READING IN TEA STALLS

In India, an interesting initiative in India is aiming to promote reading habits among underprivileged children. Called Cutting Tea Tales, it was launched on the occasion of International Literacy Day and consists in turning tea stalls and provision stores into reading joints.

As per a recent report by UNESCO’s Education for All (EFA), India has the largest illiterate population. “We want to bring about a change in the situation by making books available to children so that their future looks a bit different”, says Mr. Banerjee, Managing Trustee of Akshara Foundation. Cutting Tea Tales is one small step towards making this happen.

“We didn’t expect such a great response from everyone,” says Banerjee. The aim to get underprivileged children closer to books is further expanded through a story-telling session. “Kids are asked to pick a small piece of paper from a bowl with the name of a book written on it, which they are asked to narrate. It enhances their confidence and reading skills as they enjoy the attention they get while they are reading it out loud” he adds. The initiative will expand to other areas of the country after its successful pilot.

Since family members play an important role in furthering reading habits, a session for adults is also organized where they tell their favorite childhood memories. “It is very unusual for slum children to develop an interest in reading just from what they read in school. The colorful illustrations and interesting stories we provide keep them engaged,” Banerjee adds. ”It is amazing to see how a small push can lead to a big impact. It is hoped that many more tea stalls will join the Cutting Tea Tales initiative.”

Source: thebetterindia.com

2nd AWARD TO LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE FOR ASHA-KIRAN

Miss Deepa Ruparel, Executive Director of Asha-Kiran in India, received the NGO LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE AWARD on behalf of Asha-Kiran in a ceremony organized by ABP News Global CSR Excellence and Leadership Awards which took place in Mumbai on 17 February 2015.

This award has been given to us due to our exemplary work in the field of Social Development through education and the improvement of living conditions for children from disadvantaged social strata, through our efforts to ensure the right of children to education and the right to childhood.

Deepa said "This is a recognition of the dedication and commitment of Asha-Kiran's team to provide a better quality of life through education to the underpriviledged, and in particular, to the families of migrant workers from remote regions of my country".

THANK YOU FOR WALKING BY OUR SIDE.

SANITARY NAPKINS AND JOBS HAND IN HAND

“The days of the period were very hard before sanitary napkins”, says Revathi, a young woman from a small town. When she started menstruating, she was very scared because she didn’t know what was happening to her and her mother dodged her questions. The same thing happens to countless young women in India, where it is taboo to speak openly about menstruation, even in homes and schools. Traditionally, women mustn’t go to public places when they are menstruating, so many prefer to stay home and almost one third of school-age girls refrain from going to school.

In India, only 12% of the women use sanitary napkins regularly, partly due to their high price and partly out of ignorance. Most use pieces of cloth, like Revathi. For her, things changed when she started working in a factory of low-price napkins that opened in her village. Now she sells them door to door and talks to women about their feminine hygiene. Revathi says this makes it easier for women to buy them, because in stores the salesclerk is usually a male and this puts women in tough spot.

Because of their price, cheap napkins are changing the lives of women who previously didn’t leave their house to avoid staining their clothes, while also being a source of jobs for them. This has been possible thanks to a man, Arunachalam Muruganantham, a former welder who developed an almost obsessive interest in sanitary-napkin making. Neither his wife nor his neighbors understood how a man could devote his time to thinking about such an issue.

However, his efforts paid off. After years of study and experiments, he created machine that was very simple and easy to use. To date, he has sold a thousand units in India, often in exchange for animals or other goods, and has begun to market it in 18 other countries, mainly Asia and Africa. He claims that over 15,000 jobs for women in India have been created thanks to his machines.

Arunachalam is convinced that for social and economic development of India and other countries to be more equitable, it is necessary to give women equal opportunities and easier access to the labor market. “The key to equality starts with menstrual hygiene. Girls should feel safe when they go to school so they won’t drop out and can continue developing their potential. Worldwide, they are struggling and want to excel. The problem is that they don’t have the same opportunities”, he says.

Source: elpais.com

GOOD HABITS

Recently, Asha-Kiran and ImpART organized a huge cleanliness drive in the community. ImpART aims at imparting education to children who belong to less privileged part of our society through widely varied sessions ranging from origami to organizing clean and green drives in neighborhoods.

Ten volunteers and 28 children participated in this Clean Drive. All of the children had a turn cleaning lanes in the slum after the volunteers made them understand the meaning of the terms biodegradable and non-biodegradable. The cleanliness team spread awareness among the slum dwellers about how to live in a hygienic environment and they were requested to do continue doing the same every day.

QUALITY EDUCATION IN A LIVING ROOM

Ritu proves that vast resources are not essential to make a difference. By teaching in her living room, she is transforming young lives in a simple way. Every day after school, local children gather at Ritu's house. She helps school-going children as well as children who have never attended school.

“I’ve always been inclined towards social work and I thought I should start something for the village children. The response was overwhelming. I’ve bought books, stationery and other supplies for them to use. I teach them math, language, science and social studies. I help them with their homework and prepare them for exams. To the children who don’t go to school at all, I teach everything from scratch.”

“Along with the regular educational curriculum, I teach the children how to remain clean and healthy. All work and no play is not a good thing. In order to keep their interest alive in their studies, I encourage them to play indoor games, paint or do pastel drawings, get them to sing songs, recite poetry and also do a little show-and-tell where they can display their skills by presenting things to the group.”

“Education is the basic thing one gets and in most cases, education is not available for them to access. This has a series of consequences -mostly shortcomings- as they are forced to be confined to unfriendly and hostile environments that don’t help them evolve. Considering my experience in the social field and also the fact that I have lived at different places in and outside India, I feel that a lot can be done for children from economically disadvantaged families.”

Ritu's unassuming work will go a long way in the lives of these children.

EVERY ONE OF US MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Source: thebetterindia.com

SCIENCE TRAIN

Children over the age of ten from the Day Care Centers were taken on an excursion to see the Science Express Train. This Science exhibit focuses on biodiversity and is organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The train travels through various States in India every year. The children were able to see it at Kirkee station in Pune, where it was stationed for four days so people could have a close look at various interesting displays of Science and technology.

EXPANDING THEIR HORIZONS.

HAPPY AT THE WHEEL

Rupa, 55, says she will never forget the day she started working as a taxi driver in an all-women taxi company because she has been happy ever since. She managed to become financially independent and to leave her husband, who had abused her for years. Before, she could not have afforded her daughter’s upkeep by herself, so she didn’t hesitate when she had the chance to be trained by a company in Mumbai that employs women in difficult situations.

With the money she earns driving at night (about 116 € a month), she rents a room in a house she shares with other women, and supports her daughter, who is studying to be a veterinarian. Despite driving night shifts, she says she enjoys her work and that her taxi is like her second child. “Nothing is hard for me now. I feel useful driving my customers to work or wherever they need to go”, she says. “The best part about these women taxi drivers is to see how their lives change, how they become stronger and are able to go to work and bring up their children”, says photographer Serena Sanctis, who did a project on the subject.

The operations executive of the female taxi company says that more and more people prefer women driving a taxi because they are more reliable and careful. He adds that the growing number of young women who have jobs and can afford the service, “prefer to be driven around by a woman. One woman will never abuse another”. There are already four different women taxi services in India.

One of Rupa’s frequent customers says he enjoys traveling with her because she is friendly, knows the city well and is never late despite the traffic jams. In addition, she says it's safer. “I came to live in Mumbai just after gang rape of a student in New Delhi mobilized the whole city. After that, my family asked me not to take just any transport when I was out alone. I feel and am very safe with Rupa at the wheel.”

Source: elpais.com