Application for Project Funding
1.0
/About the Organization
1.1 / General Information1.1.1 / Name of the Organization / WeConcern (Research, Training and Development organization)
1.1.2 / Postal address and telephone numbers in India / 301-A, Samata Apartment
Amarnagar, Darga Road,
Mulund (west) MUMBAI 40082
MAHARASHTRA, India.
Phone. 91-22-56873372
1.1.3 / Postal address and telephone numbers in U.S (if applicable) / N/A
1.1.4 / Tax Id / Applied
1.1.5 / FCRA Registration No / N/A
1.1.6 / Society Registration No: (if applicable) / Maharashtra state, Registration no.582/2004/Mumbai
1.1.7 / Mission and Vision of the organization / WeConcern (Research, Training and Development organization)
‘WeConcern ‘is a humanitarian and development organization working in the field social research, training and development. WeConcern is a professionally governed and managed non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to helping the poor and needy people in India, working in the field of education, health, women and child development, sexuality, prevention of HIV/AIDS, natural resource management, disability, rural development, media and communication and communal harmony.
1.1.8 / Organization WWW address / Developing website
1.1.9 / Names and profiles of Directors/Core people involved in the organization / Mr. Manohar Ranpise President
Investigative journalist
Poet and writer
Manisha Nainakwal program Manager
Social Demographer
(Tata Institute of Social Sciences)
(International Institute for Population Studies)
Pursuing PhD
Utpalkumar pakhira Member
(TISS)
Vishal Mittal Member
Environment Scientist
Spl. Wormiculture
Praveen Mendha Member
Philanthropic Hoteliar
Dr.Kalyan Ashish Das Member
Pediatrician – CARE INDIA
Shubhangi Chavan Member
Research Officer
(IIPS)
1.1.10 / Major Focus Area / Basic Health Child Labor Eradication
Primary Education Non-formal Education
Children with special needs Disaster relief
Other (please specify)HIV/AIDS
1.2 / Background/History
1.2.1 / Please explain briefly your organization’s history, how and when it was formed etc.
WeConcern formed in 1995 by dedicated group of professionals from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and International Institute for Population Studies (IIPS), Mumbai. All the members of the WeConcern are having relevant educational background and work experience in social development field.
We all felt that each one of us is having specialized education and relevant work experiences in the field of social work, demography, women and child development, natural resource management, human rights, media, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive morbidity and social research and training. And if we all work together that can definitely bring positive change in underprivileged and needy peoples lives.
WeConcern is formally registered as a non-profit, non-governmental organization in 2004 in order to improve on the social and economic well-being and health of the poor and underprivileged in the society through education, skill development and employment generation.
Briefly explain projects that have been implemented by your organization in the past. Also, include details of any organization that funded the organization for these projects. Highlight the achievements of these projects
So far WeConcern was mainly involved into Social research and training programs.
WeConcern have presented its various action research papers at international conferences. These papers were,
(1) “ Promotion and Acceptance of Non-Scalpel Vasectomy in India” paper presented at “first Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and sexual Health” held at Manila, Philippines in Feb 2001.
(2) “Domestic violence against women: case studies from hospital data in Mumbai.” Paper presented in first Asia Pacific conferences in Reproductive and Sexual health, at Manila, Philippines, February 2001.
(3) Participated in, International conferences on Family, held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in October 2001.
(4) “Evaluation of STI and STD check up camps for prevention of AIDS” at PAA, Population Association of America annual meet in May 2002 at Atlanta.
(5) WeConcern is a partner of PNGOC (Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare Inc).
(6) Participated in the first Regional Meeting of the partners for ‘ ITCAN’ (The Information and Communication Technology Capacity Building for Asia, Network) held during the second Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health in Bangkok, October 5-10, 2003.
WeConcern has been a member of the ITCAN (The Information and Communication Technology Capacity Building for Asia, Network) since 2003, which seeks to addresses the unmet Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) needs of undeserved Asian populations by promoting the application and improving the use of ICTs in this area. This project is being implemented in partnership with the European Center for Population Development (ECPD) in Belgium and the Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW) in Germany.
WeConcern also conducted various short- term training programs related to women and child health, HIV/ AIDS, natural resource management in various slums pockets of Mumbai. We provides training to community based groups like yuva Mitra Mandal(youth groups), local Mahila Mandals (woman’s group).
Weconcern have conducted various community based HIV/AIDS awareness programs for adolescent from different slums of Mumbai in coordination with government organizations and private agencies. In July 2004 WeConcern have conducted one day training program for BMC (BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation) community Health workers, Ward B on, ”Government health / population policy and implementation strategy”.
We managed these programs with the support of local community stakeholders and active community participation.
1.2.3 / Please explain your interaction/relationship with other non-profit organization, government agencies, schools, universities etc.
WeConcern have been always worked with close interaction with government, private agencies and NGOs.
Our research studied on domestic violence, Non-scalpel vasectomy, STD/RTI completed successfully because of the cooperation we got from government hospitals and NGOs working in said areas. Even private doctors provided us support and guidance to conduct these research studies. We have also conducted training programs on Government health / population policy and implementation strategy” for community health workers in Ward B, Municipal Corporation of Mumbai.
WeConcern also closely connected with local community based groups, such as youth clubs and women’s group in respective slums.
1.3 / Financial Information (Please attach a copy of last two years Auditor’s Report)
1.3.1 / Annual Budget / The research studied which WeConcern had conducted mainly self-financed by the researcher only. And the respective conference committees sponsored research paper presentations cost at various international conferences.
The short-term training programs were conducted in slums with the help of locally available resources and people’s participation.
1.3.2 / Current funding sources of the organization. / At present no fund
1.3.3 / Bank/Branch/Account Details (Indian) / INDIAN BANK,
Mulund (west)
Mumbai.
Account number: 15693
1.3.4 / Bank/Branch/Account Details (Foreign) / N/A
2.0
/About the Project
2.1 / General Information2.1.1 / Title of the project. Give a brief description of project /
Gurukul educational project
A special project designed for underprivileged children to provide education related services, knowledge, training and Skills.2.1.2 / Vision and Mission of Project /
Pre –school educational project
A healthy and encouraging environment to little children in their early formative years helps bring out their best. However very often-talented children from economically backward families are not given those opportunities. The formative years of a child are of vital importance and it is at this stage that the child’s basic skills could be evolved, his/her interest in education could be build up to suits the needs of primary schools. This effort at the pre –school level may lead to higher enrollment, higher attendance and better academic performances.The child in the city is groomed into the process of education. Playgroups or Balwadis that are conducted for children in the age group of 3 to 6 years mould the child to function as a member of a group and ready him for the process of learning. However this process of socialization so to say is almost absent in the urban slums. Because primary education is compulsory the child is picked up at the age of 6 and put into a school. But he has neither been groomed to accept schooling nor he is ready. Consequently the dropout rate is high in the subsequent years. What we need is grooming ground for the urban slum child.
In Mumbai nearly 49 % of the city’s population is estimated to be living in slums or slum like situations (2001 census). Mumbai is a large, commercial and cosmopolitan city, which has a population of almost 12 million. The city has attracted people of many races and languages from the different parts of India, with the result that the population of Mumbai is quadrupled in the last four decades. People who live in the urban slums are a heterogeneous group and have a general lack of security in many aspects of their lives relating to, shelter, income and food, education, access to health care and the other essential services. The underlying structural causes such as poverty, hunger and an excessive workload have an adverse impact on the urban poor particularly on women and children
2.1.3 / Name of contact person / Manisha Nainakwal
Program Manager
WeConcern (Reserch,Training and Development organization)
2.1.4 / Address of contact person / 301- A, SAMATA APARTMENT,
AMARNAGAR DARGA ROAD,
MULUND(WEST),
MUMBAI 40082
MAHARASHTRA
INDIA.
2.2 / Short Term Goals: Please explain in detail, what you expect to achieve through this project in the next 6 months through 1 year. (Add additional sheets if necessary)
Pre-school project:
The project will target children in the age group of 3 – 5 years from four selected slums from Mulund, Mumbai area.
Each balwadi (pre-school) will accommodate a maximum of 30 – 35 children.
Special focus will be given to the girl - child.
The objectives of the pre-school program as follows.
1. To provide every child pre- school exposure and opportunity to equip her better for further schooling.
2. Provide meaningful and quality educational opportunities to poor children with a special focus on girl child.
3. To impart a sense of discipline, curiosity for learning and thrust for reasoning and rationality.
4. Build partnership with individuals and organizations to impart learning holistically.
5. Build assets through initiative in education. (In the long term)
6. Build community ownership in elementary education. (In the long term)
The pre-school project also aims to provide, Swasthya ( Nutrition and Health) program for children from slums who generally suffer from malnutrition and other illness like Anemia, Worm infestation, Diarrhea and Vitamin A deficiency. Malnutrition and poor health may result in low level of concentration, lack of interest and poor performance. Under the Swasthya (Nutrition and Health) program, WeConcern would provide some basic health inputs and nutritious food that will ensure improvement in health status and wholesome participation in the preschool project. Also regular monthly medical check- up of children and counseling of parents will be done on a regular basis.Expected outcome from the pre- school project:
1]Learning objectives:
Detailed schedule of learning objectives has been created for the duration of 12 months. These objectives serve as guidelines and measure for tutors to ensure systematic learning is achieved. As an example, below are the lists of objectives for the first month and the 12th month.
First Month / Twelth Month
At the completion of the first month the child achieves the following:
• Keep their footwear in order
• Keep their bags in place in an orderly manner
• Learn to say Salutations: "Good Morning", Namaste, etc.
• Learn to say "Thank you"
• Rub the finger tips of both hands on a sand paper to stimulate their nerve-endings
• Clap their hands freely
• Show their right hand
• Gather their finger tips and release them as an interesting exercise
• Do small exercise of lifting the hands on to sides while saying 1,2,3 and 4 and in reverse 4,3,2,1.
• Play with a mixed bunch of plastic letters and numbers
• Play with plastic molded toys of animals and birds
• Jumping / At the end of the 12th month the child achieves the following:
• Read the words from the final lesson of the l book
• Make an effort to pronounce the words from the book
• Understand the final lessons of the Maths book l
• Practice writing words on a 4-Line note book
• Practice drawing shapes and colors and fill in the blanks of numbers in a checkered notebook.
• Assemble words from loose letters for marathi and English words related to picture cards.
Standard Proficiency of the participants at the end of the project:
v Enable the children to read and write
v Create familiarity with numerical
v Inculcate a sense of discipline
v Make ‘learning’ a joyful experience
v Inculcate the desire and curiosity for ‘learning’
v Initiate reasoning and rationality
2.3 / Long Term Goal: Please explain in detail what are your long-term goals from this project? (Add additional sheets if necessary)
The immediate goals from this particular project are mainly, to ensure
1] After completion of Balwadi course ensure 100 % enrollment of children in nearby Municipal and private schools.
2] To improve the health status of children by providing regular nutritious food, regular medical check-up and proper medication.
3] To involve both the parents in child’s education and health program.
4] To improve parent- child communication in education process5] To involve community members in various decisions- making process regarding pre-school program
6] WeConcern will run this pre-school project for two years and meantime we would train and support the local community members to run pre-school center and step-by-step delegate the responsibilities to them only. Our motto will be to help community members to help themselves.
7] WeConcerns role will not be limited to this particular project in these slums, but we are also planning to addressed various issues related to women, adult men, adolescent, and aged in the area of health, education, water and sanitation and income generation activities. Pre-school project is the pioneer long-term project, which we are going to implement in these slums.
2.4 / Project Activities: Please describe in detail the various activities that need to be carried out to successfully complete the project. This should include but not limited to the following.
Roles and responsibilities of various people in the project.
Please include any infrastructure costs that need to be incurred. Also include their purpose, location etc.
If any infrastructure costs (land, vehicles etc.) to be incurred, please include details such as the location, purpose etc.
Description of various awareness methods used (print material, projection slides etc.)
Miscellaneous Materials that needs to be procured.
Methodology