Page 59 - Annual Report
P. 59

Transformative

                      Journeys




                                                                                                                       4 QUALITY
                                                                                                                         EDUCATION
                                                                                                                       PROJECT ALIGNS
                                                                                                                       WITH SDG




                                                                                                            learn at their own pace.  This intervention not only
                                                                                                            resulted in a 14% increase* in their language and
                                                                                                            math scores, but also facilitated access to essential
                                                                                                            entitlements like mid-day meals, textbooks,
                                                                                                            workbooks, etc. with the support of the local
                                                                                                            administration and community stakeholders.
                                                                                                            A delighted beneficiary of this initiative, 8-year-old
                                                                                                            Mickey Kumbruka asserts: “I like coming for my
                                                                                                            morning tuition every day, as many of my friends
                                                                                                            also join me here and together we learn and have
                      Quality learning                           Kotagarh, Lanjigarh and Bissam Cuttack blocks, laid   loads of fun.” He is a Class III student at the primary
                                                                                                            school of Adibasi Sahi of Sahada Gram Panchayat
                      opportunities for all                      the foundation for this initiative. A Covid Education   under Bissam Cuttack block in the Rayagada district.
                                                                 Committee consisting of the village Sarpanch,
                                                                 School Management Committee members, a ward   Every day on his way to class, he picks some pebbles,
                      With schools being closed since the second week of   member, an Anganwadi worker and some   leaves, twigs, etc. and uses them as TLM
                                                                                                            (teaching-learning materials) to learn arithmetic and
                      March 2020 and no certainty as to when they would   educated young villagers, was formed to provide   language from the village volunteer teacher.
                      reopen, the pandemic has had an unprecedented   learning support to children and meaningfully
                      impact on all children. But those belonging to the   engage them during the pandemic. The Livolink   His parents, Nakula and Kurunji Kumbruka, too, are
                      tribal pockets, like in Southern Odisha, are doubly   Foundation even went a step ahead to create a   happy that their son is taking interest in his studies
                      affected due to the digital divide, difficulty in   non-negotiable SOP adhering to the Covid   and attending classes regularly. “We know we
                      accessing basic entitlements and lack of family   guidelines and a curriculum for the Community  cannot afford a smartphone for our son and we are
                      support to assist them in learning. This is just one of   and Home-based Education Programme and   also not digitally literate to handle and teach him on
                      their many problems. The severe economic impact   trained the village-level volunteers to facilitate   that gadget. Thus, we were worried about his
                      of the lockdown on families has also highlighted the  foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) activity   learning progress, but this initiative has relieved us of
                      psychological trauma of these children, sharing   among children.                     our worry.” said Nakula Kumbruka, father of Mickey,
                      food, space, parental care and other resources with   The efforts of the foundation and the committee,   clearly indicating his faith in the home and
                      their siblings.                            coupled with the children’s strong desire to learn,   community-based learning support programme.
                      To tackle the impending learning crisis and provide   led this initiative to success. The engagement   This incredible feat would not have been  possible
                      quality education to the children in tribal areas, the   activities were conducted in 2 intervals daily for   for Mickey and thousands of such children in remote
                      Trusts prepared a strategy, implemented through   10,203 children in 277 learning centres at their   tribal villages in South Odisha, without the support
                      the Livolink Foundation, and initiated the   homes, verandahs (porch), community places or   of Sarpanches, community members and mostly,
                      ‘Community and Home-based Education        under the trees. The teaching-learning process was   the 300 village volunteers, who managed the
                      Programme’. Critical stakeholders like Gram   made non-exam-oriented, fun and play-based and   learning centres and supported the children in their
                      Panchayats, School Management Committee and   was mainly focused on making children feel   learning journey, during an unusually challenging
                      Mothers’ Committee members from 215 villages of   connected, comfortable and encouraging them to   phase of their lives.

                      *Percentage increase against the baseline average score of 28 to the end line score 42.
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