Asha Trust - Asha Samajik Vidyalaya - Punjab

Project Brief: To provide after school educational support in Gurudwara Ravidas of children of 3 dalit settlements in P.O. Sherpur
Project Type: Non-Formal Educational Centers (description)
Primary Focus: remedial education (description)

Secondary Focus: other

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: CentralNJ
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Aravind K
Project Partner(s):
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , Ravidas Gurudwara,,P.O. Sherpur,
Punjab  148025
Tel: 9417195538
Stewarding Chapter: CentralNJ
Dec 2007CentralNJUSD 6500
Dec 2006CentralNJUSD 4600
Dec 2005CentralNJUSD 5000

Total = $16100

Asha Samajik Vidyalaya (ASV), Sherpur is an after school program for the poor and underprivileged kids of daily wage laborers in a small village, called Sherpur, situated in the Sangrur district of Punjab (a North Indian state). The total population of Sherpur is around 3000 residential units. The education center was started in Sept-Oct 2003 in the open courtyard of Sant Ravidas Gurudwara. The primary goal of the program is to provide educational assistance to the poor children who are enrolled in the local government schools.

The center runs classes from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and teaches students from grade 1 to grade 9. There are a total of 236 (127 girls and 109 boys) students enrolled in the program and they are taught a variety of subjects (English, Hindi, Math, Science, Punjabi etc.). Currently there are a total of 6 full-time and 3 part-time teachers employed by the center who teach the above-mentioned subjects to the children.

In addition to providing traditional education, ASV Sherpur also instills healthy moral and social values in the kids. The children are also actively involved in contemporary issues like saving the environment. They have established a small nursery on a piece of community land with a little help from the local forest department. Providing basic computer education to children is also an item on the future agenda. ASV Sherpur also runs a sewing/knitting center to provide a source of income to the local people. 10 sewing machines have been donated by the forest department to aid this cause.

Asha CNJ has been sponsoring this project for 2 years now and has donated $5000.00 for each year. This money has been used to purchase school uniforms for the kids, their school supplies, books, teachers’ salaries, shoes for children, and frequent medical checkup of every child among other things. The center is constantly growing as more and more children continue to enroll in the program; the 2006-07 session saw an addition of an extra grade (grade 9) to the program.