Initiative to Realise Rights of Indigenous Girls

The government of Odisha has created special schools in the name of Ashram Schools for tribal girls. This facility is available up to eight standards. After 8th standard, they have to return back to their villages. Due to a lack of poverty, they are not able to pursue their higher education. However, a major concern in this system is that there is no quality service available in the hostel and schools. As a result, most of the tribal girls in their adolescent period migrate to urban cities mostly outside the state in search of employment opportunities. Very often these tribal girls are exposed to trafficking and exploitation or they are given in marriage at a very early age. There is also inadequacy in terms of reading and writing material, and computer education and there is a visible lack of quality education by trained teachers. The girl students from tribal communities have very little access to reproductive health information and life skill training. As a result, the level of life skill awareness and educational competency are demonstratively poor. Our focus would be to keep the girls motivated enough so that they are able to complete their education at least up to class 10th standard.

The project proposes to address the health and education issues of tribal girls to improve their position in society. In this regard, various interventions have been planned to address the problem. The intervention includes life skill training for tribal girl students. A session curriculum shall be developed to systematically deliver life skill education by experts in the field. Besides all the hostels shall be provided with a computer for basic knowledge about computer operation and also a facility for the library with reading materials. 

The project also seeks to strengthen Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills(LSRW), create opportunities for discussion and knowledge building on social issues and impart information on personal health and hygiene. Given the education crisis caused by Covid Pandemic, and prolonged school closure the project will also have a component on remedial measures for difficult subjects such as English, Maths and Science. The Project will also engage with women from the communities in surrounding villages, who send their children to the Ashram schools on improved household health and hygiene and the importance of education for their children.

As a result of this intervention, approximately 2500 tribal girls as well as 2500 community women shall be benefitted by way of access to quality education and information. As the project is going to impact the position of tribal girl students in society, therefore the overall status shall also improve. It will contribute substantially to the reduction of migration and consequential trafficking along with the issues of early marriage and school dropout.

The project shall collaborate with District Welfare Office, and other school authorities to organise mutual knowledge-building sessions with a view to future advocacy. The result of the project shall be the empowerment of Indigenous girls, especially in the arena of holistic education, health and sustainable living. In addition to it, personal health and hygiene information were imparted for building knowledge about health care. Thus, the Sessions shall be conducted as an Innovation in the field of education to prevent dropout and absenteeism.