Hi all,

At the bottom of mail is a short report on educational
activities in Lalpur. Forwarding because we were/are associated with
the work there (we were funding Paromita didi as a project
coordinator, though now she has left).

I asked Sandeep whether they need any support for continuing the
activities there, and he said that they are managing though its a
bit tight. He is particular about not running like a 'project' with
a 'budget'. I think that means that they don;t want to have pre-
defined expenses but want to run on a threadbare budget and meet
expenses as they go along (don't want to end up with a balanc sheet
with requirements of Rs 90 lakhs - Subashree of Asha-SV was pointing
ou several NGOs who have such balance sheets). Asha's educational
activities in the Lucknow-Lalpur area are funded by our chapter
(mostly for Natpurwa), and by Arizona (for the Lucknow activities).
Our funds might be used for some other things (like Guddu bhai's
honorarium - he is from Natpurwa but mostly works in Lalpur). Sonia
(funded by Arizona) might also help beyond Lucknow. The rst of the
expenses are from local donations.

Melli


asha <ashaashram@y... wrote:

dear ullas, sabita and caroline, please note that the phone
number that i  gave in my previous mail is that of another asha friend sh. ashok
jain and  not that of sonia singh. sonia's number is 0522-2345220.
anyway, today i and sonia sat down and have prepared a progress
report of our  centres. these are all the centres being run by asha in this area
except for  natpurwa and mira kheda which are being supported by asha boston.
the financial expenditure details upto now will be provided by sonia
soon.  as you'll notice we've decided to call all our cetres 'asha
samajik  vidyalaya'.
 please let us know if you've any questions or comments.
 love, sandeep
 ---------------------

 3 Monthly Progress Report on Asha Education Centres in Lucknow-
Lalpur Area


 Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Charbagh (Railway Station, Lucknow):
 Teachers – Chunnilal, Sonia Singh
 Students – 20 (18 boys + 2 girls)
 Timing: 10 am to 12 noon.

 Activities: The children are taught the basic skills of reading, writing
and arithmetic. They are taught both English and Hindi. They are learning to
 recite poems in Hindi. The children are also given some indoor games like
 carromboard and ludo to play. They were taken once to zoo on 7th January,
 2004. Sometimes the children like to dance and deliver dialogues from
Hindi  films. They also act out what they do infront of passengers in railway
 coaches. None of these children go to any other school.

 Background of Children: Most of them are orphan or have run away from
home. They sleep on railway platform. They earn their livelihood by selling
bottles  refilled with water and `dattoon' (sticks of neem or babul usually sold
for brushing teeth in the morning on trains and railway platforms). 
2 children are engaged in boot-polishing work.

 On 30th January, 2004 the GRP (railway police) arrested some 28 children
from the Lucknow Railway platforms of which 4 children were those who
come to our  education programmes. Sonia intervened and got them released.
Later 2 more children were arrested. They have also been released.

 We are trying to develop one of the children Manoj as travel agent for
 booking railway tickets of people associated with Asha. He gets to keep
Rs. 20 per ticket. We may help set up a tea stall for him. In the coming
summer  some children will also be engaged to run a `payau' (offer drinking water
to passengers free of charge).


 Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Springdale College, Lucknow:
 Teachers – Amit, Ankit, Leena, Ram Lakhan, Sonia Singh, Sanket
Upadhyay (a  student of MBA comes once a week on Saturdays)
 Students – 50 (30 boys + 20 girls)
 Timing: 3 to 5 pm.

 Activities: This school is run by Asha on the premises provided by
Springdale College in Indira Nagar of Lucknow after their school hours. The
College management has been very cooperative giving various stationery
items in donation, old and new clothes for children. Some of the children
coming here attend regular school. The children are divided in two sections –
one in the  initial stages and others going to some school. They are from
initial to Standard V stages. They play with indoor games as well as swings,
see-saw and other things available on school premises. Children also get an
opportunity to do drawing and craft work. The children were taken to zoo on
17th January in a Bus provided by the Springdale College.

 Background of Children: The parents of children are involved in
scrap work  (`kabad' work) and work as domestic servants. Most of them come
from poor Muslim and Dalit families. Some of these children accompany their
parents on work. The male adults are used to drinking and hardly save
anything. They are  not motivated to send their children to the centre. They have to
be brought by the Asha volunteers.



 Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Gomti river bank, (opp. Nadwa College)
Lucknow:
 Teachers – Chunnilal, Manoj, Atma Ram (not regular), Sonia Singh
 Students – 70
 Timing: 3 to 6 pm.

 Activities: The students are taught basic skills of reading,
writing and  arithmetic. They are taught both English and Hindi. Except for 5-6
children  none of them go to any regular school.

 Background of the Children: This center is run next to the slum
which is  located on the banks of river Gomti. The people living here are
involved in stone work (making `sils'), rag picking and begging for making
their living.
 The parents are more forthcoming here and willing to send their
children to the center.



 Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Village Lala Mau Mawai, Dist. Hardoi
 Teachers – Ram Naresh, Fakire Lal
 Students – 70
 Timing: 9 am to 1 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm.

 Activities: The center runs in two shifts. In the morning smaller
children come to the center and in the evening regular school-going
children come to  seek additional help.

 Background of Children: The children come from mostly landless
Dalit families.


 Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Village Gutayya, Dist. Hardoi
 Teachers – Puttan Lal
 Students – 35
 Timing: 12 noon to 4 pm.

 Activities: The children coming here do not go to any school.
They are being
 taught basic literacy skills.
 Background of Children: The children come from mostly landless
Dalit  families.



 Asha Samajik Vidyalaya, Asha Ashram, Village Lalpur, Hardoi
 Teachers – Manoj
 Students – 30-40
 Timing: 6 to 8 pm

 Activities: The children coming here go to a regular government
school which was started after the Ashram was founded. They learn a number of
other skills at the Ashram and get to play with different games available
there. There is  also a library which is used by the children. They children get to
 participate in different activities of the Ashram and have developed a
 self-confidence rare for their background. The educational
activity of the Ashram has been affected because of the Right to Information and
other activities which take up a lot of time of the volunteers at the
Ashram. Even  though Manoj is fully responsible for the education programme of
the Ashram  he is not very serious about it.

 Background of Children: The children come from mostly landless
Dalit  families. They have a close relationship with the Ashram and
Ashram provides  them various benefits like health-care, etc.



 Coordinator of Education Programme: Sonia Singh
 Report prepared by Sonia and Sandeep
 6th March, 2004