Budget Proposal for
ASHA-MSEMVS School in school
 
 
TITLE

 Child slavery project in Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh
 

PROJECT CONTACTS

 Bhanuja Sharan LalDirector, MSEMVSEmail: bhanuja_msvs@hotmail.com
 
 

LOCATION OF PROJECT

Village: Baraki- 
Districts: Varanasi
State: Uttar Pradesh, India
 

BACKGROUND:

 
MSEMVS, Manav Sansadhan Evam Mahila Vikas Sansthan, which roughly translates into Society for Human Development and Women's Empowerment, is the organization in India running this program for the Asha for Education and Free the Slaves. MSEMVS works in the Varanasi and Bhadohi districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, where there is a prevalence of landless laborers who are mostly low castes. In such areas, due to the low family income, these laborers are forced in times of crisis to approach land owners or loom owners to ask for loans. In the schools that the MSEMVS have set up, at least 60% of children come from families that have taken such loans. Although the loans taken by the laborers are small, the exorbitant interest rates (5-10% a month) and the lack of valid records of repayment make debt bondage an incessant occurrence. The form of debt bondage in this area, which is enforced through violence, meets all Free the Slaves criteria for slavery. The children of the families in the debt bondage are forced to work along with their parents during daytime, leaving no time for education. 
 
MSEMVS has targeted 15 villages with high level of bonded laborers and has established schools in each one of the villages serving 50-75 children each, ages 6-14. The schools and teachers serving each village become the driving force for change in the area. They hold awareness camps; talk with local government members, doctors and teachers and place pressure on employers to allow children to go to school. For those employers who refuse the children to go to school, MSEMVS approaches local District Magistrate who may then send out labor inspectors and take legal action. 
 
Most children will attend the MSEMVS schools for three years with the aim of reaching the 5th grade level and then, subsequently entering the state schools. Most children are able to pass the official 5th grade examination. Out of the eleven schools, six schools are currently funded from other sources, and five still need funds. Asha for Education in conjunction with Free the Slaves has chosen to fund one of the five schools that needs support. At this school there are 50 children enrolled, of which more than 40 are from families involved in Brick-kiln, carpet, sari and agriculture. 
 
In addition to the schools, MSEMVS plans to eradicate bonded labor through two other strategies: economic and social empowerment of women and community vigilance committees. Through the establishment of women’s Self-Help Groups, MSEMVS has the opportunity to get to the heart of the problem.  Child labor will continue to persist until women have their own income and the confidence to protect their family from the moneylenders. MSEMVS researches products for which there are a local market and provides training and start-up materials to groups of women so that they can earn an income without relying on landowners for work. For example in these two nearby villages, one group of women is already producing and selling incense sticks, and another group is learning how to produce glass beads both for the local and international market. Forced child labor and exploitation of debt-bonded families has persisted for generations, and changing a culture of acceptance of such abuses needs constant pressure from all directions. MSEMVS is organizing Community Vigilance Committees in each village, which will encourage parents to send their children to school, in addition to working with the local government to ensure that they take action on cases of bonded and child labor, or to make schools function. As well as these local activists, MSEMVS brings together many other organizations in the region to focus attention on the prevention of child labor.
 
 
 

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES – 

Short Term:
1. To continue to educate 50 children who have been from bonded labor or impoverished conditions in the villages of Baraki, Varanasi
2. To place these children into a fully functional school
 * provide a mid-day meal
 * provide health services
3. To prepare these children for the 5th grade level official examination so they can enter the state schools 
4. To bring awareness to families in bonded labor regarding their exploitation by money lenders 
 
Long Term:
1. To eradicate bonded labor from the Bhadohi, Varanasi and Chandauli Districts (fifteen villages) 
2. To provide proper funding for all fifteen schools
3. To promote a gradual but profound change of the perception of debt bondage in these districts
 
 

EDUCATION:

1. Three teachers responsible for the education of the 50 children 

2. Subjects taught in the schools are in conjunction with the government curriculum for primary schools. The curriculum is laid out below.

§ Class 1: Hindi language, Math

§ Class 2: Hindi language, Math

§ Class 3: Math, Science and Environment

3. Lessons are taught not only traditionally, but also through the use of games and activities (group and individual). During school time, the teachers ensure the active participation of children and make learning fun and interesting

4. The school operates on a 3-year plan that is outlined below:

§ Class 1: months 1-6

§ Class 2: months 7-12

§ Class 3: months 13-19

§ Class 4: months 20-27

§ Class 5: months 28-36

After the 5^th class, students take an examination administered by the Government’s Education Department. The students that pass will enter the formal school system.

5. Teachers also emphasize the following areas:

§ Awareness generating and advocacy on the local level

§ Self-help groups

§ Emotional and mental health measurement of children

§ Legal aspects of slavery (bonded labor and child labor)

6. During the second and third years, vocational training will be offered to older children on alternate days.
 
7. Aside from the curriculum, the teachers also train students in:
§ Rights of the children
§ Hygiene and cleanness
§ Moral science
§ Physical training, meditation, cultural activities
§ Social education classes
 
 

RESOURCES PROVIDED/BUDGET:
 

Line Item	Description	Unit cost rupees	Number of units	Sept 08- Sept 09
Teachers (2)	2 teachers per school	1,500	24	36,000
Community workers	1 community worker per school	2,500	12	30,000
Cook for mid-day meals	1 cook/caretaker	800	12	9,600
Furniture for schools	mats, whiteboards, etc - replacement	3500	1	3500
Supplies and educational materials for school	Books, sports items, puzzles, first aid boxes etc	10000	1	10000
Food for mid-day meals for children	Rs. 130 per month for 50 children	6,500	12	78000
Awareness Generation/Networking		800	12	9600
Rent & Maintenance		800	12	9600
Total				1,86,300.00
Total Budget in $				$ 4140
ASHA Support				$ 4000
MSEMVS contribution				$140

(at the exchange rate of 45.00)

*Units in Rupees; represents the cost to fund one school per year