Pondicherry, South India
Special education for drop-outs in South India
Foundation Befriend coordinates and supports small-scale projects for people in disadvantaged and vulnerable situations. The foundation does this on a voluntary basis. Partner Organization in South India is Empowerment Foundation. The two organisations work closely together and are financially supported by ChildRight Fund.
Empowerment Foundation aims to sustainable develop the rural community of Pondicherry and the adjacent Tamil Nadu to sustainable development. She focuses mainly on children and women from the poorest population groups with education, care, self-help groups and microcredit.
SOORYA UDAYAM ILLAM, or HOUSE of the RISING SUN – is the beating heart of the social activities of the Empowerment Foundation. About 70 disadvantaged children (orphan or half orphan) in the age of 3 to 17 years find a loving home with all possibilities to develop themselves. The House is located in the village of Odhiyampattu at 5 km from the city of Pondicherry in South India.
When the children come for the first time in the House, they are often ill and malnourished and have had no or hardly any education. Also they have usually large linguistic problems. With this background they just can't start on an ordinary primary school where there is no time and attention for children with a learning deficit and behavioural problems.
In the shelter the children (up to 12 years old) get special education on the 'own' Empowerment school to decrease their learning difficulties with the result that the connection to secondary education is easier. Without this special 'drop-out' education most children would not succeed.
The teaching method is adapted to the level of the children. Yoga, meditation and creative subjects like dance and music are part of it as well.
The alternative education is a huge success: all children of the shelter have so far passed their annual and final exams.
The success of this education resulted in the plan to build a separate Empowerment school, where also drop-out children from the local community can go to. Live In the region live many children who do not go to school or leave the school early (drop-outs). The percentage of those socially weak and vulnerable children is very high. They are rejected and neglected children who go wandering or are used as child labourers without a view of a better future.
In the grounds of Soorya Udayam is a school built with four classrooms where children from the surrounding areas and the shelter can get (lower) education and find a better connection with mainstream education.
ChildRight Fund has financially contributed to phase 1 of the Empowerment school (construction) that started at the end of 2009 and was completed in June 2010.
Child Right Fund has financially contributed to an education project 2010 for special education for drop-out children in India.
Child Right Fund has contributed financially to the purchase of a school bus. The bus will be used for the transport of children from the shelter Soorya Udayam (doctors visit, excursions, further education, etc.) and daily transport of ‘drop-out’ children from the surrounding villages to the Empowerment school for special education. This pick-up service is essential for this group of children to get back to school while they continue to live in their own environment.
