Global grant project transforms schools
Komal, Poonam, Sheetal are all common names of school-going girls in the deep rural area schools around Pune. Komal, the loving daughter of a farm hand, till some time back, had little hope of making it to the secondary school examinations in any good shape. Her moderate family resources prevented her from getting modern educational aids to help her. Also, the school she goes to belongs to a zilla parishad, which has modest facilities. Of course her school teacher is a very dedicated person. But he has to teach multiple classes and finds it difficult to impart quality education to the students in different grades. The school lacked laboratory, library facilities and sports equipment.
This is where RC Jersey City (RCJC), US, D 7490, came to the rescue of Komal and several hundred school-going children like her. RCJC partnered with RC Pune Shivajinagar (RCPS), D 3131, to do an international project for its centennial year (2016–17).
A global grant programme was chosen as a vehicle for this purpose. Named the Rotary Distance Education Programme (RDEP) this project has three main components:
Computer-aided education units for over 20 rural schools with pre-loaded software of school syllabus as a teaching aid to such schools.
Comprehensive infrastructure development of select schools.
Teacher training under a Teacher Quality Improvement Programme (TQIP) for over 200 rural teachers.
“Global grants are an effective tool of Rotary for promoting development in under-developed areas of society as also for international understanding through partnership of two clubs,” said Dr Pradeep Wagh, IPP of RCPS, speaking at the kick-off of the Rotary Foundation Month at RC Jersey City. He was speaking on the occasion of successful completion of the project in 2016–17.
Global grants are an effective tool to leverage the resources available with a club for a higher value. This project, for instance, had contributions of RCJC, RCPS as also others from D 3131,
D 7490 and The Rotary Foundation.
President Jennifer Aitken from RCJC traced the progress of the project from the time PDG Adele Miller initiated it. Several Rotarians from both the host and partner clubs followed up with guidance from past DRFC Mohan Palesha, D 3131.
The RDEPs improved the understanding of math and science for rural students with graphics, audio-visual presentation and animation being used in the class.
While the infrastructure development (the second component) provided facilities like a well-stocked library, sports equipment and other requirements, the TQIP equipped the rural teachers with innovative strategies, intelligence and skill sets required for classroom teaching.
It was a matter of pride that Komal, one of the beneficiary students, scored 97 per cent in the Class 12 public exam in 2016–17. Her friends Poonam, Sheetal and hundreds of other students who benefitted from this global grant project had passed out with flying colours.
“We are thankful to Rotary for empowering the rural students by giving us e-learning and other equipment,” said Rajaram Mhaske, Principal, Kasurdi ZP School in Daund taluk, Pune.
The crowning moment for this project was when it won the district’s Best Literacy Teacher Training Award under a global grant. In order to make the project easily replicable, a video documentation of the teacher training was done which can be viewed at: https://sites.google.com/site/rcpstqip/
PDG Raj Bhatia of D 7490 has played mentor for this project.
