Progress Report for Project FORWORD

June 2010 – Oct 2010

This progress report is basically compilations of emails sent periodically by the project partner to

the project stewards from June 2010 – Oct 2010. They are in the words of the primary contact at

FORWORD Ms.Shiamala baby.

June 4th

2010

Schools have re-opened for the academic year 2010-2011. As per the oral report, we come to

know, that we have got 100% pass in all the different standards of our children. Tomorrow,

on 05.06.2010, we will have the Teacher‟s upgrading meeting and the trainers are expected to

bring the details about their respective centres. I will send you the details within a couple of

days. On 06.06.2010, the children will be taken out on an educative tour programme. As a first

part, children from 8 centres will be taken out. They will be visiting Mahabalipuram, in addition

to other relaxation cum educative places in Chennai.

During the vacation, a good number of our children made good use of the days by

attending to various summer program named, “teaching grammar‟, „adolescent-counseling‟,

„Planning of one‟s future‟ and „play and study‟, conducted by FORWORD, while many children

were sent to their relative‟s houses by their parents.

Kindly find herewith a few pictures, of the cluster level Women‟s Festival programme,

which was conducted in Ramapuram on 03.06.2010. Mr.Natarajan, the Asst.Project Officer,

Mr.P.Ravimohan, Branch Manager, Indian Bank, Ramapuram, Duraivel, the Panchayat president

of Velamur Panchayat office and Ms.Mary Backiam, a human right activist from Tambaram

participated. During that occasion asha children from Ramapuram centre performed Thappai

Attom (folk dance, to the beat of Thappai, a traditional musical instrument of Dalits). It was well

appreciated by the Dignitaries, as well as by the participatory women.

June 6th

2010

On 6th

of June children above 6th

standard from 9 centres were taken on education cum relaxation

tour to Mahabalipuram. Children were so happy and enjoyed like anything. Since our children

come from most deprived background they are not participating in any of the tour programmes

arranged by their regular schools, because they are usually expensive. The children felt that they

are privileged to be part of asha family because they get such changes freely. They expressed

their thanks to the volunteers.

July 6th

2010

Ettiyappan from Thandarai Pudhucheri, who failed in his 10th

standard, is provided with special

coaching in our FORWORD centre. He is appearing for his failed subjects, now. Already he had

written two papers on 03.07.2010 & 05.07.2010 and has to appear for one more. He stays in

FORWORD and studies well. We hope, that he will come up well and will pass this time.

Tamil Selvi in standard 5th

, is the daughter of Saminathan an advanced AIDS victim and

Jayarakini. His wife the sole bread winner of the family, works in an export centre as a tailor.

They live in Irumbuliyur, in Tambaram.The elder sister of Tamil Selvi, Sophia doing her VII

standard is put up in a free boarding school, since Jayarakini, finds it too hard to keep the child

with her in between her odd-timed job (having shifts). The younger daughter Tamil Selvi is a

sick child and Jaya is waiting the child to finish her Vth standard, so that she can also be put up

in a boarding school. Due to her poor economical condition, Jayarakini is struggling to make

both ends meet.

FORWORD extends the support of asha for quality education to the child Tamil Selvi in

buying her note books and other educational materials, in addition to monitoring her studies.

August 10th

2010

We are happy to inform you that our student Ettiyappan‟s result is out and he has passed in the

two written papers. But he has got just pass only but we believe to improve his academic

efficiency from now onwards.

Also attached are some pictures from the evening centers.

August 13th

2010

On 11th

of August 2010, a Cluster level interaction programme of asha quality education children

was conducted in Thandarai, covering two nightly education centres of this Clustre. 60 children

participated in it, along with a few parents and elders of that locality.

Educational support was given to the deserving children.

S:No Name of the Child Standard Centre Social Status

1. Raghu B.A II year Thandarai Pudhucheri Poor Dalit and Sick

widow mother

2. K.Jenitha 6th

Thandarai Pudhucheri Elder daughter of

Prema a deserted,

distressed and poor

Dalit woman.

3. R.Deepa 9th Thandarai Pudhucheri Poor Dalit deprived

child

4. Kashthuri 10th

Thandarai Marginalized

community and poor

Fatherless child.

5. Kotteeshwari 8th

Thandarai Marginalized

community and poor

motherless child.

6. Sumathi 6th

Thandarai Marginalized

community and poor

neglected child.

7. Murugan 6th

Thandarai Marginalized

community and poor

fatherless child.

8. Mohana 10th

Thandarai Marginalized

community, motherless

and neglected child.

It is a happy thing to see that all our children are studying well. To start with the

Thandarai cluster children are helped with and this is to follow in other centres, where the

deserving children of asha will be helped with.

September 25th

2010

The children of Asha quality Education Centres are doing well. They excel in academic

efficiency as well as in good attitudinal output. They display qualities of discipline, self respect

and respect for others. Care is being taken to nurture in them the quality of tolerance and spirit of

competition in studies, without bitterness and jealousy.

As a part of teaching the values of social justice, Saturday Programs such as campaign

against child marriage and child labour are taken, in different centre like Mohalwadi, Elapakkam

etc.

On 24.09.2010, being the international Girl Child Day, special programmes were

conducted where the importance of girl children, the need to protect their human rights and

gender justice were imparted to the community as well as to the children. Girl children,

supported by boys took rallies to demonstrate their rights. They were honored with gifts, School

bags and supplementary learning materials like guides, dictionaries etc. Since 24th was a

working day for the children, the programs were conducted as cluster level, in the evening.

On 1st and 2

nd of September, the children had the privilege of being visited by Janani and

Palani. They visited five clusters, namely Pulikoradu, Jothi Nagar, Elapakkam, Mohalwadi and

Ramapuram. The children were extremely happy to be with them.

\

October 10th

2010

World Elders Day

Parents share equal respect along with God, as they share God‟s quality of creativity. God

creates life on earth. Mother and father are the instruments of creation of life and they monitor

the sustainability of life on earth. Thus life moves on from one generation to the next.

This noble creators, who in their younger age, provide and foster the life of their children,

often live in agony, depression, sickness and hunger in an uncared, neglected, position deprived

of their human dignity and human right, in their old age.

Though legally their right to a decent living in their old age is ensured in India, in reality

the condition of the elders are most pitiable. Often they are starved to death by their children and

in many cases; they are driven out by their children to earn money by begging.

In today‟s profit-oriented globalized context, where money alone is valued and not

relationships, these weak dependants are pushed to lead an in human life in their own homes. In

the evening days of their life, they are looked at, as unwanted burdens and loathsome parasites.

FORWORD, a rights-based organization, while working in different urban and rural

areas of Kancheepuram District in Tamil Nadu, is witnessing the agony of these noble human

beings, in their old age.

Sensitizing the individuals, family members and children on the need for protecting

human relationship and making them feel responsible to the elders of their families and

communities are regular activities taken by FORWORD. FORWORD tries to ensure the joy of

living in every struggling individual through three ways of activities. I).Empower the affected

individual. ii). Sensitizing the stakeholders about their responsibility towards their elders. iii)

Lobbying and doing advocacy towards ensuring their human rights legally.

As the violence against elders and violation of human rights of elders are increasing in

Indian society, FORWORD is intensifying its campaign activities on a regular basis. It has

brought confidence and assurance of a positive living in the life of hundreds of poor elderly

persons.

On 01.10.2010, the International Day of older people was observed by FORWORD. On

that day FORWORD, conducted programmes for the elderly persons of Thandarai village, in

Achiruppakkam Block. FORWORD spent one day with them in sharing their stories of joys and

sorrows, listening to them, dining with them, explaining about the new trend of life and

answering to their various questions of life. They were provided with gifts and cash. Though it

was a charity, it empowered them and made them to feel that they are not alone and there

persons to care for them and love them.

Thandarai is a small village, having 60 houses. These villagers belong to a deprived

community and their main occupation is agriculture. This village is very remote. Public

transportation ie bus plies only two times a day. Even this poor service is not regular on many

flimsy reasons like, rain, unavailability of drivers etc.In the recent years, agriculture has failed

and the villager as a whole got affected. The agricultural lands lay vacant. The villagers feel that

the expense of cultivation is more than the returns. Natural calamities like drought and flood also

add woe to the course of agriculture. As a result, debt, poverty and hunger had crept in. Since the

educational opportunity is very low here, people do not have any other alternative earning skills.

In every family, the youngsters had left their village, deserting their parents, who are now old.

Even the middle aged men, who are living here, are not taking care of their old parents telling

that the burden of their own nuclear family is too much for them, since they are unemployed.

In this context, the situation of the elders in Thandarai like many of the interior villages,

is extremely pitiable. Basically it is a human right violation. Neither their wards not the State is

taking care of them. Many of them are crying most of the time, of frustration, thinking about

their past glory and present agony. FORWORD, through asha for education programme is

running a successful evening coaching centre, to the school going students of this area, where

value based education is ensured to the children.

In addition to it with the support of Fonte DI Speranza ONLUS, child right campaign

activities are taken up to ensure a rights-protected safe living for the children of these areas.

Story of Neelavathy: Neelavathy aged 58 hailed from a neighboring village of Thandarai. She got married to

Dhanapaul of Thandarai, when she was 15 years of age she gave birth to three children two girls

and 1 boy. Both her girls are mentally challenged and dumb while the son is weak and sick.

Dhanapul owned a piece of land and the couple worked hard on it. Even when the children were

small, her husband Dhanapaul died. Then onwards Neelavathy was struggling hard to feed her

children. Neelavathy could not educate them and all of them worked in the fields. Her daughters,

who are in their forties now, remain unmarried. Her son got married and has got two children. To

add fuel to the story, both her son Dhayanidhi and his wife always fall sick. Often the whole

family will be sick. Whether sick or healthy, they keep themselves detached to the struggles of

these 3 women-his mother and his two sisters. In this condition, the life of Neelavathy and her

two mentally sick daughters are sustained by a few milch animals. By selling the milk, they

prolong their life.

FORWORD is concerned about their life struggles. We try to instill hope in their life and

to make them look at life with positive eyes, even in the midst of helplessness. Neelavathy is of

the opinion that life for her is a long journey of struggles. FORWORD tries to loosen the

struggles and to add new hope in her life, through kind words and kind deeds.

October 23 2010

Asha children in Vilankadu celebrating pooja Vilankadu is a small interior Hamlet of Dalits, which is not covered by public

transportation system. It comes under Achirupakkam Block of Kancheepuram District. It is one

of the most deprived hamlets, having around 70 huts. Adults of this village, as in other Dalit

areas are illiterate while their children are the first generation of school goers. FORWORD has

strong women groups in this area and out of them, the need evolved for running remedial

teaching centre for the benefit of the school going children.

As such, the service of asha for quality education was extended to the children of

Vilankadu for the past two years. A positive change in the attitude and academic efficiency is

emerging among the covered children. 25 children in and above IV standard and children below

4th

standard, attend to this centre on regular basis.

Ms.Sudha, Education Trainer,

Empowerment starts from Ms.Sudha, the Teaching Staff of this centre. From a vulnerable

timid, deprived and supposed to be „evil spirit-haunted‟ girl, Sudha is emerging as a bold,

informative, clear minded leader in handling the children, monitoring their studies and

organizing celebrations.

On 19.10.2010, the children decided to celebrate “Vijayadhasami” Pooja and the staff

members of FORWORD were invited including the Director, Education Facilitator and

Education Co-ordinator. It was a day of celebration for them. Children spent the evening playing

games, singing, dancing, exhibiting their individual talents in yogas and sharing of „pori‟ (a

product of paddy) fruits and sweets.

Previously, the parents cum sangam members conducted Poojas and blessed the children.

On this happy occasion, children took an oath to study well and shine. Greetings, made to asha

volunteers of U-Florida formed the special part of the celebration. They thanked their volunteers

for all the benefit, they are enjoying in the field of education, which is the life-empowering

weapon.

A few related pictures along with the list of the children, who have come within first ten

ranks, during their quarterly school marks is enclosed herewith.

S:No Name Class Community Tamil English Maths Science Social

Science

Total

marks

out of

500

Rank

in

their

class

1.

2.

3.

G.Sowmya

M.Sheela

S.Sunitha

VI

VI

SC

SC

SC

60

56

50

73

60

61

58

51

47

52

58

62

61

55

58

304

280

278

7

8

9

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

P.Immanuvel

R.Abinesh

S.Lokapriya

V.Shalini

K.Dhanasurya

VII

SC

69

61

67

64

40

52

54

50

53

50

73

63

63

63

51

80

72

70

70

63

80

73

70

70

66

354

323

320

320

272

3

5

6

6

10

9.

10.

V.Vijaya

Babu

G.Lokesh

VIII SC 75

80

84

75

62

62

72

61

73

60

366

338

2

4

11. K.Chandru IXth SC 84 69 78 86 78 395 1