4th Class when she is just 8 years old.  She has a mother and five more sisters.  After the death of her father no one cares for her family and the pressure leads to her mother feeling suicidal. Her mother works in construction area on low-paid daily wages and same time her elder sister also help in family by doing work in private company.

Her mother wanted to educate her all children, but the family situation makes it not possible. So she sends Suvarna and her sister regularly in school, her other sisters had to get married or work at very young ages. 

Suvarna was regularly attending school but very poor in study. So her mother was worried. Through one of our hostel students, she heard about our hostel and she came and visited.  After doing all formalities she get admission in our hostel at age 11years.

At the time of interview, she was very shy, feeling uncomfortable herself to tell her name. She was just laughing and putting down her head to avoid our question.

When we test her education progress, we found that she was very poor in  the basic knowledge of alphabet in English and Marathi. She was not giving proper response to staff. Our girl’s hostel staffs starts to teach her from beginning, same time help to cover his regular study.

Suvarna is a very hard worker. She gave response to staff for her regular study. She studies sometime late into the night to cover her basic language.  After one year, she passed with satisfactory marks.She got confidence, next year she came back to the hostel and that time beside study, she participate in other activities at hostel and school level. She participate in sports like running, kabaddi, carom and she liked this. 

Hostel staffs also inspire her to involve and participate in hostel activities. They gave  her some responsibility like leading some students at the time of regular hostel weekly work or taking responsibility in hostel minister.  This led to her increasing more and more in confidence.Suvarna learnt how to introduce herself without any interruptions and to discuss confidently with staff about any point regarding study or her life.

This year she improves her grades. She now can read and write confidently. She taking participating in school sports activities like atheletics, Kabaddi and other activities. Her mother expresses her views that she is very happy to see the changes in her daughter. So she took admission for her other daughter in our hostel in year 2015. Suvarna's dream is to become a Police Officer.

Suvarna share that what she is, it is because of hostel. She is special thanking to Sneha Madam, who help her in study even late night.  If hostel not given chance, she cannot. She want to show her uncle and other that girls can also make great work, higher education and care her family better then boy. Those who laugh on her and family, she want to say them that, it is not important who you are, its depend on how you are and what you are.