Background of the Organization and Situation analysis

Like most districts of West Bengal, North 24-Parganas has largely agrarian population. However, the land person ratio is critically low due to land fragmentation and a rapidly growing population.Foremost among the problems relating to the agricultural sector, is the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides leading to environmental degradation. As very few traditiona skills and craft remain in the area the problems of landslides is multiple and deep-rooted. Lack of basic health facilities couple with harmful practices, customs and taboos pose a formidable challenge to development workers.

Progress Report: April to October 1998

Education Program

During the review period, it was observed that Swanirvar has fulfilled the objectives of the Education Program to a considerable extent. There has been a mass awareness on education in the operational villages. The fifteen pre-primary centers have served the purpose of increasing enrollment in the primary schools.

An overview of the program in terms of total outreach, male to female ratio and parent involvement is as follows:

Village		Total students		Male		Female		Parent Meetings/No. of Participant
Bajitpur		80		40		40		60/155
Fatullapur		90		51		39		2/94
Adharnanik		63		21		42		3/95
Chandalati		90		44		46		3/138
Kolsur		91		45		46		3/129
Dwipurdia		45		17		28		4/78
Rudrapur		45		25		20		3/74
Bhojpur		50		27		23		2/36
Bagjola		35		17		18		2/64
Haiderpur		38		16		22		2/45
Beliakhali		64		34		30		2/97
Gokulpur		65		30		35		4/119
Punra		42		21		21		3/72
Matia		85		42		43		5/120
Uttarmedia		40		15		25		3/101

All the per-primary centers are scheduled for three hours per day, six days a week. Precise timings vary as per local conviniences. A total of 923 children are centered to through these pre-primary centers as compared to the previous years, when they reached out to 780 children. Significantly, the number of female children has increased with regards to enrollment. Guardian participation has also increased to a great extent aspecially in the case of Haiderpur and Bhojpur. In addition to this, three primary centers are in operation under the MHRD program through Vikramshila Education Resources Society.

The attendance of the children in the school increased by approximately 75 %. It was consistent for female children.

To strengthen the quanlity of the program, regular home vists and parent meetings were held. In each center, students requiring specific attention in terms of low attendance, progress, behavioural problems were identified and home visits were made by teachers to observe family involvement. Parent meetings were held as per schedule in all the pre-primary centers.

Monthly meetings for teachers : Monthly meeting for all the educational centers have been held and participation in these have been considerably high. Assesment of each center is made and the teachers exchange new ideas and clarify doubts during these.

Internal exchange program: During the reporting period, the internal exchange program enchanced the performance fo the centers and the internal supervision further consolidated the education program. Centers which needed attention were identified.

Internal Workshops and training : In-house training has been conducted in the area of pre-primary education adn material development. The key teachers in the primary schools have participated in an interactive workshop on minimum levels of learning conducted by VERS. Material development workshops have been held at 15 pre-primary centers in the villages. The outcome has been particularly useful in tapping the creative abilities of teachers and various innovative teaching learning material has been developed.

Literacy Program : The literacy program conducted by the pre-primary teachers for women in the villages through informal methodology was implemented in the first half of the year. The teachers have been able to use adult learning techniques for which thay had received training earlier. The progress of the mothers have been closely monitored and periodic evaluations have taken place. Rural literacy through strengthening book banks and opening libraries has received attention.

Links with government schools : Government officials and teachers have been invited in various functions of Swanirvar. The organization has established contacts with other NGO's and district level officials in order to strengthen the schooling syetem in the block.

Network Initiatives : Dr. Sujit Sinha has prime moved various networks on education with NGO's as wella s with the government functionaries. He has facilitated the West bengal Education Network and has contributed in terms of information sharing. Swanirvar is a pro-active member of the National Alliance on Education regarding the 83rd ammendment and has developed a booklet on education in Bangali. This has been widely circulated in the villages as well as to the other CRY supported partners.

School health Program : The health workers at Swanirvar visit each education center on a monthly basis. Growth monitoring, identification of health needs and supply of medicines for primary ailment, deworming etc. were the main activities of this program.

Community health :

- Drinking Water : In the operational areas of Swanirvar, arsenic detection camps were held. It was assessed that out of a total of 102 smples tested, only 22 were safe while 44 were unsafe and 36 were dangerous. 1398 tubewells were disinfected in 14 villages.

- Family Planning : In the first six months of the program, 3326 eligible couple were catered under this program. The health requirements of 227 pregnant women were followed up.

- Clinical Services : A total number of 2363 patients were catered to and curative services and medicine support was provided. 1605 patients received treatment in herbal medicines/ Swanirvar continues to run four clinics in the operation villages.

- Malnutrition and Deworming program : Out of the total children detected in eleven villages, six were found to be severly affected, 74 were moderate cases, and 214 general cases. In eight villages, deworming programs were catered tp 5959 children. 665 children belonging to the pre-primary centers werer covered.

- 22 patients underwent cataract operation in the reporting period. This was organized in association with Barasat Government Hospital.

Village awareness camps and meetings : These were held as planned in the villages and Swanirvar. Awareness camps were held on deworming, health and development, and blood donor motivation. Workshops were conducted in first aid and health referral systems. Three teachers of Swanirvar participated in a training on childhood disability which was conducted by NIOH in Sept, 1998.

Cultural Program : Cultural activities continued on an on-going basis - observing important days and the formation of youth groups (kishore/kishore groups). Bratachari, yoga, puppetry, street theater, folk dance and children's festivals were conducted a s planned. The youth group programhas trained 100 adolescents in first aid. Training was conducted on puppetry and drama. This group conducted village mappings and surveyed sanition systems, prevalence of diarrhoe, tubewell, poultry and kitchen gardens. I n the first few months, they have engaged themselves in tree planting, cleaning of roadsides, disinfecting tubewells, planting nursery, poultry vaccination with BDO's, conducting deworming campaigns for the village and recording daily temperature and rain fall. Kitchen garden and herbal medicine received due emphasis during the review period and the youth groups were involved with the kitchen garden program. In some villages, nurseries were nurtured by the youth members. The youth program has a strong peda gogy content. The activities were collated to Mathematics. In the last six months, the kishore-kishories have learnt to make table charts, bar diagrams, graphs, pie-charts,etc. They have been involved in cultural activities both for development purposes as well as culture and entertainment. An integration with the high school syllabus is being worked out.

Financial Allocation:

April 1998 - March 1999

Yearly Sanction : Rs. 5,99,436.00

First Half Disbursal : Rs. 2,96,608.00

Review

In ths sphere, the focus has been on providing pre-primary education to children of backward communities. In addition to the five pre-primary centres which were existing previously, new units have been started, increasing the total to fourteen. Three primary centres are in operation supported by the Ministry of HRD through VERS. The pre-primary centres and support for workshops, co-curricular activities and cultural team the primary level is being provided by CRY.

Monthly meetings, quarterly meetings and workshops have been held regularly and joint meetings between health and cultural supervisors conducted to review the entire programe.

A qualitative evalutation format has been developed by the teachers and project personnel which in the near future will replace the reports of students having only gradations. This has been a step forward in resolving the contradiction between non-formal teaching methods and having a formalized grading system.

The supervisor has conducted his visits to all centres on a regular basis.

Regular monthly meetings with parents and home visits have been made.

The children have organised and participated in numerous cultural shows whichincluded puppetry, dramatics, singing and dancing. Trainings in "Bratachari" were conducted (which focuses on the development of mind, soul and physique) and 39 children participated in the same.

Health

The primary objectives of the health programme is to promote community health through child to child approach. School health programme has been initiated during this period and health check ups held covering a total of 2126 children. Further, a school health training was conducted. To enhance the awareness of mothers, nutrition training was held; arsenic detention camps were held in 13 villages and out of a total of 102 listed samples, 44 were found unsafe and 36 dangerous.

An eye operation camp was held and 100 patients screened and 23 cataract operations conducted at Barasat district hospital.

In addition to preventive and promotive health measures, Swanirvar operates 4 clinics to provide curative services.

Non Financial Support Details

03 Project personnel participated in regional baseline data workshop organised by CRY at Swanirvar. 04 Project personnel attended ELT training at Calcutta 07 teachers attended Pre-primary Teacher training at Calcutta Teachers attended the Puppetry training conducted by the Puppets at Calcutta.