Project Summary

The objective of this project is to strengthen access to elementary education to every child through empowerment of people and the capacity development of anganwadis, Village Education Committees (VECs), and other Community Based Organizations (CBOs). Vocational training will also be provided to some adolescents.

Photos and Videos 

Photo Album: ILP team visit (August 2010)

Region Demographics

Dhenkanal is a central disctrict in Orissa with a population of over 1 million in 1,215 villages. 91% of this population is in rural areas and predominantly Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and other backward classes. Dhenkanal is an agricultural district where forests play an important role in the economy. Hindol block has very limited access to government facilities. People in backward classes are a neglected lot. Children do not have access to basic education as the schools are located far way and/or teachers are not attending. Literacy rates of some tribal communities are low and the school drop-out rates are very high. Some adolescent girls are trafficked to far off places. Women are mostly illiterate and are exploited in different ways. People suffer from malnutrition and diseases (malaria, java dice water borne diseases), but health services are virtually absent in the area. Due to extreme poverty, almost all families see their children as an income generating economic asset and engage them as child laborers.

Intervention Details

1. Baseline Survey: Conduct a survey of the 18 villages to understand education and other related demographic data (Example: Number of children out of school, attendance in schools etc)
2. Early Child Care Development (0 - 6 years): Strenghten the anganwadis by getting new angawadis started (where there are none) and through a training program for anganwaid teachers and their assistants.
3. Primary Education (6 - 14 years):  Establish 2 learning centers (with teachers, teaching & learning materials) in villages that do not have a school currently. Provide 2 additional teachers (para-teachers) to public schools that have high student-teacher ratio.
4. Community Awareness/Ownership: VEC members have a vital role in running the primary school but are not aware of their responsibilities. Ganeswar Club will provide awareness/training to the VEC members twice a year. VEC members will then be entrusted with the responsibility to monitor enrollment and attendance of children in schools with special emphasis on girl child education. Monthly mothers' meeting and CBO meetings will be organized at the village level to regularize and emphasize on girl child education.
5. Drop-outs (Any age): Place as many as possible of the 231 identified 'drop-out' children back in school.
6. Adolescent Vocational Training: Provide vocational training (tailoring) for 50 adolescent girls in 2 training centers every year.
7. In addition, to address the lack of knowledge about health-related issues, GC will organize 4 awareness programs to educate adolescents about this subject.

Past Accomplishments

This section will be updated after completion of the first year of the project.

Success Stories 

This section will be updated after completion of the first year of the project.

About our Partner NGO 

• Ganeswar Club (GC) was established in 1975 by a group of young villagers to work for the upliftment of villagers in this area. GC became a registered organization in 1980.
• GC envisions just social order where women and men can participate equally in all aspects of the society. GC strives for an economic regeneration through education, thrift, skill training, entrepreneurship, policy, advocacy etc.
• Over the years, GC has worked on projects in various developmental areas like agriculture, vocational training, edcuation, women and child development.
• They were supported by partners like Hivos, Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), Department for International Development (DFID), Tdh, and Gandhi Peach Center.