Asha for Education

Project Brief: Bharatiyar Educational and Charitable centre runs the Bharatiyar Evening School in Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai to supplement the educational needs of students from near by slums: Periyar Nagar, Ranganatahpuram, and Indra Nagar suburbs.
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: children from slums (description)

Secondary Focus: remedial education

Area: Urban
Supporting Chapter Contact: St. Louis

Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Umesh Katpally
Project Partner(s): Lakshmi Suryanarayanan
Other Contacts: Swapna Kommidi
Project Address: , 522, II West Street,Kamaraj Nagar,Thiruvanmiyur,
Tamil Nadu  600041
Tel: 9444457411
Stewarding Chapter: St. Louis

Bharatiyar Educational and Charitable Centre established in December 2002 runs the Bharatiyar evening school with a mission to improve the quality and consistency of education of the slum-dwelling children. An exhaustive door-to-door survey in a sample colony built by slum clearance board of the state of Tamil Nadu looked into the standard of education the children receive, the importance they attach to education on the whole, their choice of education over the employment opportunities in front of them and their inner craving for good and complete education. The lack of social, cultural, economic and educational thrust to continue education was understood from the survey. In addition, their inability in adapting to higher education due to insufficient primary education came into light. These results led to the Bharatiyar evening school in Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai to supplement the educational needs of the students from the nearby slums: Periyar Nagar, Ranganathapuram, and Indra Nagar suburbs. It started with three students and a cold response from the parents and now grown to a hundred and odd students and a fully attended PTA (Parent Teacher Association) meeting.
Classes for all standards for such students are conducted between 4:00PM and 8:00PM every evening on all weekdays. Every Sunday, a prominent person from various walks of human life is made available for the children to interact with. Dasara (a major festival in India) holidays and winter vacation are used for sessions of arts, crafts, music, and drama to give exposure to all facets of Indian culture to the children. Refreshments are offered to the children during such sessions and all weekends. All days of national importance and festivals of various religions are celebrated.
Necessary books and notes for every student are distributed free in the beginning of the academic year and refurbished as and when they need more. On the whole, the students needs for supplementary tuition are fulfilled to enable them adapt to the school's demand of standards. This considerably reduced the students dropping out of schools and ending child labor. The exposure offered to them to other areas get them more focussed and civilized. Reducing their idle time and engaging them continuously keeps them away from the common hazards of slum-life.

Dec 2010 Funding Approval Meeting Minutes
Nov 2010 Site Visit report 2010
Jul 2010 Project Proposal 2010-2011
Apr 2010 Expense report_Apr2009-Mar2010
Aug 2009 ApprovalMeetingMinutes
May 2009 Expense report 2008-09
May 2009 Project proposal 2009
Apr 2009 BES_SiteVisit_2009
Jun 2008 Expense report for 2007-2008
Mar 2008 Project proposal 2008
Dec 2006 Project Proposal_BES
Dec 2006 Site Visit_BES_2007
Dec 2006 BES_Progress_report_2007
Jun 2006 Annual report 2005-2006
Jan 2006 Newspaper Report on the project