Taking everybody along
Community participation and involvement continues to be an integral part of the Satya Bharti School Program. Our efforts at making community an essential part of our operations have not only earned us respect, support and buy-in from opinion leaders, but have also started contributing to future growth of the community. Surely there is a positive behavioural change among the community members.
Direct involvement of community in school activities is undertaken in the programs. 1,400 community volunteers signed up to take classes during the summer camp held in June 2009. They took sessions in local arts and crafts, storytelling and music. Community members also volunteer their services for other school related activities.
Skills beyond BooksThe Satya Bharti Schools have turned into mini ITIs where children are learning about other important skills like Carpentry, Tailoring, Gardening, Dancing and Farming from local talent and resources.
-- Nathu Ram Choudhary, Sarpanch
Jati Bhandu, Rajasthan
Design for Giving
Design for Giving
Social issues in the community are getting addressed through Community Development Programs. 2,100 children across 91 Satya Bharti Schools participated in the Design for Giving contest. They undertook various campaigns in their own communities like girl child awareness rallies, combating global warming, literacy drives, health and hygiene drives, drug abuse, environment, campaigns against child marriage etc.
The most effective amongst these campaigns the “Campaign against Child Marriage” was undertaken by 32 students of the Satya Bharti School in Lordi Dejgara, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Seeing rapid increase in the number of their friends getting married or engaged at an early age, the students identified this as a serious peril affecting their community. As a part of this campaign, the students undertook rallies, performed role-plays against child marriage and also organised meetings with senior community members to discuss the issue. The initiative was supported by all community members and was well accepted. It helped them to prevent marriages of 16 children in the village and neighbouring villages. Inspired, many parents pledged not to marry their children before an appropriate age.
Guardian, on course to graduation…
Having studied till senior school only, Laluram is working as the School Guardian at the Satya Bharti Government Primary School in Salgawali, Amer. The teachers were very keen that he studies further and often encouraged him. They inspired him with the example of a school guardian at another Satya Bharti School being promoted as teacher due to his capability. Turned interested to study further, Laluram faced financial difficulties. The teachers helped him. Thanks to their efforts, Laluram is now pursuing his graduation.
Ushering in a bright future
Bharti Foundation has partnered with premier institutes like the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 2000 to set up the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology and Management, IIT Delhi. 200 students are supported every year to pursue courses in the field of telecommunications. The School has been set up with the vision “to develop telecom leaders through excellence in education and research”. The Foundation has also set up the Bharti Centre for Communication, Mumbai in partnership with IIT Mumbai.
The Bharti Scholarship and Mentorship program has also been instituted to support academically brilliant students from financially weak backgrounds. Under this program Bharti Foundation has also partnered with Udayan Care to support the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program. Currently 232 scholars are being supported under the Bharti Scholarship and Mentorship Program.
Cont...........
