Early Childhood Development
Lessons learnt in early childhood not just paves the way for future education, but also become a strong basis of personality development. Kids who have access to quality pre-school education have better chances of becoming active and effective citizens. For BPL families, this becomes even more crucial,
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GIDF's President Speaks
I have often said that the future of India depends largely upon the future of education in our country. The demographic dividend that so many of us so proudly talk about, will actually be a mirage and also be counterproductive, if we continue with the kind of education system that we currently have in India.
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E-Shiksha
Based on the principles of equal opportunities of quality education for all, project e-shiksha strives to bring home computer education for the marginalized and far-flung areas of our nation. The core target is – if they cannot reach a computer learning centre, let the computer learning center reach them.
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Supportive Education
Supportive Education entails assisting school going children acquire quality education through appropriate interventions after identifying the particular need of each child. The purpose is to encourage an environment for holistic development, to identify and assist children who need special intervention and
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Hamari Gudiya Campaign
Humari Gudiya campaign is a recent initiative and we are looking for all possible sources to assist us in making this campaign a success.
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Support For Street Children
In the Indian scenario, most street children have some family links but spend most of their lives on the streets. They beg, sell trinkets, shine shoes or wash cars to supplement their families’ income. The remaining children live on the streets, often in groups with other children.
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e-Shiksha Sucess Stories
Revisiting Lost Dreams
Tara Lodha, from village Paderkhedi in district Guna, Madhya Pradesh, was just seven years old when her father died. That was 10 years back. With the demise of the main earning member of the family, a deluge of problems flowed in. Her mother is not literate and all the family had in terms of assets was a farmland in a hilly area. Her mother took up the responsibility of the family by growing vegetables and selling them in the open market. Tara is the elder sister with two younger brothers.
Despite a series of problems, she managed to complete her studies up to class ten. After that, sensing that it was virtually impossible for her mother to support her education any more, she dropped out and started helping her mother in the vegetable farm. Deep within her heart, however, she always had this aspiration to learn more, because she realized that this could land her a job. That, eventually, would help her family more than anything else.
When team GIDF approached the village Padarkhedi and started forming e-shiksha batches, we met this girl during door to door visit activity. She told us that she is quite keen to continue with her studies but can’t because of her family’s poverty. Our field workers developed rapport with her and had interaction with her family members. Finally, Tara was allowed by her family to take admission to the e-shiksha project.
We have also enrolled her in our personality development classes. Her mother has started a small scale kirana shop that she operates from her home and has decided to educate her daughter. For Tara, this is nothing less than revisiting her lost dreams. Her only target now is to achieve enough efficiency through the e-shiksha model and build a system of support for her family. The coming of ACM GIDF has added a whole lot of meaning to her life.
HOPE RETURNS TO TORAN LODHA
A GIDF 14 year old Toran Lodha is an exceptionally good student from village Ahmadpur in Madhya Pradesh. He dreams of becoming a Mechanical Engineer some day, despite the fact that he hails from an extremely low income family. He believes, given an opportunity, he will reach his target through scholarships. Toran dreams against all odds.
But yes, while dreaming, he didn’t factor in one major obstacle. A bout of polio in his childhood left him permanently disabled. Although this doesn’t hamper his mental faculties, but he definitely can’t cycle long distances. Toran’s village school is only till class eight. To complete his higher education, he has to go to the Government Senior Secondary School at Raghogarh, which is 11 km away. From his impoverished village, other students cover this distance by cycling. That option was closed for Toran. His motivation for further studies was totally shattered.
After Toran was persuaded by friends to join our e-Shiksha and life skills education batch, our field educator came to know about his problem. He observed Toran’s eagerness to learn and his ability to pick up complicated topics at ease. Encouraged by his performance, the educator requested his friends to help him, to which they readily agreed. Toran came out of his self-imposed exile, and joined the high school.
Now the other students of his village take turns to pick him up for school. Toran Singh has resumed his studies, and his ambition of becoming an engineer has returned. He now believes it’s just a matter of time and perseverance. We believe that too.
Chanchal: Nothing Is Impossible
Village Awan, Madhya Pradesh
17 year old Chanchal always wanted to become a Chartered Accountant, but her dreams suffered a rude jolt when she was forced to drop out after class twelve. Her father is a bonded labourer, who took a loan from a local moneylender around 10 years back to ward off a family crisis, and had been repaying its interest ever since. There was no way he could support his daughter’s higher education. ACM GIDF’s e-shiksha program rekindled Chanchal’s lost hope. When she came to know about the program from her friends, she approached us, and got herself enrolled. Even while she was learning computers, we conducted a few sessions of career counselling with her and convinced her to join a correspondence course of graduation in commerce. After completion of her course, she is now working as an accountant in a private firm in Guna, and contributing to her family as well. Her father is extremely proud of her, and we believe, with her dedication and sense of purpose, she will soon fulfil her dreams of becoming a Chartered Accountant.
Pappu Lodha: Back To Being Confident
Paderkhadi, Madhya Pradesh
After Pappu’s father died of a protracted illness, the responsibility of the family of five came to him, being the eldest son. The family didn’t have much to depend on. Even while continuing his studies, 17 year old Pappu had to concentrate on their only source of income – a small piece of agricultural land. This had a severe toll on his studies, and he failed in his class 12 exams. His dream of becoming a computer engineer was shattered, by all means. Just when all hopes seemed lost, he heard of e-shiksha and enrolled himself into the program. Our career-counsellors convinced him to re-appear for his 12th exams through correspondence. Assisted by GIDF, Pappu is now actively pursuing a career as a computer operator, but he now believes that will be just the beginning. High on confidence, he was the topper in a class exam held at the learning centre, and he says that his job as a computer operator will just be a stepping stone to future educational qualifications. He is thankful to ACM GIDF to help him make a turn around, and has also enrolled his younger sister to the e-shiksha course.
Despite a series of problems, she managed to complete her studies up to class ten. After that, sensing that it was virtually impossible for her mother to support her education any more, she dropped out and started helping her mother in the vegetable farm. Deep within her heart, however, she always had this aspiration to learn more, because she realized that this could land her a job. That, eventually, would help her family more than anything else.
When team GIDF approached the village Padarkhedi and started forming e-shiksha batches, we met this girl during door to door visit activity. She told us that she is quite keen to continue with her studies but can’t because of her family’s poverty. Our field workers developed rapport with her and had interaction with her family members. Finally, Tara was allowed by her family to take admission to the e-shiksha project.
We have also enrolled her in our personality development classes. Her mother has started a small scale kirana shop that she operates from her home and has decided to educate her daughter. For Tara, this is nothing less than revisiting her lost dreams. Her only target now is to achieve enough efficiency through the e-shiksha model and build a system of support for her family. The coming of ACM GIDF has added a whole lot of meaning to her life.
HOPE RETURNS TO TORAN LODHA
But yes, while dreaming, he didn’t factor in one major obstacle. A bout of polio in his childhood left him permanently disabled. Although this doesn’t hamper his mental faculties, but he definitely can’t cycle long distances. Toran’s village school is only till class eight. To complete his higher education, he has to go to the Government Senior Secondary School at Raghogarh, which is 11 km away. From his impoverished village, other students cover this distance by cycling. That option was closed for Toran. His motivation for further studies was totally shattered.
After Toran was persuaded by friends to join our e-Shiksha and life skills education batch, our field educator came to know about his problem. He observed Toran’s eagerness to learn and his ability to pick up complicated topics at ease. Encouraged by his performance, the educator requested his friends to help him, to which they readily agreed. Toran came out of his self-imposed exile, and joined the high school.
Now the other students of his village take turns to pick him up for school. Toran Singh has resumed his studies, and his ambition of becoming an engineer has returned. He now believes it’s just a matter of time and perseverance. We believe that too.
Chanchal: Nothing Is Impossible
Village Awan, Madhya Pradesh
17 year old Chanchal always wanted to become a Chartered Accountant, but her dreams suffered a rude jolt when she was forced to drop out after class twelve. Her father is a bonded labourer, who took a loan from a local moneylender around 10 years back to ward off a family crisis, and had been repaying its interest ever since. There was no way he could support his daughter’s higher education. ACM GIDF’s e-shiksha program rekindled Chanchal’s lost hope. When she came to know about the program from her friends, she approached us, and got herself enrolled. Even while she was learning computers, we conducted a few sessions of career counselling with her and convinced her to join a correspondence course of graduation in commerce. After completion of her course, she is now working as an accountant in a private firm in Guna, and contributing to her family as well. Her father is extremely proud of her, and we believe, with her dedication and sense of purpose, she will soon fulfil her dreams of becoming a Chartered Accountant.
Pappu Lodha: Back To Being Confident
Paderkhadi, Madhya Pradesh
After Pappu’s father died of a protracted illness, the responsibility of the family of five came to him, being the eldest son. The family didn’t have much to depend on. Even while continuing his studies, 17 year old Pappu had to concentrate on their only source of income – a small piece of agricultural land. This had a severe toll on his studies, and he failed in his class 12 exams. His dream of becoming a computer engineer was shattered, by all means. Just when all hopes seemed lost, he heard of e-shiksha and enrolled himself into the program. Our career-counsellors convinced him to re-appear for his 12th exams through correspondence. Assisted by GIDF, Pappu is now actively pursuing a career as a computer operator, but he now believes that will be just the beginning. High on confidence, he was the topper in a class exam held at the learning centre, and he says that his job as a computer operator will just be a stepping stone to future educational qualifications. He is thankful to ACM GIDF to help him make a turn around, and has also enrolled his younger sister to the e-shiksha course.
