Our target area – the coastal villages of Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts – is considered the most background area in the State of Kerala after the tribal belt in the high ranges. This miserable situation is the result of the area’s failure to provide quality education to its population in the goneby generations. Therefore various educational initiatives and interventions have been in action since 2000. Some of initiatives Samhathi provides to the students are:
This project was initiated way back in 1995 when Samhathi started its first project in collaboration with a local Indian NGO. The total number of students benefitted from the project exceeds 64000 so far with an average of 3000 to 3500 students benefitting every year from the four CBSCs in action. In the initial years, the students used to come together at the CBSC every morning and evening to study together and underwent various trainings both to help them develop their academic levels and to develop their personality with value based life style. Now there are four study centers to coordinate the educational development of the four zones of the target area, covering 4700 students from 12 villages.
Hans Carossa Study Centre is supported by Hans Carossa Gymnasium at Landshut since 1995, the Albertus Magnus Study Centre is supported by Albertus Magnus Gymnasium at Regensburg since 1997 and the Christoph Scheiner Study Centre supported by Christoph Scheiner Gymnasium at Ingolstadt since 1998 through Samhathi-Germany.
Support the needy children to access quality education and reach high careers and also set model to other children in the area. A Residential Centre of Excellence called ‘Jnanpeet’ for school level students to stay and study with all the training facilities to attain excellence in education and career. More than 245 selected students have benefitted and set model to other students in the area in reaching high careers. Samhathi-Austria and Samhathi-Germany support Jnanpeet students by finding sponsors for each student until they reach rewarding careers
To realize one’s dreams appropriate ways and means are essential and DSILL provides this to poor students in the area… Since 2009 SILL is providing quality training to students and parents to develop their various potential to reach high careers and dignified living conditions both in India and abroad. More than 1800 students made use this opportunity while more than 4700 parents benefitted from the trainings.
School level drop out found its major reason in lack of money at the opening of new academic year and Education Fund was the result of discussions…. For each school level student the parents open a savings account with their SHG and save a small amount every week so as to use it at the start of every new academic year. This Fund helps to prevent parents from stopping the education of their children due to financial reasons. More than 23000 children have been supported by this initiative since 2007
A major hurdle on the way to higher education has been financial constraints and Education Fund was the solution to it… This is aimed at supporting higher education in the area as a huge number of students stop their education or move to less-rewarding options mainly because of financial constraints. To overcome this Samhathi initiated Higher Education Fund in 2007 and 17500 youth have reached/reaching rewarding careers through this support. Parents save a fixed amount every week in the name of their son/daughter when he/she is a small child and make use the amount to put is their share while the rest of the funds required is made available by Samhathi either through bank or from its own means.
Even the small number of educated from the area could not reach good careers as they lacked guidance and access to career sources and so an exclusive Career and Placement Bureau came into existence ….. The Bureau is equipped with professionals to provide guidance in higher education and career selection so as to make use opportunities both in and outside India. Currently it maintains data base of higher education and career sources to help 41000 students and youth from the area.