Education is considered as an essential component in the development of a child and to ensure that, GOI has entitled each and every child aged 6-14 years to have free and compulsory education, as per the RTE Act 2009.
This initiative of government has resulted in the increase in number of enrollments in schools gradually, but the retention of students in schools is still questionable. Every year a good number of students drop out of schools in order to provide an earning hand to the family. The other major reason is the loss of interest in education in the absence of low quality and no child friendly education at schools. In case of girls, the situation is even worse - they ought to look after their younger siblings while their parents are out, or because the schools are far away, or due to lack of proper sanitation facility in the premises.
VAAGDHARA is working for the development of such children from over a decade. This year, from the initiation of the new academic term till date, VAAGDHARA has identified 32 children from Sabla and Aspur blocks of Dungarpur under EPRTC programme and 36 children from Ghatol block of Banswara, who were either drop outs, child labors or were left out from getting enrolled in schools. These children along with their families were counseled and mainstreamed through linking them with schools.
Priyanka, 11 years, resident of Ghatol block of Banswara, is an orphan and was never enrolled in school. With the efforts of VAAGDHARA team, she is now enrolled in a Govt. school in 5th standard (condane course) and is residing in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Avasiya Vidhyalaya (KGBV) Ganoda. She is also linked with Paalanhar Scheme of Government, which provides financial aid to children in need. A major focus is provided to such children in KGBVs to bring their education and learning level at par with their age and appropriate class. She is enjoying her studies with other hostel fellows, which she was deprived of all these years.
Likewise,
Vinod Meena is a drop out of 8
th standard and was working as a child labor in Mumbai. He is a resident of Gamirpura village in Nepalpura GP of Sabla, Dungarpur. During PLCPC meetings, his name came up and thereafter the VAAGDHARA team along with PLCPC members contacted his family and convinced the boy to complete his education. He is now back to school and got re-enrolled in 8
th standard.
These are not the only two cases, but almost every second child in the tribal region (Southern Rajasthan) is forced to drop out school. VAAGDHARA is always effortful in shaping the future of the children in tribal region and to provide a child friendly environment at village and school level.
These 68 children are not only linked with schools but also the teachers and society, who are bound to ensure the development and protection of these children. In order to ensure this, VAAGDHARA every time takes a certificate from schools on enrolment of students to look after the educational need of these students and keep following up on these.