Asha Delhi 10% Project

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Asha Delhi 10 Project

• 2007-08 Execution Debrief

Asha Delhi Ritika Arora / Uday
Gosain 07-Jun-2008, Updated 24-Jun-07
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Agenda.

• Objectives of the program
• Project details
• Project execution methodology
• Awareness
• Advocacy to the government
• Document Collection
• Networking
• Monitoring
• Research and verification
• Focus 2007-08

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Objectives of the Programme

• The project aims at
• Creating awareness amongst the common people
  about their rights.
• Making the government authorities more
  accountable and transparent.
• Ensuring good quality of education for every
  child by invoking right to education.
• Conducting research on how the fund is being
  utilized in government run schools.
• Motivating the marginalized section of the
  society to minimize their dependency and   create
  sustainable systems
• Forming community based groups.

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Project Details

• The project kick started on the following
  grounds
• Government allotted land at subsidized rates to
  397 schools
• There was a 25 quota (now revised to 10) set
  for children from economically backward section
  of the society
• The objective was to provide free and fair
  education.
• In July 2005 Delhi Govt. published the guidelines
  to admission of these children in many
  newspapers.
• Therefore the Parivartan/Pardarshita group
  realized that this was the right time and
  opportunity for the poor to provide free and good
  quality education to their children in public
  schools.
• The project initially (2005 to 2007) covered 3
  districts in Delhi - namely, east, north-east
  and south. Last year, the scope of the project
  was enhanced to include the west, south-west
  districts of Delhi.

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Project Execution Methodology

• Learning from earlier years, project execution
  methodology was devised to structure execution
• Awareness
• Research
• Verification
• Document Collection
• Networking
• Advocacy to the government
• Admission Process
• Monitoring
• A better way to manage the finances and the
  project it self was to be put in place
• Next few slides provide an update on efforts on
  the above aspects and the results achieved..

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Awareness

• Measures adopted to spread awareness amongst the
  parents in 2007-08
• Distributing pamphlets
• Organizing camps in collaboration with the Delhi
  govt at many DC complexes
• Introducing helpline numbers
• Posters at various locations
• HELPINE numbers 011-20033988, 9910349898,
  9868529459.
• Awareness about regulations and assistance in
  admission was provided through these helplines.
  These numbers were published in newspapers like
  Navbharat Times, Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar
• Awareness of the Acts provision amongst School
  authorities
• The helpline number has been a huge success
  with over 1,000 calls received from all over
  Delhi for admission enquiries.

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Advocacy to the government

• Problems faced by parents during admissions
• Disallowed entry into school
• Refusal of application forms
• Demand of unnecessary documents for admission
• Misguiding parents in terms of the documents
  required for admission
• Non-acceptance of application forms issued
  earlier
• Steps taken to combat the above problems
• Several complaints were filed with the Deputy
  Director of Education, the Director of Education
  and Secretary of education
• This was followed up by presenting the data of
  these complaints in the high court.
• Outcomes of our efforts
• More than 500 complaints were filed against 54
  schools
• Ruling of the court indicated that the officers
  in charge were not performing their duties as
  required
• There was mass media coverage and eventually the
  problems came into notice of the chief
  information commissioner
• While contempt of notice has not yet been issued,
  investigation of the admission procedure of these
  54 schools is well under way

8
Document Collection

• Documents required
• Income certificate
• birth certificate
• resident proofs
• ration cards
• Efforts made at our end
• Assistance provided to parents in collection of
  documents.
• Other misguided parents were provided assistance
  in gathering relevant documents required for
  admission
• In cases where any of the document was missing,
  parents were helped in getting them made by the
  guiding them
• Example 100 cases handled in the east district,
  80 in north-east district and over 80 more in the
  south-west district, for getting income
  certificate made.

9
Networking

• We organised a meeting in collaboration with
  Nehru memorial Museum and Library at Teen Murti.
  Many NGOs were invited for the meeting to discuss
  on the current policy of the Delhi govt on access
  of economically weaker families to public
  schools.
• This meeting was also attended by Mr Wajahad
  Habibullah (Chief Information Commissioner), Mrs.
  Shanta Sinha (Chairperson, Protection of Child
  Rights Commission) and Mrs. Mridula Mukherjee
  (Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library) Mr.
  Shekhar Singh (former convener of NCPRI).
• As a result of this meeting, we got the
  opportunity to form networks with other NGOs like
  YMCA, ISST, Prabhatara, Amba Foundation, and
  Satarak Nagrik Sangathan.

10
Monitoring

• The monitoring process includes
• Preparation of a project coordination workbook,
  specifying the demographics of admitted students
  year on year.
• Currently, the process is being regularized by
  visiting camps and updation of the coordination
  workbook.
• Three camps, Rajiv camp, Nehru camp and New
  Seemapuri, have been visited so far
• Process involves interviewing parents on their
  childs academic performance and areas and levels
  of improvement in the childs performance since
  admission
• Brief assessment of students report cards,
  wherever available
• Inquiring about problems and discrimination, if
  any, faced by parents with respect to the school
  authorities and provide suggestions to tackle any
  issues faced.
• Our overall findings from these visits have been
  satisfying
• There are no particular complaints lodged
• Parents have not witnessed any discrimination by
  the school authorities
• The children are treated with equality and given
  appropriate attention
• Childrens performance has been consistent. Some
  troubled cases are essentially the students who
  are weak / slow learners.
• We are also looking at compiling students marks
  in the workbook and keep adding to it as they go
  through the school years.

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Research Verification

• Efforts are being made to streamline the research
  and verification process.
• For any research or verification, it is necessary
  to have access to the relevant information.
• We have filed an application under the RTI Act
  and are waiting for approval for the access to
  data to start the verification process.

12
Project Finances Improvement

• Project Coordination Workbook (PCB) maintained
• Financial WorkBook maintained
• Regular Updates on emails
• Website kept updated
• Vouchers Guidelines published and strict
  adherence to guidelines enforced

13
Focus 2007- 08

• The number of students who gained admission was
  substantially higher in this year
• Over 350 students were admitted in the last
  academic year, which is a significant increase of
  790 since academic year 2005-06
• Numbers largely attributed to efforts made
  towards spreading awareness.
• Significant inter-community interaction and
  influence of parents whose children were
  successfully admitted in preceding years helped,
  also made a huge difference.
• Apart from the admissions detailed above,
  Pardarshita discovered that many parents were
  interested in getting children admitted into MCD
  schools
• The admission process was initiated during
  2007-08
• Parents were mobilized and motivated to admit
  children in MCD schools
• So far, 150 admissions have been successfully
  done for the academic year 2008-09.

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Focus 2007- 08 (MCD Schools)

• Apart from the admissions in Private Schools,
  Pardarshita discovered that many parents were
  interested in getting children admitted into MCD
  schools
• The admission process was initiated during
  2007-08
• Parents were mobilized and motivated to admit
  children in MCD schools
• So far, 150 admissions have been successfully
  done for the academic year 2008-09
• Steps initiated for seeing condition of MCD
  Schools
• 3 schools identified.
• Primary
• XXX
• XXX
• Visited school, etc XXX

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Focus 2007- 08 (MCD Schools)contd

• Report prepared and sent to various people
• Report Highlights
• Existing toilets for students are permanently
  locked. Students forced to relieve themselves in
  class rooms.
• Staff has permanently sealed the room with
  provision of drinking water due to the fear of
  taps being stolen. Students forced to go home to
  satisfy their quench.
• Indulgence by miscreants in illegal activities
  such as gambling, drug, tobacco and alcohol abuse
  etc.
• Naked wires protruding through the walls of the
  new building.
• Meeting with Director Education MCD on RTI
  Applications filed

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Problems Faced in Execution Resolution

• Vouchers not filed in time by project
  supervisors.
• Ineffective people brought on board
• Vouchers Management was not properly understood.
  Repetitive changes and sending vouchers to
  Vallabh-bhai
• Prepared Guidelines to with vallabh-bhai and
  distributed to all
• Project Coordinator change Management not smooth
• Uday is now the Single POC of the project
• The Honourarium cheques from Kaithi were taking
  time to arrive as vouchers were not proper
• Rohinis account is being used as an Impressed
  A/c for compensation
• With Rohini now taking a break from Asha Delhis
  activities, Udays Current account ICICI Bank,
  Noida 0031 05 004878 is being used as imprest
  account
• Money Transfer from Asha Seattle. Cheque takes 6
  weeks to arrive. Tried Wire Transfer, which got
  stuck
• Plan to get FCRA prior permission for
  Pardarshita/Any other partner org
• Money finally reach Kaithi on 26-May-2008,
  exactly one month after it was transferred.