The Problem:

We have some appalling statistics on rural primary education in India. The Annual status on Education Report suggests that 35% of children in grade 1 cannot recognize numbers 1 – 9 & almost 50% children in grade 5 cannot read a grade 2 level text. Moreover, there is a huge problem of dropout rates (nearly 40%). Primary education problem is a serious one and the more we delay, the more we are pushing millions of children into workforce without having basic educational foundation. This will have serious implications on India’s prospect as a developed nation in the coming decades.

The Solution:

We are trying to create an effective early education ecosystem in remote rural India. Given the India’s complex social, economic and political structure, we have taken the approach of setting up core Learning hubs in remote locations and having continuous engagement with surrounding primary schools with our intervention programs, thereby bringing in sustainable change in quality of early education delivery.

We are focusing on creating larger impact by focusing on enhancing existing early education delivery provided by Govt. We pitch into the gaps exist in early education delivery in remote rural India. We plan to set up regional learning hubs in each rural zone to work with schools in the areas of pedagogy, sports, computers on Cluster Schools model (Bray, 1987).

Objectives:

To improve learning outcome of the primary kids surrounding the Learning Hubs.

To generate rural employment for women, 75% of our employees are women.

To mitigate malnutrition & stunting of the kids in communities.

To generate Menstrual Health awareness and nutrition issues for women in communities.

To create an effective early education ecosystem involving mothers through implementation of best practices.

Multi-Pronged Strategy:

Core model

Current Focus – Sundarbans, Purulia and Murshidabad districts.

Creation of Learning Hubs in key Islands of Sundarbans and in Murshidabad – Quality learning inputs to address gaps of students of ages 2.5 years to 10 years through direct enrolment.

Interventions in primary schools within 5 kms of periphery of these learning hubs for greater impact and creating an effective early education eco-system.

Sports Interventions

EduToys based Interventions

IT interventions

YepMe Best primary teacher award to create teaching leadership in rural areas.

Peripheral Model

Minimal nutrition support, twice/thrice in a month, Millet Khichdi, local fruits, eggs given to kids in all learning centres.

Nutrition program for expecting mothers.

Plantation program (Fruit Saplings) in primary schools and in communities.

Nutrition Garden in primary schools to mitigate nutrition issues.

Education & minimal livelihood support for students & families of vulnerable kids to minimize school dropouts.

Parental engagement, effective engagement of mothers for better parenting in early years. Literacy program for illiterate mothers.

Current State of Work:

90+ strong team, 75% are rural women.

Learning Hubs – 20 Hubs in Sundarban, 1 Hub in Purulia and 3 Hubs in Murshidabad impacting more than 1200 kids directly. These hubs also do interventions in nearby primary schools on shared resources model.

Apurba Roy and Other such scholarships sponsoring 35 students currently.

10000+ fruit saplings distributed in this year, in communities to mitigate malnutrition.

Sustainable food projects in communities to mitigate malnutrition as long-term solution.

Menstrual hygiene and nutrition workshops for mothers.

Scale:

Create Learning Hubs in other islands of Sundarbans and Murshidabad.

Replicate the model in other districts of West Bengal.

Outcomes:

Quantitative

100% literacy for kids.

Zero malnutrition in communities.

Qualitative

Literacy program for the illiterate mothers

Nutrition awareness for the mothers

Better parenting skills for the parents

Effective early education ecosystem