FROM INDIA WITH LOVE

The following three reports were recently received from PDG Gulam Vahanvaty, Zone 4B Literacy Resource Group Coordinator ( western India). The reports were forwarded to him by his district literacy contacts who are identified below. Each project addresses a vocational literacy problem which one would expect to find in almost every Rotary district in the world.
I. A Vocational Service Literacy Project for Talented Adolescents Whose Primary School Preparation Puts Them At Risk of Being Denied the Opportunity to Enter a Profession Where They Will Realize Their Full Potential.

I. A Vocational Service Literacy Project fot Talented Adolescent whose Primary School Preparation puts them at risk of being denied the Opportunity to enter a profession where they will realize their full potential.
( D-3140, Rtn Alok Sekhsaria,Chairman, Education For All Committee, reporting)
« Demographics have gifted India with one of the largest and youngest human resource bases in the world…Yet the present infrastructure with respect to primary education…has ensured that we are facing a situation where this vast mass of restless energy is not being harnessed effectively. The result could be simmering discontent that could erupt into angry reaction».
«The Education for All Committee of the Rotary Club of Bombay has initiated Bhavishya Yaan (a mission to the future), inspired by India’s Chandra Yaan ( a mission to the moon). (This is) a skills enhancement program that could address this situation at a micro level and set the stage for it to be scaled up and emulated at various locations and levels».
«This effort commenced in January 2009 at the Ambedkar Municipal, Worli, Mumbai with 40 students from their Marathi, Urdu and Hindi medium programs. In June 2009 it was scaled up to 120 students».
«Bhavishya Yaan fast-tracks pre-selected students from Standard 8 and 9 with well-planned coaching in conversational English, soft skills and computer education. The program is evolving and includes an art appreciation course and a distinguished lecture series branded “Life’s Lessons” to provide them with that indefinable yet critical input called ‘exposure.’ There is a structured mentoring program at the Ambedkar School by Rotarians, counseling sessions with experts, and motivational cultural shows. A systematic collection of data tracks the aspirations of the students, their family background and their medical history. This information help(s) us channel their energies in the direction they show an inclination towards».
II. A Project to Rescue Juvenile Delinquents
( D-3030, PDG Vishwas Sahasrabhojanee reporting)
The Rotary Club of Nagpur has partnered with the local Commissioner of Police to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents and turn them into productive workers and citizens. Currently 60 such youth are tutored on various aspects of life and provided with functional literacy skills. Four women social workers/teachers provide the tutoring and the club pays their annual salaries. Rotarians and Rotary-Anns oversee the progress of the project.
III. A Character Literacy (Ethics) Book Project –KKAC
(Rotarian Lata Subraidu reporting)
District 3140 sponsors a project which puts character literacy story books into the hands of thousands of young Indian children. The project is called Katha Kahani aur Copy (KKAC). As reported by Rotarian Subraidu, « KKAC is a notebook inter-spread with stories based on ethics and values. It is in a book form for the children to jot down their thoughts after reading the stories – how they were inspired by these stories; what they would have done in the same situation; how these stories inspire them to be better human beings».
« District 3140 has distributed 16,450 notebooks. Ten thousand books have been sponsored by Indian Oil Ltd and have been distributed in far-flung areas of Talasari, Dahanu and Kalian. These were in Marathi. The rest, in English, were sponsored by Rotary clubs in District 3140. We look forward to other clubs and districts distributing as many notebooks as possible to ensure an ethical future (based on) future generations with a good value system».
Richard Hattwick
October 09
PHOTO: Indian Gate, Mumbai, India