Dispelling darkness of Illiteracy
The fervour of the festive season is all around us. As we wish each other Happy Dussehra and Diwali, what better way to celebrate the festival of lights than share stories of success and triumph over the darkness of illiteracy?
“Your fight” against Illiteracy
That you are reading this article proves that we are together fighting against illiteracy. Through stories that reach us from the five verticals of the T-E-A-C-H programme, we let you know of the ways you have already touched lives with a will to fight. It is the fight to show a ray of hope amidst the darkness of Illiteracy.
Teachers Support
D 3131 has completed training of 5,000 teachers as on October 3, 2016.
The training is conducted by various expert trainers on the following topics:
a. Classroom management
b. 3M Concept: Teacher as a Mentor, Mediator, Motivator
c. Teaching Skills and Personality Development
d. Constructivism
They have an MoU with the Zilla Parishad to train 10,000 teachers, which was signed on September 8, 2016, the International Literacy Day.
E-Learning
Three MoUs signed on October 10, 2016 between Tata Technologies, Tata Motors and Tata Trust for the flagship Rotary Distant E-learning Project of D 3131:
a) An MoU has been signed between Rotary Club of Poona North, D 3131 and Tata Technologies Limited and Tata Motors Limited for Rs 122 lakh to install E-learning facilities in about 188 schools in Pune.
b) Another MoU was signed between them to install E-learning facility in about 80 schools in Ahmedabad for around Rs 60 lakh.
Adult Literacy
One letter at a time towards Dignity: RC Bengaluru Platinum City, D 3190
Residents of a large housing society in Bengaluru joined hands to make literate 58 security staff, gardeners and house-keeping staff who worked for them. The classes were held at the society’s community hall continually for three months in the evening. The basic literacy classes were interspersed with eye check-up camps, counseling sessions by a gynaecologist and other programmes as value-addition. Starting with teaching the adult learners how to hold a pencil correctly and moving their hands in the correct way to form proper letters to the joy of being able to write their own names, the residents of the housing society were closely engaged with the adult learners throughout the process.
Child Development
Ensuring Right to Education to children at worksite
“After my father passed away, we faced financial crisis. Therefore, my family decided to migrate to work in a brick kiln site at Bhubaneswar. I liked studying a lot. But since we had to migrate, I had to leave my village school and my mother never enrolled me back.” says Kumudini Putel (7), who hails from Bolangir district in Odisha.
But thanks to Aide et Action and RILM, as they encouraged me to enroll my daughter into a school again. They assured me that it won’t cost me a rupee.
Like her, other school dropout migrant children were also enrolled into schools in the vicinity of worksites.
Happy Schools
RC Hosur Midtown, D 2982, with RILM’s grant support, has transformed PUM School in Thorapalli Agraharam village into a Happy School. They provided compound wall, renovated classrooms, clean toilets and urinal blocks, hand washing station, RO plant for drinking water, library with 620 books and two bookshelves and indoor/outdoor sports facilities. The project benefited more than 100 students.
Global Recognition
The Rotary Literacy Mission in South Asia is probably the way forward with the TEACH initiative. I am sure after having heard about the activities of Rotary in its Literacy Mission, it will help in making Nepal a literate country through quality education.
– Vidya Devi Bhandari President of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
It was indeed a pleasure and privilege to have the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Vidya Devi Bhandari as the Chief Guest to inaugurate the National Conference on Literacy and WASH in Schools.
Compliments to DG Jaya Shah, Rotary Nepal Literacy Mission (RNLM) Chair PDG Tirthaman Sakya and Nepal Conference on Literacy and WASH in schools Past President Kiran Lal Shreshtha. The President’s presence at the event gave a big fillip to the Rotary Nepal Literacy Mission.
RILM Chair and PRID Shekhar Mehta made a commitment to equip 100 schools with audio-visual smart classes for teaching children in government/government-aided schools in Nepal.
Literacy Warriors
