Back to School program
The Sharana Back to School model supports children who are either already school dropouts or unlikely to continue their education due to rampant alcoholism in the family or very difficult financial circumstances. Several of these children were, prior to Sharana’s intervention, forced into child labour/work or begging on the streets to contribute to the family income and many of them suffered from substance and sexual abuse, nutritional deficiencies, and sleep deprivation.
Social workers carefully evaluate each beneficiary’s case, making several visits to their homes to ascertain the nature and extent of the difficulties involved, and to motivate both parents/guardians and children to do what it takes to resume formal education. Identified children typically come from communities with a very low socio-economic status.
The Back to School programme’s main objectives are:
-Reintegrate school drop-outs and children from vulnerable rural and socio-economic backgrounds into mainstream schools
-Work as needed with families, schools and the local community to ensure right to education and reduce the number of school drop-outs
-To give value-added activities such as art therapy, vernacular story-telling and awareness through sports and games to help the overall growth and development of the child
Each child in the Back to School program receives the following:
-school supplies: notebooks, stationery items, school uniform, school bag, geometry sets, and/or other supplies as mandated by the schools;
-tuitions and help with homework via the Homework help centre;
-access to a smart classroom for students from 6th to 12th grade;
-access to a library with a collection of books by Indian authors;
-access to the annual summer camps
-access to weekly events/sessions at Sharana, where several activities such as art therapy, awareness -sessions through sports and games etc.
-access to cultural activities such as Yoga, Introduction to Indian Folklore, and Indian dance forms -within the organisation;
-regular motivation sessions and school and house visits;
-access to regular medical camps organised within the communities and at our centre.
Higher Education
The cost of quality college education is rapidly increasing in India beyond the means of many families, despite the support and allowances provided by the government. In response to the growing number of requests from socio-economically disadvantaged children therefore, Sharana’s Higher Education Initiative aims at enabling students to pursue a college education and, in so doing, guarantee a complete education. More importantly this program also supports Vocational Training and Skill Development which gives these youth, most of which are first generation school-goers marketable and respectable skills for future job opportunities.
The beneficiaries of this program are children who would otherwise cease their education at the 10th/12th standard level, without further social and financial assistance. The higher education program shares the cost of college studies with the parents and families of the children; it is a joint investment in each eligible young adult’s professional future.
The Higher Education Program’s main objectives are:
-To support youth to pursue their higher education
-To train youth from economically disadvantaged background (18-23 years) and provide them with skill development programs with access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities
Each youth in the Higher Education program receives the following:
-support in developing their life-skills;
-college/university supplies as mandated by the college/university;
-tuition fee support;
-access to a smart classroom in an interactive environment;
-access to a library with a collection of books by Indian authors;
-access to cultural activities such as Yoga, Introduction to Indian Folklore, and Indian dance forms within the organisation;
-regular motivation sessions and school and college visits;
-access to regular medical camps organised within the communities and at our centre.
