Asha for Education

Project Brief: Improvements to the quality of education at the Urur Kuppam Balwadi located next to the Besant Nagar Beach.
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: other (description)

Secondary Focus: other

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact:
Chennai

Status: UNKNOWN
Project Steward: Lakshmi Suryanarayanan
Project Partner(s): Ananth ES
Project Address: Urur Kuppam Balwadi
Tamil Nadu
Stewarding Chapter: Chennai

Note: This project has been rolled into <a href="http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=572">Project First Step</a>.

It has been recognized that children learn fastest, and most of what they learn in social and emotional well being, is in the first five years of their lives. These years also play a very crucial role in how children learn to use their senses to investigate, explore and organize information in their minds and learn how to talk cogently- narrate and describe.

The Balwadi programme in India is an outcome of the recognition of the need to expose children from the economically less privileged sections of society and give them a good start in life.

There is a Balwadi in almost every village in Tamilnadu and also quite a number of them in the cities. The Balwadis in Tamilnadu also have a noon meal scheme. There is also 'sattu mavu' provided for nutritious 'laddu' snack for the 2-4 year olds..

However these Balwadis now have become places where children eat and keep quiet. There is no material for children to explore and learn. There is not much to stimulate the child. Not much teacher guidance is available because the Balwadi teacher is constantly filling out information and delivering it to the nearest government Department office. Children learn to be passive or complain about others. The teacher is wastes valuable time just getting children to be quiet while she should be facilitating children?s activity. There are no toilets.

The Elliots Beach Balwadi has all the above problems besides also the number of children. There are about 80 children ages 2 to 5 and only one teacher to look after them. The teacher cannot do much except get the children to sit quietly or have children repeat after her. The monotony of this tells on both the children and the teacher.

A cook prepares the meal and the snack. Her kitchen does not have water connection and she has to compete with the local village people to queue for water. There is no place children can wash after eating.

Asha Chennai has been involved with the project for the last three years creating significant improvements. We have provided a clean and hygenic environment, toilets, good roof over the head, gas stoves etc. We have also provided running water supply and an electricity connection (with fans and lights). All these were lacking in the Balwadi before we started the project.

Asha has also employed two teachers to the Balwadi in addition to the Government teacher. With these teachers we have been able to make significant improvements to the education at the Balwadi to the extent that this is recognised as a model Balwadi by ICDS.

<font size="3"><b>Current Focus Items</b></font>
* Improvement to the flooring and other minor infrastructure improvements.
* Continuing to provide ongoing support (like teachers, materials etc.)
* Replicate the success here at other Balwadis (see Project FirstStep).