Asha for Education

Project Brief: Society of Education and Action (SEA) is an NGO working to improve the quality of life in the fishermen community of villages near Mahabalipuram, TN. Asha Dallas is supporting SEA's motivation centers and teachers' salaries.
Project Type: Alternative Education (description)
Primary Focus: children from slums (description)

Secondary Focus: children with disabilities

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact:
Dallas

Status: CURRENT
Project Steward: Sriram Muthukumar
Co-Steward: Guru Mathur
Project Partner(s): Desingu S
Project Address: Society for Education and Action
107 Nemmellikuppam Perur Post
Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu 603104
Tel: 9840676135
Stewarding Chapter: Dallas

SEA works to alleviate the economic challenges faced by the fishermen community and salt pan workers of the Mamallapuram district through education.Often in these fishing communities, children begin fishing or salt panning from the tender age of 10 years dropping out of school. Entering the family tradition is a way of life. However, many find it a difficult occupation since traditional fishing is a job of high risks, where few reap the benefits of a good catch. As a result many of these fishermen and their families suffer socially and economically.


SEA has developed several programs to improve the enrollment of school going children residing in this fishing community and reduce child labor. Services include increasing awareness about the value of education, creating motivation centers, child health programs, parent-teacher meetings and developing youth groups to eliminate child labor. They also support government schools by appointing well qualified teachers and taking care of their salaries,

Background and need for different programs:
The tsunami tragedy has affected the children as well as the community and aggravated poverty. There were less employment opportunities and abnormal fish catching, which has driven their immediate need from sending children to school to send them to some small establishments. Child Labour practice is not new to them. If the situation of the uncared continues then the vast number of school going children will be sent to work.

1. Most of the people in the fishing villages are illiterate and do not realize the importance of education, as a result the children are not enrolled in regular schools at the right age.

An enrollment campaign would bring in awareness and motivate parents to enroll their children to regular schools.

2. Due to poverty and inadequate income of the family, parents feel children as an asset in their family. By the time the children complete their primary education, both boys and girls become school dropouts, Boys take to their traditional job (fishing) and girls engage themselves as domestic maids or take care of their younger siblings while their parents are out on the job.

There is a need to identify such potential dropouts and motivate them to continue schooling through mentoring centers.

3. The high rate of school dropouts is not only due to the economic background but it also largely dependent on the availability of local schools, proper teaching methodologies adopted by the school teachers, the ratio of teachers and children and also the association of parents with teachers. Most of the local schools in the villages have inadequate teachers, as a result managing children becomes highly challenging. The children do not receive adequate attention and leads to drop outs.

Hence appointing well qualified teachers also become an important project for this community. SEA works together with PTA and supplements government schools with more teachers.

In November 2008, Asha Dallas decided to support the motivations centers in two villages, and two teachers salary components for government schools in Gangadevankuppam and Alaperikuppam. In 2009, Dallas increased support for two more villages. Please see attcahed proposal and site visit reviews.

Motivation center:
 Motivational center is a supportive education center for the school children.
 The educational qualification of teachers working in Motivational center is 10th (pass)/ +2
 Here they teach moral education, academic subjects, sports and general knowledge.
 Educational Materials are given by Action Aid to all the Motivation Centers.
 Both in Motivation Center and in Schools they follow ABL Method to teach (Activity Based Learning Method).
 Each Motivation center has minimum of 25 students.
 To avoid dropouts in the schools they run these motivation centers. The centers are usually rented front yards or terrace of a resident's house.

Please check all the documents for more information.
Shown below are some the photos from the site visit done in 2008.
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