Project Shiksha

Project Shiksha

" For some education is a right...

For many, it’s a privilege. "

Project Shiksha aims to mentor and tutor students in the age group 12-16 years in order to reduce the current drop out rate in schools in the target community, i.e., Behrampada. This will be done through educational workshops held over weekends. The objective is to make children realize the importance of education and opportunities it provides for a sound future.

We also aim to set up a library in the community to supplement the education project, encourage the reading habit among children and give them exposure to quality educational material.

The project team has surveyed the community to identify the feasibility of setting up a children’s library. We sensed an acute problem with respect to huge rates of dropout in schools after standard seven. This is owing to the poor teaching standards in municipality schools at lower levels. Thereafter, these students are unable to cope up with middle and high-school curricula when they join secondary (private) schools at the next level.
Moreover parents were more than willing for any effort to help their kids study and grow. This made the group think of starting tutorials/ workshops for the kids who are dropping out of education system due to unavailability of proper guidance.

We are in the process of collecting old/ second-hand books for starting up the library and aim to have it up and running by end of February. The main sources of books are colleges across SIMSR campus and private schools in Mumbai.

Meanwhile we will conduct workshops in the community over weekends. One workshop has already been conducted, which comprised the mixed age -group of 7-13 year olds. The workshop comprised a memory game and story telling by children through pictures. This workshop was enjoyed by the kids, and has paved the way for and encouraged Shiksha team to carry on with the workshops in future with fervor. The aim of the workshops would be to mentor students, tutor them and encourage them to develop the habit of reading.

The team currently consists of 6 members, and we would like to welcome all interested SIMSRites aboard. We would appreciate if you pour in your suggestions/ comments/ feedback about the project through this blog.

Pictures of Children Attending the Workshop

Mehendi Team, SIFE-Somaiya

Scope of Mehendi Project :

This project aims at bringing together a few ladies of Prateeksha nagar & training them in mehendi art, tattoos and other skills like nail art so as to enable them to earn a living and become independent.

Number of students involved-7

A group of 7 women were identified from the area . We have also identified a mehendi art trainer among these ladies, who will be training the other ladies in the required skills. We hold regular workshops with them in the college teaching them how to maintain the accounts, keep diaries, communicate with clients, note down their telephone numbers, address and finally fix appointments besides teaching them other etiquettes and manners needed for interacting with customers.

Achievements:

We have successfully setup Mehendi kiosks in Inorbit Mall, Malad. The kiosks were set for 3 days from morning 10 to evening 8. Many customers were attracted and it was a good deal. These attempts have brought a lot of confidence among the ladies and they are slowly learning & developing marketing skills.

Discrepancies:

The following discrepancies were observed when the kiosk was set up:
1) The ladies could not converse comfortably with the customers.
2) The confidence level of the ladies was quite low.
3) They could not keep the accounts.

Plan of Action:

1) An attempt was made to train the ladies to improve their communication / interpersonal skills.
2) They are being trained to handle accounts, keep diaries, fix appointments.

We plan to setup kiosks in other malls, multiplexes and Vidyavihar campus itself and are looking out for opportunities for the same. Besides this, we are also working towards getting associated with popular matrimony sites inorder to promote our services are reach our target customers soon. We are having talks with Standard Chartered Bank for their association with SIFE and especially Mehendi.

Presenting " The MicroFinance Team "

The Idea

To use the successful modal of microfinance in the SIFE Somaiya projects to encourage sustainability of projects.

The Objective

· Encouraging the concept of self-reliance.
· Ensure serious involvement of the community in the project.
· Empowerment of weaker sections especially women.
· To self sustain the projects.
· To encourage the concept of microfinance.

Proposed benefactors

Banks which are interested in the process of development.
NGOs which are working for financial self reliance.
Microfinance Institutions

Beneficiaries

The communities associated with SIFE Somaiya projects.
Women of weaker sections.
The women associated with Sahas (Somaiya)

Intended plan of action

Convince the beneficiaries and approach Mr. Qazi of SBI Bank with the plan.
Assist the beneficiaries for the process.
Ensure that there is a timely recovery of loans.
To guide and felicitate them for smooth working progress.

Workshops

We have organized 2 workshops till now for the formation of the SHG. These workshops were attended by some of the eminent members of the society who encouraged these women to form the Self Help Group. Some of these speakers who attended the workshop were Mrs. Kumud Kapadia (Active Social Worker and also assisting in the embroidery project), Mrs. Madhu Panjabi (Bank Manager NABARD), Mrs. Nirmala Shetty (Founder Owner of the Nirmala Beauty Clinic), Mr. Qazi (AGM SBI Microfinance and Credit cell), Mrs. Shobha Javalgekar (Officer and Trainer in Maharashtra Cell for Entrepreneurship Development), Ms. Ranjana Kaushal (Leading Social Worker and Sahas Coordinator).

Mr.Quazi -AGM SBI Microfinance and Credit cell ,talking to the Self Help Group as Ms.Ranjana Kumar,SAHAS coordinator looks on during the Workshop held in Somaiya campus on 13th December,2006

Current Status

The SHG has been initially formed and as of now 19 ladies have formed part of the SHG.

The women are trained by Sahas Somaiya in different fields to start some income generation activities.
Ms. Ranjana Kumar of Sahas Somaiya and Mr. Qazi of SBI are assisting us in the process.

SHG team members

1) Amrupali
2) Meena
3) Mahima
4) Geeta (Embroidery)
5) Anita
6) Roshni
7) Anjali
8) Suvarna
9) Jagriti
10) Monika
11) Pramila 1
12) Maya
13) Suman (Embroidery)
14) Abhinatri
15) Ujjwala
16) Pramila 2 (Embroidery)
17) Shabana (Mehendi)
18) Neelu (Mehendi)
19) Priya (Mehendi)


Future Plans

The primary objective of the group will be ensuring success of the SHG formed by providing adequate assistance. The group is planning to implement the model in the other areas too. We are also planning to develop street plays to educate the women of the lower strata.