The Legacy Education project has been implemented in 60 elementary schools of 39 villages in two blocks (viz. Bagidora and GangadTalai) in Banswara district since August 2014. The project aims at supporting 25 young girls from poor and excluded communities to access university education and ensuring quality elementary education to tribal 6000 children (6 to 14 years) through effective compliance of Right Education Act in government elementary schools. The following key activities were organized for achieving the goals, objectives and expected targets of the year:

• Project Staff Training
• Mid-Term Review (MTR)
• Strengthening Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
• Child Welfare Committee (CWC) at children’s door step for addressing child malnutrition
• Enrollment Campaign
• Life Skill Education and Career Counseling to Adolescent Girls (Girls Forum)
• Strengthening Children’s Groups
• Reflective Workshops with Teachers
• Beti Zindabad and stopping Child Labour & Migration Campaign

Project Staff Training

The district project team was reoriented by organizing two-day workshop for their capacity building for developing their understanding on planned activities, targets, issue of child protection, pedagogic processes in schools, communication, documentation and monitoring mechanism of the project and rights-based framework. They were briefed about the concept of child friendly villages and schools. The criteria for making the community-based organizations (SMCs, CPCs and CGs) functional and effective were decided. Similar criteria were also adopted for selecting the child friendly schools by ensuring the participation of at least 70% members of SMC in the monthly regular meetings.

Mid-Term Review (MTR)

A joint team of funding partner (ActionAid) and project implementing partner (CULP) organized an exercise of MTR in April 2016. The team organized FGDs with representatives of different stakeholders and interviews with individual beneficiaries of the project did observations of activities, meetings of Bal Manchs, CPCs and SMCs for understanding the issues and impact of the project on lives of children and people. The members (N=50) of community-based organizations (SMCs and PRIs) from 10 villages shared their experiences how they were involved in the process for addressing the children’s issues, what kind of initiatives they have taken and submitted memoranda and proposals to the block and district level authorities for demanding effective compliance of provisions of RtE Act for improving the condition of their schools. Gram Panchayat CPC member Shanker Bhai expresses “we have linked 75% eligible people with different social security schemes by the proactive efforts of members of CPC in Ummedgari Gram Panchyat. Our Committee is working to stop child labour, child marriage and improve girl child education’. Sarpanchs and Gram Sevaks (GP Secretary) of two GPs and one Anganwari worker and other representative also shared their effort for supporting child rights in their respective villages.

The CPC and SMC of Khodalim village submitted proposal to the district collector for construction of new school building, toilet, appointment of subject teachers and providing land for playground. This was done keeping as the present building was very week and was a risk as it was not safe for children to sit underneath.

Strengthening Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)

In 12 locations (villages, one each Gram Panchayats) for creating Child-Friendly villages and schools, members of Child Protection Committees (CPCs), SMCs and PRIs were oriented and sensitized towards various issues affecting children like malnutrition, child labour and migration, child’s education, child abuse and trafficking etc. The community members (parents) and people representatives were mobilized through regular field visits, dialogues with them for identifying the risk situations for children in family, community and school and understanding the provisions given under various laws related to children to provide them safe and risk free environment and effective compliance of Right to Education in their village school.

Interactive meetings were organized with 12 sarpanches, 85 ward panches for sensitizing them on child rights and ensure their pro-active role in school development and stopping incidences of child labour, child marriage, supporting child rights, girl’s education through compliance of RtE Act and reducing malnutrition, accessing benefits of social security schemes to the economically vulnerable families. 124 meetings were organized with members of CPCs in which 1038 males, 702 females and 49 children participated and they were oriented towards their roles for accessing the benefits of various social security schemes (Palanhar Yojna, widow pension, old-age pension, Pannadhay, AmritYojna, Sahyogi schmes).

GPs level CPCs were reconstituted by organizing meetings in which 212 members (including 12 Sarpanchs, 12 village secretaries, 12 child welfare police officers, 15 ANMs, 20 Anganwadi workers, 15 school HMs, 15 SMC members, 32 ward panchs, 24 children’s representatives & 55 community people) participated. The framework and strategies for stopping child labour and migration from the project villages to Gujarat were was developed by the members during the workshop which was agreed by the members.

Two-day training camps were organized in collaboration with SSA for orientation of newly elected members of SMCs during the months of 3rd to 18th October 2016 in which about 449 members were oriented on RtE Act and understanding child education rights, situation of schools (identification of issues and problems), provisions under RtE, different programmes meant for implementation of RtE norms and their roles and responsibilities for preparation of School Development Plan and its effective execution and monitoring.

The Regular monthly meetings of village level CPCs in project 39 villages and SMCs in 60 project schools on pre-decided agenda (includes issues / problems related children’s rights and education) were facilitated. They were extending hand-holding support for resolution of issues / problems, preparing proposals and memoranda for effective compliance of provisions of RtE Act in schools.

SMC meeting held on 1st July 2016 at Lilbani PS in which 18 members participated including SMC, VCPC, CG members & school teacher’s. In a similar meeting held at Nichla Fala, Rohanbadi primary school, issues concerning were mainly with respect to closure of schools before time, no drinking facility in schools, and playground for children. Identified issues were discussed and decision was taken to submit memorandum addressed to BEEO (Block Elementary Education Officer).

About 35 memoranda and proposals were submitted to the government authorities and copies to the people representatives and local print media (both at block and district levels) during last one year for demanding to comply the different provisions of RtE Act in schools. The decisions of submission of memoranda and proposals were taken in regular monthly and special meetings of SMCs and VCPCs by the members. On some of the issues, the immediate actions were taken by the government like posting of teachers, construction of boundary walls, toilets, leveling of playgrounds, transferring transformer from school premise, demolishing of bad shaped classrooms and constructing new classrooms etc.

Child Welfare Committee (CWC) at children’s door step for addressing child malnutrition

A large number children suffering by acute malnutrition and polio cases have been reported almost from all project villages and situation was highlighted in print media on 13 April 2016 “Kuposhanki mar Betiyabehal”. On 21st April, members of Childline and CWC (including Gopal Pandya & Hayatulla Khan, Chairperson & member, CWC) visited Lalawada and met with children, their parents and community leaders. They referred three cases to District hospital for treatment. Doctors have expressed that they have facilities for treating the polio affected children and children were returned back home. To which CULP team members have taken the initiative and informed the officials of childline and CWC to support those children. On this basis CWC assured the villagers that these children can be referred for treatment from Narayan Sewa Sanstha in Udaipur.

Enrollment Drive

From 27th June to 20th July, Enrollment Campaign was organized in selected 30 project villages. Objective of this campaign was to link out of school (both drop out & never-enrolled) children with school and also link right-aged (3-5 year) children in AWCs and 5+ aged children in Schools. The community members (including VCPC, SMC, PRIs) played very important role by participating actively in the campaign and interactive meetings on the issues of children and their rights and supported logistic arrangements, . Total 725 new admissions were done in 30 schools & 219 children with AWCs these were the children who were mainly out-of-school children mainly involved in labour work.

Life Skill Education and Career Counseling to Adolescent Girls (Girls Forum)

Two-day workshop was organized on life skills education for 25 adolescent girls of socially and economically vulnerable families who getting scholarship support for higher / university level education in small and remote tribal habitations. The girls were given opportunity to share their life experiences, strengths, interests / hobbies, likings and disliking. The girls were asked to identify themselves, their status in family, community. The issues like gender-based violence, gender and social discrimination, social relationship, adolescent (sexual and reproductory) health rights was also shared. The girls expressed both verbally and written form about their ambitions, dreams and what they want to become / achieve in their life and for which what they have to learn.

Two meetings of girls’ forum were organized at Atal Seva Kendra, Rohanwari on 6th & 24th September 2016. In the forum life skills techniques were discussed so that they could boost their confidence and achieve success in their life. Each of 25 girls have been a project assignment for conducting a survey in their own village which aimed to develop their communication skills, understanding the prevailing situation on social, gender, education and rights of children, girls, women, dalits in the society. They were oriented in developing tools, rapport building with different stakeholders in rural community, collecting information in both structured, semi-structured formats, consolidation and analysis of information and preparing report. The following information was collected by the girls:

• Both enrolled children and out-of-school children
• Children’s involved in domestic work and also migrating to other place in search of work.
• Capturing perception of parents and their awareness level on rights of children, girl child education and legal entitlement of the people.
• Identification of eligible people for various social security schemes but not availing the same.
• Identification of malnourished and differently-abled children.

The individual member of girls’ forum prepared report shared with the project team members. Through this exercise, 18 drop-out children were removed from labour enrolled in schools.

Strengthening Children’s Groups

Children’s Groups called ‘Bal Manchs’ (each comprising 20 to 30 children, aged 10 to 18 years) were constituted in 39 project villages, covering 60 schools during the beginning year of the project which were strengthened during this reporting period through regular monthly meetings with the members of Children’s Manchs were held. Total 131 meetings were organized during last one year in which 1147 girls and 1192 boys, 52 parents, 95 members of SMCs and VCPCs, 46 ward panchs, 40 teachers, 8 staff, 52 members from the community had participated in diverse activities. During these meetings the members of children manchs were capacitated to understand their rights, inculcated social, behavioural, communication and reflective skills. They raised their voices before adult groups / community leaders for demanding their rights to be ensured.

On 22nd December 2016, a child fair was organized at Govt. Primary School, Ghoriya in which 12 teachers and 245 children from five schools. 90 members from the community joined and supported activities in the fair.

The fair was inaugurated by a school drop-out girl ‘Rekha’ who joined school again, now is taking keen interest. Many activities related to Mathematics, Social studies, Science, Hindi and English subjects was played which include 28 types of different games like Jawalamikhi, Nishana Chook Na Jaye, Zara Sambhal Ke, Aao Desh Banaye, Rang Do Duniya Saari, Varg Paheli, etc. Each of activities was facilitated / conducted / demonstrated by a team of children consisting 2 boys and 2 girls. Some of the students sang beautiful and melodious poems and songs in the middle of some activities in which community members also participated. 19 out-of-school children also attended the fair and they felt lot of joy in doing the activities. District Project Manager ‘described the major objectives, roles of the CULP and presented an activity with the help of a bottle and cigarette to show the horrible and direful effects of smoking. After that, all villagers took oath of not using and supporting to the tobacco products. Bal Mela concluded with drawing / painting on long white cloth sheet pasted on wall. Children also elected members of village level CPCs in the project area which inculated the understanding of democratic processes in the society and ensuring the community adults commitment for fulfilling the rights of the children.

Reflective Workshops with Teachers

Two-day non-residential teachers’ training was organized at Maa Sharde College, Gangartalai on Nov. 28 & 29, 2016. Total 101 teachers participated in addition 5 members in resource group and 8 project staff members (including PC and animators). The major objective of the training was to inculcate understanding and professional skills among the teachers on curricular framework and creating child-friendly environment in schools. Teachers were oriented on various aspects quality education. The key aspects of training curriculum were as follows:

Understanding the principles of learning and nature of subjects (Hindi and Mathematics) and curricular framework of primary grades (pedagogical understanding)

• Effective use of strategy for dealing multi-level and multi-grade situation in primary schools
• Indicators of Child-Friendly Environment in schools
• Use of local dialect (bagari) for learning Hindi and English language in early grades (transition from Home language to school language).

The diverse methods (including brain-storming exercise, open- discussions, group works and presentations by groups) were used to ensure the pro-active participation of almost 90 percent teachers which established a dialogue among them.

Beti Zindabad and stopping Child Labour & Migration Campaign

A Six-day of Beti Zindabad and stopping Child Labour & Migration Campaign was conducted in collaboration with six line departments of the government (Education , Labour, Social Justice Empowerment, Women Empowerment, Child Rights, Health) from 22nd to 27th Aug. 2106 in 12 project villages to bring a mass awareness among different key stakeholders of village community on need of girl’s child education, to bring equality among boys and girls, develop understanding level upon child rights & to stop migration, child labour& sexual abuse of girls. The District Collector Banswara (Prakash Raj Purohit) released the major IEC Material (including two postures) and inaugurated Campaign started an mobile van carrying messages and IEC material for dissemination to the larger community in the project area. This mobile van visited 12 villages where nukkad nataks and interactive meetings were organized in which more than 5000 people participated, among them 1861 (M:1097 & F:764) were from PRIs, SMCs and CVPCs who played pro-active role for organizing the events at village level, facilitating discussion and dissemination of the messages, and taking auth to stop child labour and migration. Through this campaign awareness was built amongst community people through various folk songs, role play by local folk artists / actors“Padhi Likhi Bahu Aur Anpadh Beti” hoardings were displayed about child right related issues, people gave an oath letter not to do any work with children which will hamper their rights. VCPCs, CGs, SMCs, Mothers and Girl child group’s members showed their interest in the campaign.