Asha Trust - Asha Samajik Vidyalaya (Gonwara)
Asha Trust - Asha Samajik Vidyalaya (Gonwara)
Project Brief: ASV, Gonwara is a community school in Samastipur district of Bihar. The local communities are Mushar and Chamar (Dalit groups). Currently 52 children are enrolled in this school and are the first generation from this community to go to school.
Project Type: Educational Experiments (description)
Primary Focus: children of dalits/tribals (description)
Supporting Chapter Contact: Philadelphia
Project Type: Educational Experiments (description)
Primary Focus: children of dalits/tribals (description)
Secondary Focus: other
Area: RuralSupporting Chapter Contact:
Status: Support ended.
Project Steward: Ankur Pariyani
Project Partner(s): Vallabh Pandey
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , c/o Manoj Kumar,Village and Post Mahe,,
Bihar 848208
Tel: 91-9931956501
Stewarding Chapter: Philadelphia
Project Steward: Ankur Pariyani
Project Partner(s): Vallabh Pandey
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , c/o Manoj Kumar,Village and Post Mahe,,
Bihar 848208
Tel: 91-9931956501
Stewarding Chapter: Philadelphia
| May 2009 | Philadelphia | USD 2717 |
| Dec 2008 | Philadelphia | USD 1230 |
| Dec 2008 | Work an Hour | USD 1473 |
| Jun 2008 | Work an Hour | USD 3090 |
| Jan 2008 | Philadelphia | USD 1015 |
| Jan 2008 | Philadelphia | USD 700 |
| Aug 2007 | Philadelphia | USD 1000 |
| Jul 2007 | Philadelphia | USD 885 |
| Dec 2006 | Philadelphia | USD 1360 |
Total = $13470
Asha Samajik Vidyalaya was started in December 2005 by an Asha volunteer with the objective of initiating the process of education among the Mushar and Chamar communities in a tola (hamlet) called Gonwara, in Samastipur district, Bihar. These Dalit communities are landless and most of them including children below the age of 14 work in brick kilns. Total population of this tola is about 300. The major issues are untouchability, exploitation, poverty, illiteracy and consequent lack of awareness. This project has identified education as one of the ways to empower these communities and bring them into the mainstream of society.
The main goal of the project is to create an interest in education and help the children in these communities to become part of the regular schooling system with the aid of community education centers. There are around 40 children (age range 3-14 years) who are currently enrolled in Asha Samajik Vidyalaya and the project team uses play and learn methods to teach the students. Children are learning to read and write in Hindi and basic English. They are also learning how to perform mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and also get opportunities for creative thinking using arts and crafts. The project is trying to enroll the students in government schools so that they can use government facilities like scholarships, mid day meals and free books. Initially Asha Philadelphia was supporting only the school in Gonwara, but it has extended support to two more centers in nearby areas. One is in Mahe and has 20 children of different castes and one at Denghrahi with 40 children of Mushar community.
The vision of the project is to use education as a tool to spread awareness about government facilities; raise issues of child labor, exploitation, low income etc.; and raise consciousness among the community members about their right to information - all as part of a much needed Jan Andolan (people's movement).
The main goal of the project is to create an interest in education and help the children in these communities to become part of the regular schooling system with the aid of community education centers. There are around 40 children (age range 3-14 years) who are currently enrolled in Asha Samajik Vidyalaya and the project team uses play and learn methods to teach the students. Children are learning to read and write in Hindi and basic English. They are also learning how to perform mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and also get opportunities for creative thinking using arts and crafts. The project is trying to enroll the students in government schools so that they can use government facilities like scholarships, mid day meals and free books. Initially Asha Philadelphia was supporting only the school in Gonwara, but it has extended support to two more centers in nearby areas. One is in Mahe and has 20 children of different castes and one at Denghrahi with 40 children of Mushar community.
The vision of the project is to use education as a tool to spread awareness about government facilities; raise issues of child labor, exploitation, low income etc.; and raise consciousness among the community members about their right to information - all as part of a much needed Jan Andolan (people's movement).
Asha Samajik Vidyalaya intends to:
1)Expand the enrollment of children to Asha Samajik Vidyalaya.
2)Expand the enrollment of children to the nearby government school.
3)Organize exposure trips for the students.
4)Provide new clothes for the students once a year.
5)Spread awareness about exploitation of children working in the brick kilns.
In the next few years Asha Samajik Vidyalaya intends to:
1)Support good students by sending them to good education centers in the city of Varanasi.
2)Build a more permanent building for the school.
3)Organize health camps for the children in the community.
4)Expand such centers in other deprived tolas of the region.
5)Initiate similar work in the nearby flood affected communities (Kosi and Gandak river is a major source of floods in the area).
6)Develop a social consciousness among the marginalized communities with an essential emphasis on right to information.
7)Motivate the youth to work with such deprived communities by setting an example.
1)Expand the enrollment of children to Asha Samajik Vidyalaya.
2)Expand the enrollment of children to the nearby government school.
3)Organize exposure trips for the students.
4)Provide new clothes for the students once a year.
5)Spread awareness about exploitation of children working in the brick kilns.
In the next few years Asha Samajik Vidyalaya intends to:
1)Support good students by sending them to good education centers in the city of Varanasi.
2)Build a more permanent building for the school.
3)Organize health camps for the children in the community.
4)Expand such centers in other deprived tolas of the region.
5)Initiate similar work in the nearby flood affected communities (Kosi and Gandak river is a major source of floods in the area).
6)Develop a social consciousness among the marginalized communities with an essential emphasis on right to information.
7)Motivate the youth to work with such deprived communities by setting an example.
Asha Samajik Vidyalaya was started by Manoj Kumar, an Asha volunteer who spent two years working with the Asha Ashram at Lalpur, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). In August 2004, he came back to his village and recognized the lack of education facilities in this region. The nearest government school was around 1.5 kilometers and the small children could not go there. He decided to use the skills he developed at Asha Ashram and started an education center for children in Gonwara in December 2005. The school in Gonwara began with 15 children and currently the the enrollment fluctuates between 40-55 children. Asha has extended its support to two more centers in nearby areas. Currently there are four teachers who are working with the children. The team is also (a) spreading awareness about various government programmes/schemes, child labor issues, exploitation etc. (b) expanding its education related work in other mushar tolas and with the flood affected communities in the nearby areas. The vision of this team is to use education as a tool for initiating a social movement whereby such marginalized communities can fight for their own rights and improve their conditions.
May 2009 SanctionedBudget_2009_2010
May 2009 ProposedBudget_2009_2010
May 2009 Progress_Report_May2009
Dec 2008 Progress_Report_Dec2008
Jun 2008 WAH_questionASV_2008
Jun 2008 SynopsisASV_WAH2008
Jun 2008 ASV_sanctioned_budget_08_09
Jun 2008 ASV_proposed_budget_08_09
Apr 2008 ProposedBudget_ASVGonwara_08_09
Apr 2008 SiteReport_ASVGonwara_08
Jan 2008 progress_project2008
Jan 2008 Additional sanctioned Budget Jan08-Jul08
Jan 2008 Additional sanctioned Budget Jan08-Jul08
Dec 2007 Budget_Jan08_Jun08
Aug 2007 EmergencyFunds_Aug07
Jul 2007 Budget_Jul07_Dec07
Apr 2007 six monthly report 3
Apr 2007 six monthly report_2
Apr 2007 six monthly report_1_2007
Mar 2007 Progress Report
Feb 2007 Progress Report
Jan 2007 Funding details
Dec 2006 correspondence
Dec 2006 correspondence
Dec 2006 Progress Report
Dec 2006 Project details
Dec 2005 FAQs
Oct 2005 ASV Project Proposal
May 2009 ProposedBudget_2009_2010
May 2009 Progress_Report_May2009
Dec 2008 Progress_Report_Dec2008
Jun 2008 WAH_questionASV_2008
Jun 2008 SynopsisASV_WAH2008
Jun 2008 ASV_sanctioned_budget_08_09
Jun 2008 ASV_proposed_budget_08_09
Apr 2008 ProposedBudget_ASVGonwara_08_09
Apr 2008 SiteReport_ASVGonwara_08
Jan 2008 progress_project2008
Jan 2008 Additional sanctioned Budget Jan08-Jul08
Jan 2008 Additional sanctioned Budget Jan08-Jul08
Dec 2007 Budget_Jan08_Jun08
Aug 2007 EmergencyFunds_Aug07
Jul 2007 Budget_Jul07_Dec07
Apr 2007 six monthly report 3
Apr 2007 six monthly report_2
Apr 2007 six monthly report_1_2007
Mar 2007 Progress Report
Feb 2007 Progress Report
Jan 2007 Funding details
Dec 2006 correspondence
Dec 2006 correspondence
Dec 2006 Progress Report
Dec 2006 Project details
Dec 2005 FAQs
Oct 2005 ASV Project Proposal