VIKLANG BASTI COMMUNITY PROJECT,  NEW DELHI – INDIA

We have great pleasure in presenting the latest update of our activities in Viklang Basti in the south of Delhi. Many new programmes have been undertaken during the past year, enhancing and adding to the already popular and successful Informal School Project.  This was made possible by the very generous grant (£8,500) received from another Trust in Spring 2007, along with the monthly private donations that form the foundation of our funding.   

Our project administrator and trustee, Dr.Sashanka, has sent the following news from Delhi:

Education program:

For underprivileged children:

Children inhabiting the slum areas of metros are generally deprived of the basic education.  In most of the cases the reason is unawareness of their parents along with their economic backwardness compelling the children to work to earn “Two Square Meal”.  Thus, these children become the helping hand to their parents in earning meals for the family.   Many of the illiterate and underprivileged parents indulge in certain unsocial activities (drug dealing, theft, prostitution) and they pass out this trend to their offspring.  Though some government run programmes are addressing such issues, focused efforts of non-governmental organizations has proved to be more effective in achieving lasting results – this is probably due to a combination of government staff not being committed to the heart of the cause, along with a tendency for government funding to be switched here and there which can cause programmes to be relatively short-term.  The problems that the people of Viklang Basti  face have taken many years to build up and now they need time to overcome.

Recognising this need, JBF started its education program nearly 4½ years back. The prime objective of the program is to create an enabling environment for overall physical, mental and socio-cultural development of the underprivileged children. The Informal School offers a number of activities for the children besides basic literacy and numeracy classes. 

JBF Informal School is open 6 days a week.  Two teachers and one assistant are employed at the school.  New entrants are taught in the morning session of the school which operates from 09.00am to 1.00pm.  The afternoon session of the school provides additional guidance to the children from Viklang Basti who are attending the state run school.    Most of the students of this session are former students of the JBF Informal School who have been admitted to the state school.  With minimum facilities back at their own slum houses, the additional support of the afternoon session encourages the children in their homework as well as giving extra help in any matters that they are struggling with.

For underprivileged women:
                                               
JBF has run a womens education program at Viklang Basti since the month of May 2007.   The course material received from collaborator organization AICEIAW (All India Committee for Eradication of Illiteracy among Women) was distributed amongst the women of Viklang Basti and they are given guidance to learn from the course material provided.
Subjects covered include learning letters, numbers, lessons on family values, family management, health and hygiene, importance of birth control, weights and measures (of food, cloth etc). 
The women are able to bring their children to the classes. This allows many women to attend that would normally be tied to their homes with childcare.

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