Getting the spoken English Edge...with Alisha (Volunteer)

 Getting the spoken English Edge...with Alisha 

(a Volunteer from New Zealand)

A volunteer from New Zealand named Alisha Menezes commenced a 20 session 'Basic English Speaking Course for three groups of participants on the 26th March, 2014 at Swajan Jagruti Kendra.  





1. Students from the Xth and XII Stds, 
2. Women 
3. Men 









The Course has been developed by her based on an outline shared by English-Edge. 

More information will follow on the participation of the students as the days progress.

Government Departments access Swajan Jagruti Kendra Resources

CDPO referring to Library Books

One of the goals of the Swajan Jagruti Kendra (SJK) is the put the resources at the service of the community and all affiliate Government Departments to utilize the available facilities. The CDPO of Mhasala Taluka visited SJK along with 21 Anganwadi workers from a beat (area). 

Anganwadi Workers access Library Books

CDPO & Anganwadi workers explore ECD Section

Prasad the Cluster Head of Mhasala for Swades along with his team have been currently exploring possible partnership with PRIDE India with a focus on their early childhood center capacity building options along with BATU for certification and the CDPO for official government permission to organize 24 sessions over the next six months for at least 20 Anganwadi workers of one beat under the READ India's government approved program from the Ministry of Women and Child Development. 

Computer Masti - A great plan for the Students this Summer!

Riyali has been working hard to brush up her acquired Computer Skills to equip herself for getting the various levels of Computer Classes started. Swades Staff - Prasad, Amol and Cletus met up with Riyali and Deepti from the Education Vertical to plan for integrating Computer Masti programme Level 1 into the basic Computer Classes. 

The various target groups for whom this programme was planned was for Primary School Children, Xth Std Students, XII Std Students, Women and Men. Deepti would be training Riyali over the next 8 days on the Computer Masti programme and consequently Riyali would roll out the programme simultaneously for Primary School Children and the Xstd batches. 

Similarly for the women the basic component would be weaved into the six months course that would earn the participants a certification as per the NMEW programme of the Government. 

Celebrations - Holi

Holi is an important festival to Hindus. It is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna(February/March), (Phalgun Purnima). The festival has many purposes. First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring.

In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. Holi festivities mark the beginning of new year to many Hindus, as well as a justification to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts and accumulated emotional impurities from past.

It also has a religious purpose, symbolically signified by the legend of Holika. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit, known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi. People gather near fires, dance and sing. The next day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated. Children and youth spray coloured powder solutions (Gulal) at each other, laugh and celebrate, while elders tend to smear dry coloured powder (Abir) on each other's face.

Visitors to homes are first teased with colours, then served with Holi delicacies, desserts and drinks.After playing with colours, and cleaning up, people bathe, put on clean clothes, visit friends and family. 

Cashew Processing - A Sustainable Enterprise

Today the Library Management Committee (15 members) met together with Swades Team  - Rajesh Jain,Nicola, Prasad, Amol and Interns to discuss the plan for developing the READ India supported Sustainable Enterprise on 'Cashew Processing'. Mr. Ramdas Khamgaokar on behalf of the LMC signed the MOU with Mr. Sunil Nimre the owner of the Cashew Processing Unit. 

A complete business plan was discussed in detail as presented by Mr. Dudhsagar (Intern) and Mr. Rajesh Jain, Director of Livelihood. 








LMC members actively participating in the discussion on the sustainability of the plan. 







The owner of the Cashew Processing Unit - Mr. Sunil Nimre.







Shri Samartha Cashew Industries









The various steps and machinery involved in Cashew Processing

Cashew Seed Variety 
- Vengurla 7


 

In discussion with Cashew growing farmers.  

Women's Day Celebrations at Swajan Jagruti Kendra

The International Women's Day Celebration at Swa-Jan Jagruti Kendra, Khamgaon was celebrated along with LMC members on the 8th March, 2014. 

There were 23 women from various SHGs present who came in from the various hamlets of Songhar, Khamgaon Boudhwadi and Khamgaon Village itself. 

The sewing class women and the staff of the Center too joined in the celebrations. 

The main points of discussion were: 

1. Importance of International Women's Day. 

2. Gender Equality

3. Women Empowerment

4. Importance of the Girl Child. 

Time to stop by...and say hello

Today we had an opportunity to play host to a most unexpected visitor, guess who stopped by...

Out of the 185 Visitors of the Center since the inauguration of Swajan Jagruti Kendra, there is one signature that all the villagers would immediately point out to is that of 'Amitabh Bacchan'. Yes the legendary film icon of Bollywood made his solemn entry here at our Center and the staff, women and school children were just too stunned for words as he politely asked one of the boys what did he learn today, he only replied after a complete one minute.

For the women at the sewing class this visit was an unexpected moment to cherish and perhaps a gift out of the bloom that they would talk about to their family the whole evening. This gives me an opportunity to share with you that our Sewing Class began on the 1st of March with 15 students who have enrolled for the class. The classes begin at 10.30am and they are taught for a complete two hours with complete curriculum to follow.

Orientation and Learning Exchange Programme

READ India organized an Orientation and Learning Exchange Programme for representatives for each Community Learning and Resource Center (CLRC) in India at their Head Office in Dwarka, Delhi from the 24th February to the 2nd March 2014.

It was indeed a good learning experience for me as I got to deepen my understanding of the CLRC functioning as we were just setting out on our journey since the inauguration of our Center - Swajan Jagruti Kendra.

The major Sessions have been:

v  ICT related Programmes – Radio and Video related programmes and trainings by Mr. Mahipal

v  Common Service Centers by Mr. Kamlesh

v  Distance Education as a sustainable programme by Dr. Mishra

v  Use of Solar Energy as a sustainable enterprise by Ms. Ekta Jaju of Switch On

v  Financial Management and FCRA Registration by Mr. Amit Singhal.

v  Learnings from other Centers by Ms. Geeta Malhotra

v  Trainings available in Phase 3 from READ India by Ms. Ruhi

v  Baseline Survey – Challenges from the field by Ms. Geeta Malhotra

v  Community Mobilization and Adult Training by Ms. Smita Sahey

v  Understanding Core Groups & Issues, Challenges to drive access to CLRC and developing a plan accordingly by Mr. Tajjudin

v  Developing a Case Study by Ms. Ruchika Dhingra

v  Developing an Annual Timeline Plan for Activities and Trainings for 2014-15 & Reporting by Ms. Smita Rai

My key learnings have been:

v  Cross Learning on Activities developed by Centers across India (11 other Centers)

v  Understanding READ Model as being implemented by Partner organizations

v  Processes involved in running of CLRC – Planning, Reporting and Documentation.

v  Preparation of a Plan as per the various possibilities using every section and target group accessing the CLRC. 

I look forward to a fruitful implementation of the programme in association with the Center Staff as we move on in our implementation of Phase III.

~ Cletus Zuzarte

Inauguration of Swajan Jagruti Kendra - 10th Feb, 2014

The Community Learning and Resource Center (CLRC) was proposed by Rural Education and Development (READ) India as a place where the entire community,  adults and children, students and teachers, literate and illiterate can access resources that will enable them to increase their educational knowledge and enhance their livelihood opportunities.

Swajan Jagruti Kendra as a CLRC will serve the whole community at Khamgaon and its adjoining gram panchayats with the following:

v  A library with over 3,000 books, magazines and newspapers in primarily Marathi and English.

v  An Information Communications Technology (ICT) section with equipment to enhance office automation skills like computers, print, scan cum copier

v  A women’s empowerment section equipped with livelihood training resources for e.g. sewing machines.

v  An early childhood section with child-friendly furniture, educational toys, and reading materials.

v  A multimedia and communications section including a LCD projector and other equipments.

v  A training/meeting hall for community programmes

The community took on this venture exactly a year back through the formation of an active Library Management Committee (LMC) representing the various hamlets of Khamgaon GP. This partnership between LMC , READ India (along with READ Global) and Shrivardhan  Mhasala Maratha Samaj Seva Sanstha (SMMSSS) and Swades Foundation have got together to create a CLRC which will provide these services. Through a handholding process with READ India and Swades Foundation the Project team along with the LMC would own the process with the local community thus maintaining the Center and making it sustainable.

Swajan Jagruti Kendra was inaugurated on the 10^th of Feb, 2014 with 574 persons in attendance. The chief guest was Mr. M. N. Mhatre – BDO of Mhasala Taluka of Raigad Dt. along with Mr. Jayson Morris – Director of Partnerships & Strategic Alliance of READ Global and Ms. Geeta Malhotra – Country Director of READ India.

View the Inauguration Video Clip prepared by Mr. Mahipal through this Youtube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUgjriavXqY

Also read the Opening of Swajan Jagruti Kendra covered in READ Global website blog by Jason, follow the link.

http://www.readglobal.org/blog/129-seeds-of-education