Empowering Rural Education Through Seva Mandir Initiatives

Seva Mandir Rural Education Program Udaipur/Rajsamand, Rajasthan 2017

Background: Seva Mandir Founded in 1968 with an extensive education promoting for promoting primary education since 1991 The work of the organization spans over 626 villages, around 70,000 households, distributed across five blocks Badgaon, Kotra, Girva, Kherwara, and Jhadol Key strategic organizational objectives: To create and strengthen institutions for development To enhance people s capabilities for self-development To create sustainable improvements in the livelihoods base AfE-SV supports education program in Badgaon block since 2007

Seva Mandir Education Program Seva Mandir Education Program has its roots in Lok Jumbish movement Lok Jumbish - education for all - movement started in 1989 aimed at ensuring education for all in the state of Rajasthan through community mobilization with three primary objectives Universal Primary Education Universal retention of children up-to 14 years, and Improvement in quality of education to enable essential levels of learning Shiksha Kendra (NFE Centers) for promotion of primary education Non-Formal-Education centers in villages across Udaipur/Rajsamand district to bring literacy to first generation learners with community partnership Evolved directly out of Lok Jumbish movement Seasonal Residential Learning Schools for tribal children Full-time Immersive, seasonal residential school evolved out of extensive research in tribal and migratory regions of southern Rajasthan

Seva Mandir Education Program [2] Activity Centers (Sahayog Kendras) Capacity building initiative with the government schools Support Center to improve learning and introduce activity based learning Improve attendance, retention, and comprehension amongst children attending government schools Improving overall quality of education and in-part community trust in the government schools Action Research Project with MIT-PAL Measure, and in part develop, intrinsic motivation of teachers Reduce teacher absenteeism through use of camera and other intervention techniques Make children and parents participate in improving quality of education in school

Seva Mandir Education Program [3] Jan Shikshan Niliyams or Village Libraries Community powered, often mobile, libraries in villages to bring education and general awareness to doorstep Uurja Ghar Youth Resource Centers Targeted intervention focused at rural youth of age 14-25 to who are losing their affinity with the village Equipping the youth to meet the challenges of the changing world Forum for constructive recreation as well as building and acquiring useful skills and knowledge

Seva Mandir Project Summary AfE-SV primary education intervention programs in the entire Badgaon block Operating 21 Shiksha Kendras in Badgaon block Initiating/Operating 5 Activity Centers in Government schools Supporting at least 20 tribal children from Badgaon for seasonal residential learning camps We reach over ~1700 children directly through this project Seva Madir education program reaches ~6000 children overall in Udaipur district Seva Mandir NFE Centers have been officially recognized as Special Teaching Centers by the Education Department, Govt. or Rajasthan and are in-principal RTE compliant [2012-2013] Study Report of progress and overall impact of Shiksha Kendras since the beginning of AfE-SV funding is here http://www.ashanet.org/projects- new/documents/876/impact_study_report.doc

Seva Mandir Project Summary AfE-SV Seva Mandir works in 79 tribal village under Badgaon block, and covers three Panchayat Samitis of Udaipur and Rajsamand Migration of adolescents to cities and town is a major school dropout contributor Education Program is present in 21 villages, and (NFE Center Program) is recognized under RTE by the Govt. of Rajasthan as a legitimate and necessary intervention

Seva Mandir Proposal 2017 Seva Mandir proposes following changes: Shift primary education program from Badgaon to Kotra block Upto 30 NFE Centers in Kotra block Upto 25 children from Kotra block to attend seasonal residential learning camp Continued support for 5 Activity Centers in Badgaon block Activity Centers support middle/high schools in Badgaon in partnership with Government schools Started in 2008/2009 with AfE-SV support

Seva Mandir Proposal 2017 Kotra block comprises of 43 village panchayats and 262 revenue villages. Kotra overall has 264 Anganwaadi (pre-schools) and 363 primary schools Physical infrastructure exists but roughly half of the primary schools are even partially operational More than half of the primary schools have only one teacher Since 2014/15 middle and primary schools have been merged to meet the attendance targets but has made schools inaccessible in many villages leading to a spike in drop-offs Seva Mandir currently runs 48 NFE Centers and 48 day care centers in Kotra AfE has supported Badgaon block primary education program since 2007 and has had significant success in both in terms of retention as well Government school enrollments Objective is to improve retention and government school enrollment rates in Kotra. Specifically improve girl child enrollment in schools which is amongst the lowest in Kotra block

Seva Mandir Proposal 2017 item budget term NFE Centers $ 35455 annual Residential Learning Camps $ 10205 annual Activity Centers $ 5379 annual Coordinator Salary $ 3939 annual Total $55000

NFE Centers/Shiksha Kendra Budget breakdown Budget Estimate for Running One Shiksha Kendra for One Year Budget Heads Details Amount in Rs. Teacher Stipend (Rs.4500 x12 months) 54,000 Study Material for students of the SK Rs.500 per child 15,000 Infrastructure cost (Rent, repair etc ) @ 200 / month + 900 maintenance 3300 Evaluation of children (twice a year) 1200 Instructor meeting Rs.375 per meeting x 4 meetings 1500 (4 times a year) Instructor training One training a year 2000 Camera monitoring Rs.500 per SK 1000 Total Rs.78,000

Residential Learning Camp Budget breakdown Budget estimates for 25 children to attend one Learning Camp Budget Heads Details Amount in Rs. Boarding And Lodging (25 children + 3 teachers) x Rs.150 x 60 days 2,52,000 Study Material Rs.300 per child 7,500 Medicines and toiletries Rs.300 per child 7,500 Uniform for children Rs.300 per child 7500 Travel Rs.350 per child 8,750 Teachers stipend @Rs.250 per day x 60 days x 3 teachers 49,500 Teachers training 4,000 Total Rs. 3,36,750

Activity Center Budget breakdown Budget estimate for Running One Activity Centre for 1 year Budget Heads Details Amount in Rs. Teacher Stipend Rs.4500 x 12 months 54,000 Material Books, Resource Material, etc 10,000 Infrastructure cost 1,000 Training 5,000 Miscellaneous 1,000 Total Rs. 71,000

Seva Mandir Progress Update 2016 Shiksha Kendra 22 SKs in Badgaon directly reaching ~568 children supported by AfE-SV, and have 2 teachers on average 129 new enrollments which is 25% or total enrolled 57% newly enrolled students are girls Total girl child attendance averages 57% 104 or 18% children in total graduated to Government schools in 2016 47% girl child enrollment into government schools 64% (highest in 5 years) were enrolled into grade 5 & 6 In 2015, 19% children enrolled into Government schools with 46% admitted to Grade 5 & 6 60% retention in Government schools of which 44% are girls 66% are in grade 6 and above Of 40% drop offs, 18% engaged in domestic work, 2% in labor work, and 5% are working hotels (see 2016 Annual Report, Retention Study)

Seva Mandir Progress Update 2016 Shiksha Kendra Evaluations mid term Boys 118 58 72 248 Girls 110 56 42 208 total 228 (50%) 118 (25%) 114 (25%) 456 Level 0 & 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level total annual Boys 100 66 59 225 Girls 109 54 38 201 total 209 (49%) 129 (28%) 97 (23%) 426 Level 0 & 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level total

Seva Mandir Progress Update 2016 Learning Camps 3 learning camps conducted @ Mohan Singh Mehta Rural Training Center, Kaya 154 total unique children participated (68 boys and 86 girls) 30% children were engaged in farming related activity 19% engaged in unpaid domestic work 20% children were engaged in paid labor activities Focus Areas: Language skills Hindi, and introductory English Mathematics Basics including multiplication, division, and place values Computer Training End Term Evaluation: Total Level A Level B Level C 180 (74boys, 106 7 (3 boys, 4 girls) 53 (24 boys, 29 girls) 120 (47 boys, 73 girls) Nov 15 girls) 170 (71 boys, 99 34 (5 boys, 19 72 (26 boys, 46 girls) 64 (30 boys, 34 girls) Jan 16 girls) girls) 152 (68 boys, 84 97 (42 boys, 55 50 (22 boys, 28 girls) 5 (4 boys, 1 girl) May 16 girls) girls)

Seva Mandir Progress Update 2016 Activity Centers 5 Activity Centers, co-located in government schools supported by AfE-SV 833 children (461 boys, 372 girls) between grade 1-8 benefit from Activity Centers 9 full-time instructors work in 5 activity centers

Site visit was conducted in 11/25-26 2016 by Amit Sharma Riddhi Shah, Anjela Jacob from Seva Mandir participated in the field visit Visited two NFE centers in Kotra block Visited one Anganwaadi in Kotra block Meeting with the block coordinator and zonal workers in Kotra block Visited a Youth Resource Center in Kotra and meeting with students of Government school and SBI-YoI Fellows

Site Visit