1. The Eureka Superkidz Village Education Centers, Tamil Nadu

The program oversees innovative village education initiatives that ensure children from the poorest

families in the poorest villages get quality education and reach their full potential. Since Government

schools have high drop-out rates and unprecedented rates of teacher absenteeism, the initiative aims to

impart basic and vocational skills to the kids to ensure prevention of dropouts before the age of 13.

With the program’s specially developed materials, methods and skill chart, the locally trained teachers

ensure that the children in the program acquire the needed competencies. The parents get to

contribute towards the teachers’ honorarium which ensures accountability in the system.

Amount Approved: 1500 $ towards adopting a village, which includes the funding for 60 kids in the

village.

2. The Agariya Salt Worker’s Empowerment Project by Janpath , Gujarat.

Agariyas are the traditional salt-making community in Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) who toil hard in extreme

desert conditions for 10 months/year to make organic salt. Due to non-recognition by the government

as traditional salt-makers, provision of basic amenities like water, electricity, medicals services and

sanitation are nonexistent. Lack of schools makes education a distant dream for the children of these

workers who move along with them as a nomadic population.

Janpath, with the help of ground level activists, tackles hosts of issues like health, land rights, business

related issues and general welfare.

Amount Approved: 1200 $

3. Eureka Seed Villages Integrated Development Program:

AID Colorado is also part of the chapters that are reviewing the Eureka Seed Villages Integrated

Development Program. The funds collected during the Tsunami in 2004, need to be allocated for

Integrated development of villages in Tamil Nadu.

The project will address health and nutrition inputs as well as vocational education, skilling and

livelihood inputs to their families to bring about a holistic impact on the children and their families. And

most importantly, it will do all of the above by building capacity within the local community and creating

community structures that implement, monitor and sustain the various program elements.