Mahila Action

Project Brief: Asha NYC/NJ is supporting a Bridge School Project "Pragathiki Baata - Way to Progress" run by Mahila Action of Vishakapatnam. The goal of the project is to help children get back to mainstream schools. This project supports 50 children/year.
Project Type: Special Needs (description)
Primary Focus: children from slums (description)

Secondary Focus: to go to formal school

Area: Urban
Supporting Chapter Contact: NYC/NJ
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: SATHEESH AVVARU
Project Partner(s): Swarna Kumari
Other Contacts: Sudhakar Ravuri
Project Address: , D.NO.31-32-48, DABA GARDENS,,VISAKHAPATNAM,
ANDHRA PRADESH  530020
Tel: 08912559500
Stewarding Chapter: NYC/NJ
May 2017NYC/NJUSD 10258
Aug 2016NYC/NJUSD 9099
May 2015NYC/NJUSD 8680
Jan 2014NYC/NJUSD 8165
Dec 2012NYC/NJUSD 9000
Dec 2011NYC/NJUSD 8257
Dec 2010NYC/NJUSD 10250
Apr 2010DCUSD 3500
Nov 2009DCUSD 4000
Feb 2009DCUSD 5373
Dec 2007DCUSD 0
Dec 2007DCUSD 4517
Jul 2007DCUSD 5000
Dec 2002PortlandUSD 2000
Dec 2001PortlandUSD 1500

Total = $89599

Mahila Action will concentrate on working in 3 major slums in Visakhapatnam. These are Kobbarithota, Kallupakalu, and Rangireejiveedhi. Each slum nearly has a population of 10000 to 12000 people.
The aims of the project are as follows:

• Ensuring primary education to children and creating awareness about the child rights.
• Save young girls from child labor and see that they enjoy rightful childhood.
• The children to partner with other children and form child friendly communities to understand community priorities and education systems.
• To develop communities and make them responsible for preparing concrete action plans to empower the children.
• Established children clubs in each targeted slum area and enroll every child as a member.
• Due to poverty, dissolution of traditional families and the growing number of AIDS orphans, children are forced to become primary, even sole bread winners for whole families. To create awareness among the society and to avoid child labour in the society.
1. Special campaigns are organized during admission months to motivate children to go to schools.
2. Give special attention to children who are withdrawn from child labor and motivate them to join schools.
3. Track and identify children whose education is interrupted by relocation and support them to continue their education
4. Information system should develop to effectively monitor and stop child labour, (network systems should develop between education institutions, concerned officials, and public servants)
Bridge School Project.
Mahila Action has been in existence since May 1995. They primarily work in the slum areas of Vishakapatnam. Their goals are:
• To provide education to all deserving children and to create awareness among the community about the child rights.
• To provide counseling advisory and referral services to women and children to create atmosphere to raise their voices.
• To create sustainable self reliant and self sufficient communities by making women the main sector. In the best interest of children, women should be the decision maker in policies ensuring women’s control over common resources. When women are empowered she can look after her children’s prospects.
• Making Self Help Groups the core of community empowerment. This is one of the ways to solve so many problems such as children’s education, health, and control the social problems like child abuse as well as sexual abuse.
• Capacity building of the rights to take part in various community level bodies and area level bodies, so that they can play an effective role in the future governance of the community
The School is located 25 km from the head office