Project Name: DIVYA PRIMARY SCHOOL BUILDING / Date: Mar. 28, 04
Project Contact / Asha Contact
Name / ChinLopLee,
PO New Rangia, 353 3581206waa Rongong
Address / ChinLopLee,
PO New Rangia,
Bairatisal, - 734 430,
Dist Darjeeling,
West Bengal, India
Phone(s) / 353 3581206
Fax
Part I: Information about your group/organization
Please feel free to attach any additional sheets and/or information such as brochures, press reports etc.
1. Name of the group/organization requesting funds.WAASTA
2. When was the group established?
The group has been working in small ways since 1998 but was registered as an NGO under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act 1961 in 2003.
3. Briefly describe the motivation for starting this group.
The president of Waasta has been involved in several social work relating to children, village development and among commercial sex workers. However she felt very limited as there was so much she wanted to do but could not since she didn't have an NGO back up, so she took the initiative to form a group with other like minded friends and founded Waasta, which is now a registered NGO.
4. Briefly describe the aims of your group.
Waasta's main goal is that its efforts will empower women and children by helping the women to choose to lead a dignified life and giving the children a chance to grow into respectiful adults.
Waasta works in two areas, one being village development where our main focus is on primary education, health and nutrition (for children and adults) and income genertating program for adults.
On the other hand Waasta also works with victims of commercial sexual exploitation who have been rescued but are unable to go back to their homes for various reasons.
Waasta is still very young but we are working hard towards big achievements in the future.
5. Does your group have any religious or political affiliation? If yes, please describe the type of affiliation and the reason for it.
No.
6. What non education-related community development activities is your group involved in?
We are currently working on a village development program. Besides education, we have health and nutrition programs along with medical camps. Income generation programs are at a very early stage with further plans.
Part II: Details about your educational project/s
7. List the school/s run by your group, and their locations. If you are requesting funds for only a few of several schools, please specify which one/s.Divya Primary School,
Maligach Busty,
Bidhan Nagar,
Dist. Darjeeling,
West Bengal
8. Location of school/s Urban Rural Other
9. Specify the type of education provided (e.g. basic literacy, vocational training etc.).
Basic Literacy
10. Please tell us about your teaching techniques (conventional vs. alternative).
Teaching techniques are conventional. We try hard to go along with the syllabus of govt. primary schools so that our children do not face problems when they transfer to new schools after the 4th standard.
11. What is the literacy rate in the local community?
Among the elders (20years+) the literacy rate is on zero level.
Divya Primary School is the only school in the area so the younger ones who have passed out and those who are currently studying are the only one who can read and write.
12. Describe the socio-economic background of the children and their parents (e.g. education, occupational). If any of your students are employed, please tell us about that as well.
Most parents of the students (like almost everyone from the community) work in nearby pineapple and tea plantations as daily wage laborers. A few of them sell milk for a living. During the off seasons of the crops it tends to get a little difficult - (this is with regard to the fact that most parents find it difficult to pay the minimal school fees during this time).
None of the parents are educated.
None of the students are employed as such but many of them do work for wages in the plantations during the holidays.
13. In addition to education, does your group provide any other services to the children in your schools (e.g. food, health care, clothing, etc.)?
Regular health check ups have been started in the school for the children and their parents. A record of every child's health is kept.
Food and clothing are not provided though during the past winter a school sweater was distributed to every child.
14. Does your school have:
Its own building(s): Yes No Number
Number and type of classrooms (e.g. Pukka): 4 bamboo thatched classrooms (10'x15')Yes No Yes No Yes No
Toilets Playground Toys
Chairs & Tables Blackboard Library
Drinking water Electricity Computers
Laboratory Teaching aids (e.g. books/slates)
15. How many children are currently enrolled in your school(s)?
Male 30 Female 4 xz 6 Age Range 5years - 14 years
16. How many staff are employed at your schools?
Teachers 3 Minimum Qualifications class 10
Other staff 017. Average distance the children travel to attend your school 2km
18. How many children have gone through your program in the past five years and what are they doing currently? Please tell us about their future education and employment possibilities.
About 25 to 30 children have passed out from the school in the past five years.
Most of the children join school about 15km away to continue with further education. A number of them discontinue school and either work in the plantations along with their parents or go to the city for jobs as house maids or such.
The school now has been taking initiatives to encourage continuing studies.
19. Do you help your students with their future education efforts after they have passed out of your school?
This has never been done before, however this academic year after Waasta adopted the school, the students who ranked 1st and 2nd in their final year (class 4) were awarded with a scholarship for education fees till class 10. This will only cover their tution fees. The rest of the class (only 4 students passed out) were awarded a one year supply of all necessary school text books. The funds for these are being raised by Waasta. This was done with the intention of encouraging the students to continue with their education and also to encourage the parents in letting the children do so.
20. Are there any other schools (Kindergarten/Balwadi, Elementary school, High school) in the area? If so, please list the schools and the range of classes each of them offers.
There are no other schools in the villages in and around Maligach.
There is a govt primary school in the neighboring small town.
The nearest high school is approx. 9km away and most pass out students from our school continue their studies here.
21. Is your program different from that provided at these schools? Please explain.
We try to use a similar academic syllabus.
22. Why are the children in your school/s not attending government/other schools in the local area?
The nearest school is too far for little children to travel. Most parents are too busy working and cannot drop and pick their children from school.
23. Do you try to involve the parents of the children in the running of the school (e.g. in setting the syllabus etc.)? Please specify.
Yes we do, we try very hard! However we have found it very difficult as the parents are uneducated and tend to shy away from the school authorities. During Parents-Teachers meetings, their response are mostly one word answers and smiles.
We have organized functions like parent's day, teacher's day etc where the parents have been invited in order to bring them closer with the school .
Now we have started having house visits where a teacher visits children's homes every once in a while. This has proved to be a better option. The parents are very welcoming and tend to talk more openly.
24. What are your expansion plans for the future (e.g. adding more classes or schools)?
At present we are concentrating on improving the existing school…once we feel ready to take bigger steps we will work on increasing the class level gradually through the years. We will be training new teachers so that we can add more students to the existing classes.
As an organization, Waasta plans to adopt similar schools in other areas in the near future.
25. Do you have any suggestions on how Asha can be a positive influence in changing the education scenario in India?
I am reading a lot on Asha's work lately and I think Asha is doing a great job!
I noticed that Asha hasn't been able to work much in the north east states of India….Some remote places of this region are in dire need of help in terms of children's education (and more!). Communication and transport in the north east is very different and more difficult than in most other places of India. Most NE NGOs are not aware of the existance of helping organizations like Asha.
My suggestion would be to approach these NGOs and let them know how Asha works. I am sure that they will respond and together with Asha they can make a big difference in this part of India.
(just a sincere suggestion!)
26. If possible, please provide us with the contact information of two individuals from your community who can describe the impact of your program.
1 / Name / Cheling Simick Foning (DSP) / 2. / Name / Mrs. Anne MahbertAddress / Milan Palli Govt. Housing Complex
St. Feeder Road
PO Siliguri,
Dist. Darjeeling
West Bengal / Address / Mahbert High School
George Mahbert Road
Siliguri,
Dist. Darjeeling,
West Bengal
Phone / 0353 2561934 / Phone / 0353 2537507
27. Asha for Education requires reports from its projects every six months to continue funding. Please provide the contact information for the person from your group who will be responsible for these reports.
Name / Lovanna RongongAddress / Waasta,
PO New Rangia,
Bairatisal - 734 430,
Dist. Darjeeling,
West Bengal, India
Phone / 0353 2581206
Part III: Financial Details
Please feel free to attach any information such as annual reports, budgets etc.
28. What sources fund your group’s activities at present? List the sources and the current and future funding from each of them. If these funds are meant for a specific part of your group’s activities, please describe those restrictions.Waasta till date has been raising funds locally from friends and contacts
For our school building construction project -
6 classrooms (20'x15')
1 admin room (15'x15')
1 common room (15'x15')
we will need Rs.10,00,000/-. We will raise 25% locally through fund raising programs. We are requesting Asha to please help us with 75% of the costs as one-time funds.
29. Please provide us with details of your projected budget for the next 3 years:
Year(s) / Recurring costs / Fixed costs30. Salary expenditure details:
Number / Salary RangeTeachers / 3 / Rs.800/-
Paid Staff / - / -
Volunteer Staff / 3 / -
31. Please provide details of the fixed costs of your school/s for the next three years.
32. How many of your students pay school fees? Please provide details.
All students are required to pay fees. The fees are minimal. However once in a while if parents are unable to pay fees they are considered. Waasta raises support for children who ranked 1st in the previous academic year and children with no parents covering their tution fees and yearly text books
.
33. What amount are you requesting from Asha, and for what specific purpose?
Items / Amount / One time / AnnualConstruction of School Building / Rs.7,50,000/- / One Time