Post on 04-Jun-2018
The Newsletter |August 2014
Learning Centre at Kusumpur Pahari There was a healthy attendance of children at the Centre this month. Along with lessons in English,
Hindi and Math, the children learnt poems, drew pictures and enjoyed paper cutting activities. Stories
were narrated and the children were counselled on good behaviour and on maintaining personal
hygiene. The process of securing admission for the children in Government schools continued this month
as well.
The Centre was white washed and spruced up, the broken roof was also repaired. A grill was installed
outside the Centre. The doors of the dividing boards that demarcated the two levels at the Centre were
also painted.
Independence Day was celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and laddoos were distributed. Ms. Mekhala, a
Ritinjali supporter also sent toys for the children.
Night School at INA Market The Night School functioned without a break all through the month. The boys have returned from their
villages and are back at work. They work long hours at the I.N.A. Market, cook their dinner and attend to
personal chores. Yet, it is remarkable that these boys still make the time to attend classes at the Night
School to acquire skills in literacy and numeracy. Lessons in Math and Hindi are interspersed with talks
and discussions on contemporary issues to enhance their general awareness and to build up civic
consciousness. Drill in writing is also done, with both oral and written skills being strengthened
continuously.
The boys celebrated Ganesh Chathurthi, Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan with great enthusiasm.
They thoroughly enjoyed the break from their gruelling routine.
Learning Centre at Nathupur Pahari The Centre functioned smoothly through the month. Lessons in Hindi, Math and English to instill skills
in literacy and numeracy were conducted according to the plans drawn up by the teachers.
Stories and poems enlivened the learning environment. The children also drew pictures and coloured
them on the themes of Independence and Raksha Bandhan. They tied rakhis and exchanged sweets with
each other. The story of Sri Krishna was narrated on Janmashtami.
On 14th August, the National flag was hoisted and laddoos were distributed. Visitors from the Sai Trust
visited the Centre on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and sang bhajans. They also served lunch and
sweets to all the children.
The Newsletter |August 2014
Learning Centre at Artemis, Gurgaon Sector 51 Independence Day celebrations imbued the children of the Centre with patriotic fervour. The Centre was
adorned with national flags made by the children. They were taught many poems and songs and on the
14th of August the children sang the National Anthem, after which Ritinjali distributed food to all the
children. Raksha Bandhan was a joyous occasion when the children made beautiful drawings of rakhis.
Everyone was told about the significance of the festival and many stories were narrated too. Children
were asked to infer the moral of the story.
There was a dip in the attendance of students this month. The teachers urged parents to send their
children regularly to the Centre. Lessons were conducted in English, Hindi, Math and General
Awareness. Emphasis was given to oral expression and to expansion of vocabulary. The training of the
OBE students continued in full swing with lessons in literacy and numeracy.
Personal hygiene was closely monitored by the teachers and the children's nails and teeth were checked.
The importance of keeping themselves and their surroundings clean was explained. The students were
counselled on keeping the premises free of litter and to maintain high standards of cleanliness. The
teachers use every opportunity to instill good habits and to arouse civic consciousness. Stories and games
interspersed with lessons kept the children engaged and interested in the learning environment.
Learning Centre at Dalil Ekta Camp Of the 42 students on the rolls, 40 were regular in attendance. The parents were urged to send their
children to the Camp regularly. Independence Day was celebrated with patriotic fervour. The children
sang songs and the national anthem. The boys made kites and the girls made flags. Ritinjali distributed
food to all the children.
On Raksha Bandhan, children made rakhis with beads, stars and coloured paper. Stories to highlight the
significance of Raksha Bandhan were narrated. These were interactive sessions where the children were
asked questions and were encouraged to give their opinions and infer the moral of the story. The
children were also taken to the Children's Park at India Gate. They enjoyed playing games and swaying
to and fro on the swings.
The Newsletter |August 2014
Celebrating Independence Day
The boys from the Second Chance School and the Night School at the INA Market came together to
celebrate Independence Day at Vasant Valley on 15 August. A cheerful and enthusiastic group of over 70
boys gathered around the centre steps in Vasant Valley at 10 am. The youngest member of the group
hoisted the flag, which was followed by singing of the National Anthem. The boys then proceeded to
catch up and chat over refreshments such as fruit, mathri, halwa, nimbu paani, and masala chai.
Once the break was over, the boys were divided
into two groups. One group proceeded for an Art
Workshop with Mr. Reyaz Badruddin, where the
boys drew and painted a number of patterns and
styles given to them. The other group went to the
field to play sports and games of their choice. Some
decided to form teams and play cricket, while
others opted for a good game of badminton. Other
boys decided to really get into the spirit of
Independence Day and fly tri-coloured kites. This
continued for an hour after which the groups
switched activities.
The Newsletter |August 2014
After two hours of friendly matches and exercising their
creativity through painting, the boys gathered for a hearty
lunch. We are grateful to Mr. Gurpreet Singh and his
family, who were present to help during lunch distribution
and for interacting with the boys throughout the day.
We were also delighted to have Raghav Sonkar, an ex-
student from the
Second Chance School, drop by to join the
celebrations. Raghav is currently a Creative
Services Coordinator with Galli Galli Sim Sim, a
locally produced version of Sesame Street.
The group then made their way to the Return to
School (RTS) room, where Mr. Gurpreet Singh
distributed Ritinjali t-shirts to all the boys.
The day ended in high spirits with the screening of the movie ‘Lakshya’ and several group photographs.
The Newsletter |August 2014
Second Chance School
There are 18 boys in the Second Chance School and all of them have started working in positions ranging
from Bakery Chefs, Designers, Travel Agents, Computer Assistants etc. Shahid, a boy who had left
Second Chance School last year to attend to a personal emergency has returned and will be staying at the
Second Chance School again while he completes his education and training. Three Second Chance boys
have to appear for the NIOS Exams this October and are working hard on their assignments and exams.
7 boys from the Second Chance School also celebrated Independence Day at the Vasant Valley School
while the others were busy at their work places. A few boys have planned to take charge of their lives as
they have settled into their jobs and will be leaving Second Chance School in a few weeks.
Vocational Centre at Mahipalpur Cutting,
Tailoring and Computers Cutting and Tailoring
There are 16 students pursuing the course at present. The OBE certificates for candidates who were
successful in the exams held earlier were collected this month. The students have picked up the skills of
tailoring quickly and earn as they learn. Some of them earn as much as Rs.4000/- a month by stitching
clothes from home for friends and family.
Computers
Both theory and practical classes were held regularly for the 15 students enrolled in the current batch.
Drishti Visit to schools in Jhalawar, Baran and Kota The Ritinjali team visited 8 schools in Jhalawar district, 5 schools in Baran district and 7 schools in Kota
district to assess the implementation of the Life Skills programme and to gauge how well the students
had utilised these essentials in their lives. The students displayed their awareness of various gender
issues through posters and plays.
In August, most of the visits took place after the 15th since the schools were busy with preparation for
the Independence Day celebrations. In addition, schools also conducted assessment of students. Apart
from making regular school visits, the Ritinjali team also received an update regarding regular
The Newsletter |August 2014
implementation of the Drishti curriculum in the schools. This was made available by school heads and
trained teachers from schools where the visit was not possible.
Meeting with the different District Level Officers in three districts
The team also met the District Education Officers, Principals of the DIET (District Institute of Education
and Training) and the SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) Coordinators of three districts to keep them updated
on the implementation of the Drishti curriculum. They were informed about the meetings by senior
members of the Ritinjali team with the Education Secretaries and the SSA Commissioner at the state
level.
The district level officers keep changing due to in-house transfers and hence, we need to continually keep
the newly appointed officers updated on the progress of the project.
Case Study by Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), New Delhi
Drishti is one of the programmes shortlisted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA as it works on Reproductive Health Issues covering Family Planning and Contraceptive Use. Since Drishti is a school-based intervention, a case study of Drishti was done by representatives of the PHFI, New Delhi. Under their case study, the PHFI representatives visited five schools of Kota district and met the students, teachers, and school heads. In addition, they also met some selected Master Trainers and discussed the processes and their perspectives regarding the project. The team also interacted with Ritinjali staff working in Rajasthan and discussed the history of the project, how it was conceptualised, and why this region was selected for the project. They were also briefed in detail about the monitoring process, the procedure of selection of teachers and the age group of students.
The Newsletter |August 2014
At Ritinjali we are doing our best, but we can do better with your help. Ritinjali is always
looking for helping hands to create a world where everybody gets equal opportunities. If you
would like to pay us a visit or volunteer with us, please contact:
Arun Kapur: arunkapur@ritinjali.org
Benu Khanna: benu_khanna@hotmail.com
Dilreen Kaur: dilreenkaur@ritinjali.org
Dipika Nanjappa: dipikagogo@hotmail.com
Esha Singh: eshasingh@outlook.com
Janusa Sangma: janusa.sangma@gmail.com
Kavita Trehan: trkavita@hotmail.com
Mahtab Alam Siddiqui: malams@ritinjali.org
Ritinjali welcomes contributions and volunteers for its cause. All donations will be exempt from
Income tax u/s 80G.