TRUWDES

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TRUWDES

• Project Review 2008-09
• Madhu

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Project Overview

• Residential school serving few remote tribal
  hamlets in Western Ghats
• Located at Manchampatti village in Indira Gandhi
  National Reserve Forest, Tamil Nadu
• Villages lack link roads, electricity, running
  water, medical facilities, schools or shops
• School Name - Vallalar Thai Tamil Palli
• Children from 4 hamlets - Manchampatti,
  Moongilpallam , Muduvakudi and Thalunchi
• Major occupation for the communities - farming,
  collection of forest produce
• Population comprises of tribals and dalits
  (migrant population from the mainland)

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Background

• TRUWDES
• (Trichirapalli Rural and Urban Welfare
  Development Educational Society)
• Started as NFE in 1999
• NGO has been running this as FE school since 2001
  
• Working in 5 villages since 1999 supports 2
  old-age homes, 1 school
• AshaSV has been supporting school since 2007

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School Details

• Overview
• 63 Students (41 boys, 22 girls)
• 15 children reside at the school hostel.
• Primary Education in Tamil medium
• Standard I through VII
• Comprises of one shed - all classes conducted in
  one common tin-roofed shed
• Education methods
• Activity based learning methods for the younger
  children.
• For the elder children, the textbooks are being
  used.

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School Details (contd. 1)

• Staff
• Two Teachers
• One Physical Education Teacher visits once in a
  fortnight
• Supported by a cook and a helper
• Government recognition
• Ongoing efforts to get govt. recognition for
  school from Dept. of Education
• TRUWDES has been able to obtain renewable one
  year recognition to issue TCs for the children
  from I standard to VIII standard

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School Details (contd. 2)

• All the school children are being provided with
• Lunch on all working days
• Uniforms (2 per student), note books, books,
  pencils.
• House visits
• Teachers make weekly visits to childrens houses
  in the villages during weekends
• Share issues about childs education with parents
  - performance of each individual child, need for
  parental attention to care for education and
  nutrition of the child.
• This helps
• In checking the drop-out situation and
  absenteeism
• Ensures better performance of the child
• Creates awareness about the need for education

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Current Issues

• Tiger Conservation drive
• The Govt. of India has declared this as National
  Tiger Reserve
• Movement of villagers will be severely curtailed
• Govt. is motivating the villagers to evacuate
  their dwelling to the plains or nearby villages
  with the compensation package for their
  livelihood and housing
• Forest officials had announced a compensation
  package for tribal family who opt to relocate
• Most tribals reluctant. So far, only 4 families
  in Mudhuvakudi have opted to relocate.
• Not as much of a threat for Manjampatti it is a
  revenue village.
• 2 hamlets (Mudhuvakudi and Moogalipalam) may be
  impacted
• Deadline set by forest dept for relocation
  March 2012.

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Other Challenges

• Teacher Retention
• Several teachers have left over the years due to
  inaccessibility,
• lack of transportation, social life, poor
  communication
• Child trafficking for bonded labor
• Children sent to textiles unit in Thiruppur and
  Udumalaipet towns, and eatable production units
  in Gujarat
• Trying to dissuade parents from selling their
  children as bonded labor through teacher visits
  to childrens homes
• Need for School Repair Renovation
• Single tin-roofed shed serves as school and
  hostel, mud walls and floor
• All classes held in the shed.
• Structure needs repair and some renovation to
  improve learning environment
• Lack of clean drinking water
• Non-electric water filters would help

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Budget requirements for academic year 2008-2009
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Expenses for the period from June 2008 to April
2009
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Budget requirements for academic year 2009-2010
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Repair Renovation Details

•  
• Note
• Any renovation work needs to be completed before
  the onset of rains in mid-August. It is not
  possible to take up or continue the renovation
  work beyond August 15, 2009.
• TRUWDES has requested AshaSV to release repair
  and renovation funds before July 2009, if
  possible, so that they can take up this activity
  before the rainy season in the forests.

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Funding

• Disbursements
• Nov 2007 Rs. 305500 (for 07-08 operational
  expenses)
• Apr 2008 Rs. 320000 (approved for building
  construction, used for operational expenses with
  chapter approval)
• 2007-08 expenditure Rs. 329650
• 2008-09 budget Rs. 321750
• 2009-10 budget Rs. 472600

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Evaluation

• Student retention keep the children from
  dropping out and ensure that all students
  enrolled complete the academic year. Track and
  report student attendance at the end of academic
  year.
• Teacher retention Retain same teachers / ensure
  school has 2 teachers all through the academic
  year
• Performance monitoring Administer ASER tests to
  assess student learning level, provide assessment
  report
• School Renovation Complete renovation as
  described in report, provide before-after photos.
• Secure permanent Government recognition by end of
  academic year.
• Conduct education trip provide trip photos and
  trip report from teachers/students/Truwdes
• Ensure continuity of the school through the
  academic year, closely monitor relocation
  situation and adapt plans for school accordingly.
• Plan for scholarships to support the education at
  outside schools for students passing out of class
  VIII

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Pictures
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Pictures