Givesters On Ground: my visit to Vimukti Sanstha

Started in 2004, Vimukti Sanstha runs an RBSE affiliated school Vimukti Girls School and provides education to around 800 girls in the English medium, free of cost. The girls are given free access to education, books, uniforms, shoes, socks and daily refreshments through the Mission: Every Girl in School initiative.

 

The initiative is to provide quality education for girls from the urban slums of Jaipur (majorly focussed on slums in Jawaharnagar) to alleviate them from poverty and backwardness. The main barrier that Vimukti Sanstha had to face was the attitude of poverty-stricken parents who kept their girls at home watching over their siblings and doing household chores as their mothers worked as domestic help. 

 

The founder of Vimukti Sanstha, Ms. Lavalina Sogani and her team of 3 teachers, convinced the community to send their daughters to school and started the center with just 20 girls. The girls were not just taught, but made to brush their teeth, teachers would cut their nails, bathe them at times and comb their hair. The aim was not just to impart education but to help their overall development. Today, Vumikti works with around 800 girls spread across three centers and supported by a staff of 34 teachers and 7 admins.

 

Initiatives at Vimukti Girls School

• The Leadership Development Program (LDP) helps develop self-awareness, conflict resolution skills and relationship and value-based leadership skills.
• The VGS Internship Program is a collaboration with esteemed institutions like Jaipuria Institute of Management to help mentor and guide the students.
• Expert training under professionals for specific sports such as Martial Arts, Gymnastics and Table Tennis.

My visit to the school

I reached the school at 10am and met Mrs. Kshama Kahndelwal, the coordinator and teacher at Vimukti Sanstha. Mrs. Kshama Kahndelwal was my primary point of contact who manages the EGIS programme from end to end. I then met the Principal/Executive committee member of the school, Ms. Jyoti Dixit. She provided a detailed download of Vimukti Sanstha and all 15 programmes that are spread across three centers.

 

Vimukti Sanstha operates from three different centers. The head office or the main center is in Pratap Nagar and this is the one that I visited. It is 45 kms from the center of the city. This center accommodates students from class fourth to class 12. The other two centers accommodate girls for pre prep and class 1 to class 3.

 

What do students get?

The Vimukti Sanstha students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and lack access to education and academic facilities receive the following from the NGO:

 

• Education to class 12
• Uniforms 
• Books and stationery
• Daily refreshment of buttermilk with banana / sprouts
• Career counseling from class 10 onwards
• Support in nurturing sports talent

 

How are the students chosen?

There is a specific process that Vimukti Sanstha applies to select the students who are a part of this education program:

 

• The executive committee members decide the enrollment for a year, which is around 100 seats per year. 
• A team of coordinators go to the ground and prepare a list of possible candidates.
• During the visit, the coordinators check the eligibility, age proof, Aadhaar, BPL card (if submitted) and other documents. 
• They also try to screen the parents as well and select children from families whose income is less than ₹15,000 per month.
• After the coordinators’ survey, the teachers conduct the second round of shortlisting.
• Once this survey is completed, an entrance examination is conducted, based on which the board members take a call on admissions.

 

Meeting the students 

I met the following 6 students at the school and share my thoughts on these interactions here:

 

Kiran Naik, age 20 is in 12th standard, commerce stream. Kiran is a bright student and the eldest among three siblings. From her home in Tripuri Gate, she takes an auto to Transport Nagar where she takes the school bus. Her father works at a godown as a daily wage labourer and her mother is a homemaker. She has been in Vimukti Sanstha for ten years. She mentioned how critical the role of Vimukti is in her progress and overall development. Her parents discovered Vimukti and then she went through the shortlisting process. 

 

Suchita Rana, age 21 is in 12th standard, in the arts stream. Suchita is a bright student and the eldest among three siblings. Her father works as a gardener and her mother is a cook. She has been in Vimukti Sanstha for seven years. Her parents discovered Vimukti Sanstha and then she went through the shortlisting process. 

Priya Rajput, age 10 is in 5th standard. Her father is unemployed as of now and her mother works as a midwife. From her home in Tiwad Nagar, she takes the school bus. She has been in Vimukti Sanstha for a year. Her mother was a student of Vimukti Sanstha and her two younger sisters are in pre-prep of Vimukti Sanstha. Priya is an excellent player of table tennis and very mature at her age. 

 

Renuka Naik, age 14 is in 8th standard. Her parents are both daily wage laborers. She is the youngest among three siblings. From her home in Jawahar Nagar, she takes the school bus. She has been in Vimukti Sanstha for eight years. She aspires to be a gymnastics player.

 

Following my interaction with these girls, we visited the school premises. The school is located on three floors and during my visit, the students were practicing in the basement for the annual function of the school. 

 

I then visited different classes, laboratories, the library and the arts and crafts section of the school. The infrastructure is in excellent condition. Proper seating arrangements are there. Post this part of the visit, we broke for lunch and after lunch, I met two more beneficiaries named Vidhi Sharma and Sanjana Jogi.  

 

Vidhi is a student in 10th standard and the topper of her class. Her mother is an anganwadi worker.  She went to Thailand to participate in a martial arts competition. She mentioned that she is getting career counseling which is helping her immensely. 

 

Sanjana Jogi, class 12th is a student of Bio. She lives in Jawahar Nagar. Her father is an auto driver and she has been in Vimukti school since KG1. She has great communication skills. She is a national champion Gold Medal of Muay Thai martial arts. A state level champion in English writing. She wants to be a doctor and planned everything till her post graduation. 

 

Support Vimukti Sanstha

When you support Mission: Every Girl in School, you help girls from poor and underprivileged families afford to send their daughters to school, improve their lives and change their futures for the better. To learn more about Mission: Every Girl in School and lend your support each month:

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