“All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth. […] Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well.” (Aristotle). This is all the more true when we educate a girl child.
We at Change Foundation we remember with heartfelt gratitude and appreciation the support we received in 2017 from Fam. Posielek Foundation, especially Mr. Joachim, our Founder and Guiding Spirit, Mrs. Joanna Posielek and their family members and friends; also, from the Parish Priest and the elders of Menschwerdung Christi Parish Community and their children (Die Sternsinger/Kindermissionswerk) in Germany.
Their generous support helped us to empower helped us to empower a total of 280 children/youth from the most marginalized communities/families, mostly girls, providing education scholarships for 71 students (Girls: 50/70% & Boys: 21/30%); training 34 (100%) unmarried girls/young mothers in beauty culture skills, and supporting 175 children (Girls: 110/63% & Boys:65/37%) through Evening Tuition Centres (ETCs).
Indeed, educating a girl child, not only helps her empower herself, but also her children and the whole family in future. It ensures all aspects of their life, be it education and health of her children, her participation in decision making process within family and in community.
We gratefully remember all our Trustees, partnering organizations and individuals. The partner organizations include three women societies (Mother Theresa & Pragathi & Chiguru) and Navajeevan Bala Bhavan, Vijayawada at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. The organizations in Telangana: Karunalaya in Warangal, Cheyutha in Hyderabad, and Krupa Bhavan in Karimnagar. ‘Raksha’ – the social action wing of Amala Province of the congregation of Daughters of Mary in Chanda, Maharashtra and Lettona in Bhagalpur in Jharkhand.
Education Scholarships
During the reporting period of 15 months from Jan. 2017 to Mar. 2018, we could support altogether 71 students. There are 43 (61%) students from the state of Telangana, 20 (28%) from Andhra Pradesh, and 8 (11%) from Maharashtra.
Of the 71 students who received the education scholarships during the reporting period, 50 (70%) are girls and 21 (30%) are boys. Of the 50 girls, 22 (31%) are Orphans, 17 (24%) Semi-Orphans, 9 (13%) having both parents and 2 (3%) Single-Mothers. Of the 21 boys, 5 (7%) are Orphans, 6 (8%) Semi-Orphans and 10 (14%) having both parents.
Dr. Mudavath Krishna Nayak is from Chandrabanda Thanda, Marredu Village, Nagarkurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. His parents are agricultural labourers. He is the eldest among their four children. Polio-affected Krishna Nayak did his primary studies in his village and completed his studies up to 12th class with the support of Arogya Matha Rural Rehabilitation Centre, Kollapur in Telangana, run by Nirmala Dasi Seva Society, a partner organization of the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI). He got admission in 2012 into MBBS Course in Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana. Recommended by CHAI, the Posielek Foundation through Change Foundation supported his medical education. CHAI-LF also mobilized a three-wheeler scooter for him through Crowd Funding to help him with his mobility. Dr. Krishna Nayak conferred MBBS degree in April 2018.
Mr. Akhil Kumar Jadhav was supported by the Posielek Foundation through Change Foundation and he completed his graduation in Engineering (Computer Science) in 2017. His father died long time ago and his mother singlehandedly run the family, supported studies of her two children, working in a social organization, earning a meager salary. Currently Akhil works with the renowned Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) earning a stipend of over Rs.25,000/- as a trainees. He got selected for the job through campus placements. He wishes to give back the support he received by helping poor students to pursue higher education.
Akshara Evening Tuition Centres (ETCS)
Akshara means Alphabet. During the reporting period, we supported ‘Raksha’ – the social action wing of Amala Province of the congregation of Daughters of Mary in Chanda, to organize 8 ETCs for a total of 175 children from 1st to 10th Class. Most of the children belong to Dalit and Tribal Communities. Sisters of Amala Province are rendering their services in the very remote villages of Maharashtra and Jharkhand states.
In Maharashtra, 6 ETCs for 130 children (Girls: 95/73% & Boys: 35/27%) are being organized, on week days from 7pm to 9pm, at Matha Vihar Nursing Home in the village of Shengaon. In Jharkhand, 2 ETCs are organized for 45 children (Girls: 15/33% & Boys: 30/67%) of local tribal communities, at Lettona in Bhagalpur in Jharkhand.
As unintentional effects, these ETCs have now become a central point for the families and their communities to have health literacy education. Their community elders started advocating for improvement of community centres, free health check-ups and medical aid, street light facilities for children to walk back home safely after evening tuition classes, rallying against child marriage, etc. Sisters could also mobilize resources from local business establishments to provide uniforms for the ETC children and to meet their other needs.
At the ETCs, the children are organized into groups, named after inspiring personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Swamy Vivekananda, Mother Theresa, A P J Abdul Kalam, etc.
Extracurricular activities including cultural programmes, sports, study tours, are also being organized promoting their creative thinking, which in turn help them concentrate more on studies.
Under the aegis of ETCs, health literacy programmes are organized for both children and their parents, with special emphasis on hygiene, sanitation, safe drinking water, adolescent health, responsible parenthood, etc.
Skill Training in Beauty Culture
During the reporting year, altogether 34 unmarried girls/young mothers got trained in beauty culture in three batches during the reporting period from Jan. 2017 to Mar. 2018. Of these, 23 trainees who completed the training in the first two batches are gainfully engaged in beauty culture, either self-employed or working in beauty parlours in Vijayawada, earning substantial extra income to their families.
Those who work in beauty parlours started with a basic remuneration of Rs.4,000/- to Rs.5,000/- a month. They will fetching over Rs.10,000/- per month when they get experienced. These girls and young mothers also earn extra income by running own mobile beauty clinics by attending calls from women from middle income and rich families, and they earn substantial additional income.
One trainee Ambika of the first batch of 2017 opened her own beauty parlour at Food Junction in Vijayawada.
Conclusion
As noted, during the reporting period from Jan. 2017 to Mar. 2018, the generous support by the Fam. Posielek Foundation the Parish Priest & the elders of Menschwerdung Christi Parish Community and their children (Die Sternsinger/Kindermissionswerk) helped us to empower a total of 280 children/youth. These include education scholarships for 71 (25%) students; training in beauty culture skills for 34 (12%) unmarried girls/young mothers, and support through Evening Tuition Centres for 175 (63%) children.
These children/youth belong to most marginalized communities/families, spread over 4 different states: Andhra Pradesh (54/19%) & Telangana (43/15%) & Maharashtra (138/50%) & Jharkhand (45/16%).
Most importantly, of these 280 children/youth supported during the reporting period, 194 (69%) were girl-children/unmarried girls/young mothers: education scholarship for 50 & 110 at Evening Tuition Centres & 34 skilled in beauty culture trade. We thus reiterate our emphasis of empowering girl-children and women. We firmly believe, educating a girl child, not only helps her empower herself, but also her children and the whole family in future. It ensures all aspects of their life, be it education and health of her children, her participation in decision making process within family and in community.
Our Heartfelt Thanks and Gratitude to Fam. Posielek Foundation!