Mewat Mondays: Looking back on the 10 Weeks
We started out as two clueless interns from Singapore, who were eager to write about the Foundation’s efforts in Mewat, because it was also a chance for us to learn about this part of the world, and the issues it faces. So ten weeks ago we started “Mewat Mondays” as a means to spread awareness about SRF Foundation’s flagship Mewat Rural Education Programme (MREP), and now is the time to conclude it.
As part of our last installment, we’ll summarise the issues; briefly reintroduce the amazing people we’ve met; and share what we hope for Mewat in the future.
Mewat’s problems
Mewat is an undeveloped area where agriculture is the primary source of income. Populated with Meo-Muslims, it remains a traditional and conservative society where family sizes are big; men and women are segregated; education is second to filial responsibilities; and girls are often uneducated and get married in their late teens.
It thus comes as no surprise that their schools are also undeveloped. Some of the things that they are missing include furbished classrooms; a stimulating learning environment; designated kitchen sheds for mid-day meals; and clean and functional toilets.
Through a partnership with GE Capital/Govt., the Foundation has started on the holistic development of the Salambha school complex, to address each of these concerns. We plan to replicate this model of development in all other 18 school complexes in the other villages.
The Foundation’s partnership with IBM and the government has also seen the introduction of the IBM KidSmart programme in 18 villages; a scheme that aims to teach children aged 3-8 years old using educational software provided with the computers.
The Foundation engaged the help of our friends at the World College of Technology and Management (WCTM), who will help us design site plans for all 19 villages. The works have just started, and we can’t wait to see what they have drawn up.
In addition, we’ve submitted several proposals to the government, to obtain support in upgrading the hard infrastructure such as the toilets, promoting sports and games, rewarding the IBM KidSmart volunteers, etc. These are still pending.
Mewat’s stars
We shifted our focus from the problems in Mewat to some of its special personalities, in the course of our series.
We had the great opportunity to speak to Sushila Ma’am, the headmistress of Kherla Boys Government Primary School, a bold woman who wants nothing more than the out-of-school boys in Kherla village to enroll into her school.
Then we met Mr Sunil Kumar, an inspiring teacher in the Rojka Meo Government Primary School, who took the initiative to improve the landscape of his school by planting many trees.
Having spoken to a headmistress and a teacher, we then sought Sabila, a 13-year-old student who is wiser beyond her years. The daughter of Kherla’s imam, she is determined to further her studies despite the conservative mindset in her village, because she believes in her right to education.
Meeting the three of them was heartening – it gave us hope that amidst the difficult situation in Mewat, there are people who remain optimistic about education. We hope that their positivity will infect the rest of their community, so that improving their schools can happen much more effectively and rapidly.
The stars of Mewat also include the children themselves, some of whom we’ve interacted with. Each of our visits to Mewat was a different experience. Among these experiences, we’ve introduced them to the digital camera, played ball games with them, sang English songs with/for them; conducted a quiz where we handed out colour pens to winners; had our hair curiously stroked by them; and received pleas to try out their brand new playground (to which we vehemently protested “aap…choti…mai…nehi choti…”)
Despite the cultural differences, the children in Mewat are just like the ones we know back home: they smile, they laugh, they stare at strangers funny, and they cry when they’re scared of us.
Our hopes for Mewat
Having witnessed the situation and the Foundation’s efforts, here’s what we each wish for Mewat in the future.
Aisyah:
I hope that one day, all the children will look forward to coming to school, and not simply for the mid-day meals. I hope that the new furniture, upgraded toilets, sports and games that will soon be introduced will make coming to school a much more comfortable and fun experience. Lastly, I hope that support will be given to the first generation learners, whose parents have not gone to school, so that they do not struggle with their studies and eventually drop out.
Rafidah:
I hope that the people in Mewat will slowly change their mindset about education, and that they will realise education’s potential in opening more opportunities. I hope more girls especially will start attending school, because it’s only when they’re educated that their family sizes will eventually get smaller, their incomes get higher, and they break out of the poverty trap.
A drop in the ocean
If you’re reading this online, just like we’ve been writing this online, the fact is we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy relatively comfortable living standards. Seeing the way people live and think in Mewat, although eye opening, also makes us sad that amidst globalisation and economic growth, there are pockets of people who get left behind.
This all sounds textbook-ish, but it wasn’t until we visited them that we truly felt the impact of this perverse reality.
As a small foundation, our efforts are modest, but we believe that we will have a part to play in sharing our resources with Mewat. As our Chairman has rightly said in his recent message in our upcoming annual report,
“Our work as a Foundation could just be a drop in the ocean, but with the collective efforts of other members of our society, I am certain that inclusive growth will someday become the reality that transforms India into a force to be reckoned with.”
We must continue our efforts in reaching out to the children.
To be a part of the change we hope to bring, email info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can get involved.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who enjoyed the entire process of researching, writing, and sharing the situation in Mewat. This is the tenth and final edition of Mewat Mondays, for now.
Mewat Mondays: Learning to Play, Playing to Learn
Growing up, what was your favourite school period?
Ours was Physical Education (PE). For those 45 minutes, we could escape our studies, have fun with our friends and play games such as football, volleyball, and hockey. Not bounded by the confinements of the classroom, it was the perfect chance for us to get some fresh air, stretching our limbs and getting the action that our restless young bodies yearned for.
During recess, we would run off with our friends and head straight for the playground. We remember hanging ourselves from the monkey bar, relishing the feeling of having our feet off the ground and kicking them in the air. Or the feel of the wind brushing past our face and hair each time we go up the swing, beckoning our friends to push us higher in the air.
Unfortunately, children in Mewat do not get to experience that. In most schools, sports are not part of the curriculum, due to lack of Physical Training Instructors (PTIs). Even if teachers want to conduct games or sports activities for students, the lack of training and leveled ground prevents them from doing so. Playgrounds are also either in disrepair or not available at all. To improve the situation in these schools, SRF Foundation has implemented initiatives and participated in several programs to promote sports.
In one of the schools that we went to, both swings and monkey bars were in such poor conditions
Playgrounds: More than just Play and Fun
Apart from providing entertainment and endless hours of fun, playgrounds help to develop children’s health. Equipment such as swings, slides, see-saws, and merry-go-rounds provide children exercise and hone their agility, speed, balance and coordination. In addition, playing in groups contributes to the development of social skills; teaching children how to cooperate, control their behavior, tolerate one another, negotiate and compromise. This can be seen in instances when kids learn to take turns playing on the slide.
Recognizing its significance and contribution to children’s development, SRF Foundation recently built a playground in SP Nagli. In the near future, all the other 18 schools will also have playgrounds built.
Children playing happily together at the new playground in SP Nagli.
Khel Khel Mein: Learning through Play
To increase students’ sports exposure, SRF Foundation sent a team of children from Mewat to participate in an inter-NGO Sports Meet held on 12th February 2011. In association with Athletic Federation of India, Khel Khel Mein was organised to provide children from various projects a platform to develop self-esteem through sports.
For four consecutive Saturdays, PTIs from The Shri Ram Schools (TSRS) went down to Mewat and trained the children for these events. All the effort paid off, as the team won 12 medals, in events such as races, long jumps and shot puts, the “Best Organization Award” and even, “Best Athlete Award” for children aged 9 to 11 years old.
Our children with their medals and certificates.
Although the competition is over, our efforts do not end here as two PTIs from TSRS still come down to Mewat and continue teaching the children sports every Saturday.
PEC India: Sports Training Program
The lack of PTIs has been a huge barrier in implementing sports program. To overcome this, SRF Foundation conducted a PE training program known as PEC India, for 18 KidSmart Vidya Volunteers and 9 Bridge School Facilitators from 22nd to 23rd February 2011 at SP Nagli.
The program aimed to equip teachers with essential skills and expertise to use PEC cards and equipment in their schools. During the two-day program, teachers were taught how to deliver fun, safe, and inclusive PE sessions at the primary level.
At the end of the program, participants showed positive responses as the cards introduced new teaching methodologies and activities. It also provided them the necessary hands-on skills and experience that they needed to conduct the activities in their own centers. The participants could not wait to go back and pass on what they have learnt to their students.
Running as fast as they can during the relay, with the hopes of bringing victory to their team.
How We Can Help
All of the schools which we visited have expressed their interest in sports program and equipment. SRF Foundation is doing its best to deliver this. Apart from what the Foundation is doing, the rest of us can also come together, contribute, and make a difference by bringing sports, fun and games into the lives of these children.
For instance, in villages such as Khor Basai and Tepkan, Panchayats have contributed their own money to level the land in the school, allowing children to play safely on the grounds.
The headmaster of Tepkan middle school, Mr. Mohd Ayyub has also made it his own personal goal to bring sports development to the school. Recently, he requested and successfully received 16 footballs from Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) Haryana. During our visit to his school, his students were enjoying themselves playing games such as football, or simply passing around the ball to their friends.
We too can help by coaching sports teams or providing sports equipment.
The possibilities are endless.
To help develop sports in these schools, email info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can get involved.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who believe in working hard and playing even harder. As part of their field research, they have been spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
Mewat Mondays: Female Education in Mewat
Sabila, the daughter of the Imam in Kherla, wants to be a lawyer. Her parents want her to stop schooling after Class X, but she’s determined to convince them otherwise.
In the conservative Meo-Muslim, poverty-stricken area of Mewat, education is a privilege, not a priority. Between boys and girls, parents would rather fork out the school fees for the boys, keeping their adolescent girls at home instead to do the chores, before marrying her off when she is around 17 years old.
In primary school, the number of girls and boys are somewhat equal. But in middle school, the number of girls relative to boys plummets. In the typical scenario, girls make up just one third or one quarter of a classroom. In one school, we saw that there were so few girls in Class VII and VIII and they had to be merged – resulting in questionable multi-grade teaching.
It’s tragic that female education is so unpopular in Mewat, because educating girls is one of the most crucial factors in eradicating poverty. Educate a girl and she is likely to earn a better income, have lesser children, and reinvest 90% of her money back into her family. This ends the vicious cycle of poverty.
But hope is not lost in Kherla.
The Imam’s daughter
Sabila, a girl whom the Headmaster, Mr Jamil Ahmad describes as active and responsible
Sabila, a Class VII student in Kherla Government Middle School, knows that she’s lucky to be in school. “Many girls don’t come to school because they have family problems,” she explains.
There are seven children in her family, including her. Her father’s salary is modest, so she started giving Urdu and Arabic lessons to supplement the family income since she was 11. Her students are married women who are about 17-18 years old, and she takes 15 of them at a time.
A petite and shy girl, Sabila knows the value of education and how it’s important for her to remain in school if she wants to earn a better living for herself and her family. Just a few months ago, she convinced her neighbours to enrol their youngest daughter into Class II. “They have four daughters,” she told us, “and all are illiterate. So I told them that they must send at least one child to school.” Convincing them was difficult, but she persisted anyway.
She takes after her father, who encourages schooling among the community. For instance, he had requested that madrasahs close earlier at 7AM instead of 10.30AM, so that students can make it for school.
How different is her life from a boy her age?
“Sometimes I think, if I were a boy, I would not be asked to do housework and can then concentrate more on my studies.”
Kherla: Jewel in Mewat
The first time we stepped into Kherla, we noticed a clear difference in the learning environment: boys and girls are divided into separate sections. Immediately, what took us by surprise is not that boys and girls were separated, but that for once, there were enough girls to make a separate section on their own, for each level.
The girls in Class VII
And not only are there more girls here than usual, but these girls are more confident in approaching us. Whereas those from the other schools generally tended to shy away, the girls here would cheekily call out to us “Hello! How are you?” upon seeing that they had foreign visitors. It also strikes us how we rarely hear children in Mewat talking to us in English.
We think the secret behind Kherla’s higher girl child enrolment is the fact that there are three female teachers. While this might sound unimpressive, putting it in the context of Mewat, where some schools don’t even have a single female teacher, and you might see why just three women have the power to change the dynamics of the student population so dramatically.
The teachers in Kherla go beyond their obligations to teach the girls art and craft (as seen in picture)
Sarita Ma’am, an inspiration
We speak to Sarita Ma’am, a Science teacher who has been teaching in Kherla since last year. The school has no laboratory yet, and the scientific vocabulary in Hindi is difficult for her students to grasp – but she gives her best anyway.
Sarita Ma’am, a role model and inspiration who advocates female empowerment among her students
She credits the higher girl child enrolment not to herself and her colleagues, but the fact that Kherla is near Nuh, where the district office is located. In this area, there are relatively better off people and hence there is more awareness on the need to send girls to school. She also thinks that there is an increasing trend for girls to continue education.
As a female teacher, she says that she gives moral support to the girls, and even their parents. She willingly listens and gives advice whenever it’s needed. As an educated woman holding a B.Sc. and a B.Ed, she is an instant role model to the girls, showing them that they too have the option of being a graduate if they are determined enough
Even though she knows that most girls stop schooling after their board exams in Class VIII, she constantly encourages her students to continue beyond middle school, so that they can have better incomes later. She promotes economic independence, because it will lead to better nutrition and subsequently better health, which will benefit the girls and their families.
To her girls who are mistaken in thinking that their education is unnecessary because they will have their husbands’ incomes to depend on in the future, she explains, “Marriage is an important part of our lives, but after marriage, the hardships don’t end. If you want money, you may ask your husband, but he will say ‘Go ask your brother or your father.’”
She speaks of the traditional mindsets in the community with regret. “Parents should not think that the birth of a girl is a burden,” she says. “They should think that she is also a human being. Women shouldn’t be seen as merely a source of money, and to be used as a device to produce children. Sometimes, mothers themselves feel sad when they give birth to a daughter, because they know that the baby will go through the same plight that they did.”
“We need to change their inner thinking,” she adds.
What we can do
For all the things that Kherla Government Middle School has achieved in female education, we can invest in them to give encouragement, so that they will achieve more. Although their student population is bigger, they are not spared from the usual issues that schools in Mewat face.
For example, during the monsoon season, the flooding in the school forces them to shift to another compound. Although the students’ attendance is not affected, this creates a lot of problems, and classes are often interrupted. Sarita Ma’am thinks that having underground water tanks might alleviate the problem.
The school also has no drinking water facility, which Sabila wishes they did.
By spending particular attention investing in Kherla because of what they have achieved, this will send the message to other schools and communities that effectively encouraging more girls to attend school is the way to go. Subsequently, having more educated girls will help to ease poverty in their villages – a desirable situation for all the people in Mewat.
Alternatively, there are also many other innovative interventions we can make, to encourage girls to complete middle school, and beyond. With more hands to help empower the girls in Mewat through inclusive education, we can positively change their lives for the better.
To send some encouragement to the girls and teachers in Kherla, email
info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can get involved in the making of a Model School.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who by now are convinced that Kherla Government Middle School is their favourite. As part of their field research, they have been spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
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Mewat Mondays: The Teacher Who Planted Trees
It’s coming to our seventh week here at SRF Foundation, and after having made several visits to Mewat, we recognise a special teacher when we meet one. This week, we identified Mr Sunil Kumar, a 28 year old teacher at the Rojka Meo Government Primary School. Behind his soft-spoken demeanour and tinted glasses, is a man who has brought about changes in the school that distinguish Rojka Meo from the rest.
Mr Sunil has been teaching at Rojka Meo since 2005. At present, he teaches all the subjects – Hindi, English, Math and Science – for Class III. Growing up, he attended government schools in Hisar, Haryana, and eventually obtained his B.Ed from the Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak, Haryana.
Apart from teaching, Mr Sunil also helps to assemble the students in the morning, organises games for them such as cricket and football, and helps to distribute the food during the government-sponsored mid-day meals.
“How do you check that? Do you sniff them?” we probe.
He lets out a small laugh, and replies that they check the students’ hair and forearms for tell-tale signs if the students have missed a shower that morning.
“Then what happens if you find a student with long nails? Do you punish them?”
He pauses to make sense of our question. Maybe there’s a language barrier, although he is relatively comfortable with English.
“Do you hit their hands if they have long nails?” we supplement, with a bit of gestures, as though it were a game of Charades.
“No no no, we don’t beat the children,” he adds quickly, as soon as we say that. “We tell them why it’s bad to have long nails.”
The spot checks started only after he joined the school. According to him, over the years, the students’ discipline has improved. Subsequently, the students now have a better grasp of the subjects they are learning.
Mr Sunil thoroughly enjoys teaching, and was inspired by his teacher, who shared that “a teacher never grows old; as he teaches children, he too becomes a child.” Attracted by that idea, he decided to join the teaching force. He says with a smile that he enjoys talking and interacting with the children as part of his job.
Before he joined Rojka Meo, he was teaching in Amritsar. He proudly shares the story of his ex-student, a girl named Priti, who is now pursuing an MBBS, which is a Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in Surgery. When they met recently, after a long six years, she had touched his feet as a mark of respect and gratitude. It is stories like hers that give him an immense sense of satisfaction as a teacher.
As do most passionate educators in poverty-stricken areas like Mewat, where education is not a priority among parents, Mr Sunil also takes the time to speak to the community to encourage them to send their children to school. He highlights to us that the government too has initiatives to encourage children from these “below poverty line” (BPL) and “backward class” (BC) families to attend school.
But the thing that makes Mr Sunil stand out from the other teachers we’ve met, is that he has taken time to plant trees in the Rojka Meo campus. Half of the compound is neatly lined with trees, and the school has even taken the pains to devise a piping mechanism to ensure that the trees receive sufficient water.
The other half is purposely left bare, so that students can play games such as football, kabbadi, or kho-kho, on its notably level ground. During our very first visit to Rojka Meo some five weeks ago, we noticed that teachers here help to organise these games during their break time.
Just some of the line of trees that Mr Sunil helped to plant
Leaving a wide space for games such as kho-kho
What inspired Mr Sunil to plant the trees in his school? He attributes the influence to his teacher-friend in neighbouring village Mehrola, Mr Naresh, whom he describes as “a spiritual man who encouraged me to grow plants in the school.” The benefits of trees in the school are numerous: students can sit under the trees for shade; the cooks can use the sticks and twigs as fuel for mid-day meals; they add greenery to the compound; the air becomes purer, and students can feel good.
Students sit in the shade while having their mid-day meals
In 2006, he had gone down to a plant nursery in Sohna, who had agreed to donate several small trees to their school. He then roped in his students, who are now in Class VIII, to help dig holes and bring water for the trees.
Mr Sunil and two Class VIII boys who helped him plant the trees.
If the school shifts to a bigger compound, planting trees will similarly be his priority.
As the last question, before we are hurried off to a mini reception of cold drinks andpotato chips that another teacher had specially prepared for us, we ask what his aspirations for his students are.
He pauses thoughtfully, and answers “I hope they get good jobs, and live happy lives.”
A simple wish from an extraordinary teacher.
If you would like to contribute to Mr Sunil’s efforts in making Rojka Meo a better school, email info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can get involved in the making of a Model School.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who hopes the best for Rojka Meo Primary School. As part of their field research, they have been spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
Mewat Mondays: Leaders Moulding Future Leaders
“My ideal school is equipped with water facilities, toilets, and electricity so the children do not have to read their books in the dark, and classrooms filled with print-rich materials. Most importantly, my wish is to see 100% attendance among my boys”
- Sushila Ma’am, on her ideal school
At SRF Foundation, we want the best for children in Mewat. We want to provide them with quality education and opportunities, opening doors to a better future. As an organisation, we can work towards this goal by getting the finest people to work on our team; bringing in the best to design our programmes and implement them at ground level. Yet, we will always be one step away from meeting our goals, without the cooperation and commitment of leaders in the communities we work with.
Headmasters (HMs) are one of our most pivotal stakeholders. As leaders of the schools, they are one of the driving forces behind the effectiveness of these government schools in improving literacy rates in the poverty-stricken area of Mewat. In total, there are 40 HMs, of which nine are female.
To understand their jobs better, we invited Sushila Ma’am, the Headmistress of Kherla Boys’ Primary School, to share her perspective.
This week’s star: Sushila Ma’am
With 26 years of experience in the education sector, Sushila Ma’am possesses the knowledge, skills, and leadership to guide the school towards excellence. Before she was appointed as headmistress three years ago, she had been teaching in Kherla for 14 years.
Her responsibilities as headmistress include teaching, managing teachers, ensuring discipline among students, settling administrative issues such as letters and documents for submission to the government, supervising mid-day meals, overseeing any construction within the campus, and most importantly, enrolling out-of-school boys living in Kherla.
When asked if she enjoys her job, she elatedly says “yes”, and shares with us the joy of seeing children coming to school and getting the education they deserve.
However, being a Headmistress is full of challenges, the main one being getting children to attend school. She takes on the responsibility of increasing the enrolment in her school, by speaking to the parents whose boys are out of school.
One might think that convincing parents to send their sons to school is easy; given that the traditional challenge has always been to encourage female education. However, Sushila Ma’am says that this is not the case. Even after meeting parents personally, counseling and persuading them to educate their sons, many parents remain unconvinced on the value of education. It takes multiple coaxing before parents finally relent and enroll their sons in her school.
She cites sibling care as the main reason for this lack of support towards education. Rural families tend to be big, with four to five children on average, and help is needed to take care of the younger ones while the parents are out at work. This traditional mindset is her biggest obstacle in raising the education level of the people in Kherla.
She mentions that the lack of infrastructure is also another serious problem in the school. Currently, there are no proper furniture, electricity and water supplies, and toilets. This remains a big resource gap between her current and ideal school.
Apart from infrastructure, the shortage of manpower is also another obstacle in providing better quality education. According to the Rights to Education (RTE) Act, the ideal teacher-student ratio is 1:30, to ensure that students receive sufficient attention from their teachers. This means that Kherla Boys’ Primary School, with its 500 odd students, needs 18 teachers. However, they only have 10, including Sushila Ma’am herself. In addition, with no sweepers or watchmen, they have no dedicated staff that helps to keep the school environment clean and protected from theft.
These problems hinder the school from providing better quality education to Kherla’s residents, and she’s constantly thinking of how she can solve them, with the help of her stakeholders.
Yet, amidst these troubles, Sushila Ma’am joyfully claims that she loves her job, and gets personal satisfaction from running the school and managing her close-knit team of teachers, who were having a little party during their break time prior to our interview, to celebrate the new plot of land that one of them had recently purchased.
We were also curious to know if she faced any personal challenges being a female leader, against Mewat’s patriarchal background. Her answer was a confident “No”, as she does not believe in letting her gender affect the outcomes of things. Commitment and hard work are the keys to success, and this was exactly what we saw during our interview. Although she had 8 male teachers under her, she was able to command their respect, with most of them looking up to her as a motherly figure. She also has the respect of Kherla’s opinion leaders, earning bonus points for being able to speak their local Haryani language.
Sushila Ma'am with her teachers
On the Foundation’s part, we understand the challenges of our headmasters and do our best to train and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge. In December 2010, we organised a “Vision and Leadership Building Workshop” for the HMs and Sarpanch-es. The main aim was to upgrade the visioning and leadership abilities of the participants, who head important institutions. Some of the key topics covered during the workshop were identification of common problems, possible solutions, definitions of what the ideal Mewat Schools are, and individual action plans for each school.
Sushila Ma’am attended the workshop and found it tremendously useful and hopes for future workshops like this, with focus on specific issues such as ways to increase school enrolment.
Her passion for the school and her students are clear. But with greater outside support, she can do so much more to improve the state of education in Mewat.
If you would like to collaborate in empowering the Headmasters in Mewat, email info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can make a difference.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who enjoyed interacting with Sushila Ma’am and her staff. As part of their field research, they have been spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
Mewat Mondays: It’s Serious Business
No taps
No soap
No lights
No secure door
No maintenance
No water supply
No flushing system
… are some of the ways we can describe school toilets in Mewat.
Hopefully one more ‘No’ that will not be added to this list is ‘No future’ for many of the children in Mewat are not attending schools and getting the education they deserve due to dismal state of toilets.
To get a better understanding and picture of this dire situation, take a look through our lenses and see what we discovered during our toilet inspection.
Toilets are often left in a depressed state as there are no water facilities or maintenance
Often, toilets are filled with bricks and stones, rendering it unusable.
Without a door and proper ceiling, this toilet does not provide any sense of privacy at all. Would you use it?
In some schools, teachers even lock a few toilets for their own use as they do not want to share and use the same facilities as the students. This segregation in turn prevents any form of motivation to improve the maintenance and cleanliness of toilets since teachers are already secured of hygienic toilets.
Out of 5 toilets, 2 toilets are locked and reserved for teachers. Only 4 toilets, which are dirty, and without doors and proper ceiling are left for the students
Consequently, toilets get dirtier and become unusable. Lack of water source for toilets exacerbates this problem as it hinders any attempt at maintenance or cleanliness. To get water, teachers and students have to manually fetch pails of water from the school tap, which is a distance away, making the whole process an onerous one. This in turn poses a huge problem for schools as many girls are dropping out because of this.
The lack of separate facilities for male and female students also makes it uncomfortable for females to use toilets as there is no privacy for them. Sometimes, no toilets are allocated to females, as seen in the schools at Chandeini. To use toilets, they have to travel out of school and go to the nearest house, causing much inconvenience and wasting precious study time.
As a result, many females choose to hold in and relieve themselves only when they get home at around 3pm. This could be detrimental to their health for it might cause certain complications such as urinary tract infection, a condition that causes frequent feeling and/or need to urinate, pain during urination and cloudy urine. Had there been proper toilet facilities, it could all have been avoided and going to school would have been a more comfortable experience. More students might even choose to come to school.
It is not too late to intervene and help us improve the conditions of these toilets for the problem is too serious to be ignored. Not obtaining an education and opportunity to a better future simply due to dirty toilets is unacceptable. We have taken the first step by collaborating with the government to address the different issues toilets have. Recently, a meeting was held with the Deputy Commissioner, and proposals were made highlighting the basic infrastructures that schools need in order to have a basic functioning toilet facility. Hopefully, in the future, all 40 schools in the 19 villages will have toilet facilities that are in comparable with the number of students in the school.
If you too believe that dismal state of toilets is an unacceptable reason for children to stop their education, email info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can make a difference.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who almost could not bring themselves to face the reality of the toilets in Mewat. As part of their field research, they have been spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
Mewat Mondays: The Lack of a Stimulating Learning Environment
Two weeks ago, we described the dismal state of classrooms in Mewat. This week, we highlight a related issue: the lack of print-rich materials, and other learning aid.
When it comes to the education of children aged 6 to 14 years old, classrooms should be colourful, enriching, informative, and exciting. This helps to keep them motivated, curious, and interested in gaining knowledge; which in the long run shapes intelligent individuals whose learning journeys stretch indefinitely.
In addition, you might agree with us when we say that every school should have their own library collection of books; to encourage reading, self-learning, imagination, exposure, responsibility … just to name a few important values.
Unfortunately, schools in Mewat have neither print-rich classrooms nor libraries. Classroom walls are often bare, and it is only in the better endowed schools that they have students’ art work to paste on their walls. If classrooms do have bookshelves, they are empty, if not broken. Once, we even caught glimpse of a bookshelf that was used to keep bricks instead.
Wouldn’t class be more fun if we had more posters and learning aid?
One of the better classrooms with furniture; but even then, its walls are bare, save for some art work.
Bookshelves may be there, but there are unfortunately no books for the students to read leisurely.
But hope is not lost. Our partner, IBM, has stepped in to help increase the availability of enriching learning material for children aged three to eight years old. Under the IBM Kidsmart Programme, they have provided 130 computers with specially designed furniture and education software to primary schools in 18 villages, in a bid to enhance children’s learning and creativity through technology. Art and craft, and languages, are the main focus of the educational software provided by them.
In addition, the Department of Elementary Education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Haryana, and Mewat Development Agency are contributing to the joint efforts by funding the renovation of old classrooms and running of the centre, which will be transformed into bright and well-furnished IBM Kidsmart Centers.
Thanks to SSA Haryana, which is funded by the government, this school has a refurbished room that houses the IBM Kidsmart Center.
Last Thursday, our SRF Limited Chairman, Mr Arun Bharat Ram visited our first completed Kidsmart Center in a village called SP Nagli.
The Foundation is also currently hiring villagers who can help run these centers. We are making an effort to hire women – as a means of women empowerment – although this is admittedly difficult due to a limited supply of educated girls.
Nonetheless, we are happy to create opportunities for all the selected villagers, and we look forward to the opening of all the IBM Kidsmart Centers in the Nuh district of Mewat.
If you too believe in the importance of inculcating learning, creativity, and imagination in children – email info@srf-foundation.org to discuss how you can make a difference.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who were so impressed by the first IBM Kidsmart Center they visited recently. As part of their field research, they have been spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
Mewat Mondays: The Mid-Day Meal Scheme
If you’re just a child living in rural Mewat, what is the one thing that may entice you to come to school instead of working in the fields or staying home to look after younger siblings? The answer is a plate full of cooked food, provided free of charge thanks to the government, under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
Since 1997-8, the scheme provides food to children in all government schools throughout India. In the beginning, it provided 100 grams of grain per child per school day, and subsidised the transport costs. In September 2004, the scheme was revised to provide cooked meals with 300 calories and 8-12g of protein per child, higher transport subsidies, and funds to cover the cooking costs.
The key objectives of the scheme are to address malnutrition, encourage higher attendance, improve children’s concentration in class, and empower women through the employment provided by the scheme.
But what does the scheme look like on the ground? We visited several schools in the Nuh district of Mewat, where the Foundation intervenes in, to find out.
In schools like Rojka-Meo, there is no proper kitchen shed, so the cook prepares food in the corridor.
At about 12.30PM, children take a break from classes and queue up with their plates. As there is manpower shortage, teachers pitch in and help to serve the food.
They eat while crouching on the ground outside, because there are no dining facilities.
Nevertheless, they are happy to receive a simple meal every day.
When they are done, they wash after themselves. In Rehna, there is no tap, leading to water wastage.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a great initiative by the government that has provided employment opportunities to women in the villages, and most importantly, assured that children in these poor rural areas don’t go hungry as long as they are in school. It has also encouraged more children to continue schooling.
Unfortunately, there exist some limitations in the implementation of the scheme in Mewat. Some schools have insufficient utensils, most have no proper kitchen sheds for cooking, all have no dining facilities, and some children take advantage of the scheme by showing up only for the meal before running off again.
Some kids have their porridge on paper, when there aren’t enough utensils.
With the Mewat Rural Education Programme (MREP), we try to tackle this resource gap, and develop the schools in a holistic manner that will encourage all children in the villages we work with to attend school and enjoy their Right to Education.
If you would like to join hands and help our cause, email info@srf-foundation.org for more information.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who felt the joy of simple meals, when they recently visited Mewat. As part of their field research, they will be spending time in some of the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
Mewat Mondays: What is a Classroom Without Lights or Furniture?
Bring yourself back to the time when you were just seven years old.
Imagine yourself in the classroom, sitting down on the cold hard floor with a book in your hands. You are trying to read the words, but it is hard to see. There isn’t enough light coming in from the window.
You look around, trying to find another source of light. When you look up at the ceiling, a glimmer of hope emerges, as there it is, what you have been looking for – a light bulb.
Eagerly, you stand up and search for the switch. Locating it at the corner of the room, you delightfully try to turn on the lights. But no matter how many times you flick that switch, darkness still surrounds you.
Disappointed, you head back to the cold floor and take your place. With the book in your lap, the only thing you can do now is to squint your eyes as hard as you can.
As you look around, you find slight comfort in knowing that you are not alone, as all the other children in the room are doing exactly the same thing.
Forced to take the class outside.
But luckily for most of us, we enjoyed the privilege of having lighting and furniture in our classrooms.
Maybe we even took them for granted.
However, this is not the case of the children in Mewat. Lights cannot be turned on, because there is no electricity. Even though the government funds the schools’ electricity, power distribution in the rural area can be unreliable.
In the school campus in Salamba village, some classrooms were lucky enough to have lights installed. However, the village receives only 8 hours of electricity per day as determined by the electrical company, and the school cannot adjust these timings to suit their hours. In other schools, classrooms do not even have lights installed. The only solution for them is to study outside in the corridors; be it during summer, winter, and even the monsoon season.
If the lack of proper lighting isn’t bad enough, these children have no tables and chairs to sit on, either. There isn’t enough to go around for everyone. Furniture, if any, is mostly unusable due to wear and tear. Schools would love to start repairing their broken furniture, but have been unable to do so due to lack of resources.
Children squeeze on the floor, while schools try to find resources to repair the faulty furniture.
There’s so much broken furniture in Salamba, that it occupies an entire classroom.
Classrooms may also be unused, because of their poor flooring.
A classroom gets abandoned, because of its potholes.
But just as the picture looks bleak, there is hope for the children in Salamba, who recently received new furniture donated by our partner, GE Capital. Partners like them make learning much more pleasant and enriching for the children. In the future, we aim to equip all other 18 schools in Mewat with new and/or repaired furniture in their classrooms, too.
Brand new furniture – Thank you GE Capital!
To help create more ideal classrooms for the children, collaborate with us! Email info@srf-foundation.org for more information.
Mewat Mondays is brought to you by our interns, Aisyah and Rafidah, who didn’t realise just how privileged they have been, until they visited Mewat. As part of their field research, they will be spending time in the 19 villages, and will gladly share pictures and anecdotes from these experiences. Reach them at siti.mohd@srf.com and rafidah.razak@srf.com respectively.
