RIGHT TO EDUCATION 2009 - CHALLENGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR QUALITY & INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Dewar All

Edcuaiton is the most powerful tool for empowering the children in general and particularly the one with special needs. The efforts are going on to provide "free and compulsory educaiton for all  (FACE)" keeping Right to Edcuation (RTE) 2009. It is the right issue to be addressed for understanding its effective utilization, challenges and opportunites for reaching its targeted goals.

The number of children out of school (COS) has reached to an alrming stage. Efforts are going on to work for the inclusion of the children with special needs. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) later changed as Rajiv Vidhya Mission (RVM) is one such novel scheme to establish special training centres.  

In addition, the National Trust, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Scoial Justice & Empowerment, New Delhi also works in this direction through its novel schme of ASPIRATION. It concentrates for the children in the age group of 0-6 years with disabilities like mental retradation, autism, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilties.

Several NGOs are running this project and putting their best for the real inclusion of the targeted children with special needs. 

Still the COS is quite high which reflects the ineffectiveness of the RTE 2009. It further links up with the non achievement of the Millinium Developmental Goals (MDGs).  

Star Youth Association (SYA), an NGO with base at Velugodu, Kurnool Dist, AP., is going to organize National Semianr on RTE 2009. It expects good participation of the stakeholders with right inputs both to understand and suggest solutions / opportunities to overcome the challenges. This certainly results for the added responsibility of the NGOs to fill the GAP.   

Looking forward for better utlization of the rights for the real empowerment of our children with quality education.......      

All the Best

INTERACTIONS WITH SANGALA RAMAKRISHNA INSTITUTE FOR MR

Dear All

In continaution to the efforts of networking and to reach the targeted people, i had an interesting interactions with the Secretay of SANGALA RAMAKRISHNA INSTITUTE which is worikng for the training and rehabilitation of the  Persons with Mental Retardation. It is situated at Kodad of Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh. 

In this area, in addition to the noraml causes of the Disabilties, the high content of fluoride in the water is the another seriou issue. Keeping this in view, the insitute is trying its best to go for multisectoral appraoches and interventions so that prevetnion of disability can be made effective. 

After the initial discussion, the paln is to move forward to see the reality at grass root situation. Certainly, working for the PMRs is the real challenge and neds to look for creative and innovative strategies and interventions matching to the skills, needs and vulnerability of the group. 

In this journey, the identified NGO needs support from all the stakholders staying all over the globe. I will be posting more and more on this noble service inclduing the use of e-technologies. 

Looking forward for better connectivity in reaching the targeted groups with sustainable solutions...

With thanks    

SANITATION AS A RIGHT

Dear All

There is a need to consider the Saniation as  a Right as it is real barrier in achieveing the sustainable development. In this direction ELRS is going to conduct a National Seminar, The abstract submitted for this purpose is pasted below as:

......................................................................................................

  3As WITH SANITATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Lakshmi Narayana N

Director, Geo Rehabilitation Centre

grcnln@gmail.com

Geohouse, # 2-3-173, Road No: 2,

Adarsh Nagar, Nagole,

Hyderabad -500068.AP. India.

ABSTRACT

Keywords: Availability, Accessibility, Affordability, Water, Soil, Sustainability, Quality of Life, Community, Empowerment, Inclusion.

Statement of the Problem: The poor availability and accessibility for sanitation leads for health hazards and pollution to water, soil & environment and further for poor development with poor sustainability and quality of life of the people in rural villages in general and women & persons with disabilities in particular and Nation.

Objectives of the Study: The study is with community based initiatives and has specific objectives which include:

o To create awareness on better sanitation facilities,
o To understand the causes and consequences of open defecation,
o To introduce the concept of 3As,
o To explain the need of Access Audit and Universal Design,
o To make Community Based Initiatives (CBIs),
o To plan sanitation as community development as a right and
o To know the role and opportunities for the Community Based Organizations (CBOs).

Background: The open defecation is predominant in rural environments rather than urban areas minus slums. The consequences of this process are complex and causes for health hazards and pollution to water (both surface and subsurface), soil and environment. In addition, it is the issue of dignity and privacy. Among the marginalized groups, women and persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable which some times leads for their exploitation including sexual harassment. The poor access for water is one of the barriers of non-utilizing of lavatories. The efforts of government and other stakeholders through Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) have yet to reach its target of moving towards Free Open Defecation (FOD). Under these circumstances, the present study gains importance to look for Community Based Initiatives (CBIs) with better approaches for 3As.

Methodologies: The methodologies adopted includes: creation of awareness on the need of sanitation facilities, concept of 3As, concept of Access Audit & Universal Design, beginning of Community Based Initiatives, right based strategy as part of community development and role & opportunities for CBOs.

Results and Conclusions: The study has been carried-out covering rural parts of Andhra Pradesh. The outcome is significant in terms of: better awareness, change in attitude, better understanding of 3As, better view of Access Audit & Universal Design, need of adding as part of community development to work with dignity & right and better role & opportunities for CBOs with better participation. This further made the community to move forward with initiation for creating better sanitation facilities with better 3As which leads for FOD. The CBIs are simple, flexible and participative matching to the needs of the people and availability of local resources.

Recommendations: In view of the complexity and vulnerability to health hazards and pollution to water, soil and environment, recommendations includes: training to stakeholders, encourage students for project / research, development of networks and linking of sanitation with other social benefits.

.................................................................................................................
Looking forward for better sharing and reflections...

All the Best

VISIT TO SREES ORGANIZATION

Dear All

In continuation, the technology has connected with Self Rural Empowerment & Educational Services Organization (SREES) situated in Krishna District of AP. The visit during the month of April helped to understand its SWOT and to prepare an action plan. It works with innovative and creative strategies for empowering the rural youth and further to create livelihoods with sustainability and quality of life. In has got good resources and there exist lot of demand as the rural youth in general and particularly the marginalized groups have got limited opportunities while creating their livelihoods. 

Under these circumstance, SREES has created platform for all such groups to get trained in various trades based on their skills and market opportunities.  It has well connected with the stakeholders and got appreciations with acceptance for creating better linkages with the employers.

The need to to use to technologies in putting the things in order with better connectivity with the stakeholders all over the globe. It is looking forward to move towards the transformation of right based strategies & interventions matching to the needs, skills & vulnerability of the targeted groups. 

The whole process is expected to lead towards the empowerment of the targeted groups with better livelihood opportunities so that it leads for their better living with sustainability and quality of life.

I will be associating with this organization and more will be posted. 

Looking forward..

All the Best

VISIT TO STAR YOUTH ASSOCIATION

Dear All

The technology has connected the me with the Star Youth Association (SYA) an NGO situated at Velugodu of Kurnool Dist.AP. It has resulted to visit this organization during March 2012 and seen it at grass root level. It is working in parts of Anantapur and Kurnool Dist. of AP. It helped me along with its team to understand what it is as SWOT which helped us to make an action plan based on the vision of the Organization and needs of the community. I will be posting more and more on this Org so that it will be well connected with the stakeholders for the catering the needs of the targeted groups with better sustainability and quality of life.

Looking forward

All the Best

NEW POVERTY ESTIMATES SCRAPPED

 Dear All

In continuation to the postings made on the above subject, the comments made on the article published in Down to Earth, 15th April 2012 have been pasted below as:

..................................................................................................................

 

Congratulations to all the readers and respondents who made significant contribution in raising the reality in respect of the new poverty estimates (DTE, 15th April 2012: New Poverty Estimates Scrapped). It clearly shows that the new poverty estimates are not matching to the ground reality with wide gap between the Lab - Land models.

Having this experience as back ground the new committee should concentrate on the following points as:

* In addition to the consumption in terms of calories, focus on other needs like: health, water, education, shelter, and other basic needs.

* Move with open mindedness rather than some pre-conceived ideas or estimates or results,

* The focus should be towards the people's development rather than political approaches or gains,

* Aim should be towards the "GARIBHI HATAVO" rather than "GARIGHONKO HATAVO"

* Allow the people to participate in the whole process of estimates

* Prepare the committee to stay with the people rather than distance mode estimates

Hope that the estimates of poverty should not be too much complicated as it has to refelct the reality of the people's needs only. Instead it has become more complicated with several committees which might have got limited scope in reaching the people at their community itself.

Finally the Committee estimates of the people at community will help to resolve the present confusion.
 .........................................................................................

 

Looking forward for getting better estimates of poverty so that people can  get their share at all levels......

All the Best

VISIT TO STAR YOUTH ASSOCIATION AT VELUGODU AP.

Dear All

In continuation to the networking, i have been connected with SYA. This e-connectivity has given an opportunity of  visiting the working areas of SYA covering parts of Kurnool and Anantapur Districts on 19th and 20th March 2012. It has helped to understand the SWOT of SYA and the real challenges of the people. The peoples attitude is positive and looking for need based support for independent living with better sustainability and quality of life. 

SYA is doing commendable job in the selected areas and sector and hoping to move forward with need based strategies and interventions as an empowerment model. Hope, this connectivity will lead for longer association in developing the capacities of the people with right based models involving multisectoral and multidisciplinary with single window system.

Some of the significant challenges includes:  water, health, disability, hiv/aids, agriculture, environmental changes, connectivity, employment, livelihoods, networking, linkages. 

In spite of all these challenges, still there exists better scope to transform them into strengths with need based innovative and creative strategies and interventions. 

I will be posting more about the models which are going to be developed and adopted for the holistic development of the community by the community.  

Looking forward for better sharing with the cause and commitment of working for the empowerment of the people....    

All the Best