Literacy Corner: A community Library for children of Jharkhand

Jharkhand being a backward state with 25t rank in terms of literacy having literacy rate of just 67.2%. Alone from Khunti district of Jharkhand approximately 32,000 children on the verge of being dropout from school education due pandemic. The very reason for this backwardness is, since times, the maximum parts of the state have been deprives from access to basic Education. The educationally deprived community has left with no other options of being sidelined from development.

The pandemic has magnified the problem, as the large section of children from rural Jharkhand has not been able to access digital education. lack of books, eganging materials, access to safe and secure environment are some of key factors, widening the gap. For girls the situation is more worse, as they are the most vulnerable and are prone to get effected from the drift happening due to pandemic. Khunti is also on the list because of child trafficking and child labour cases, the current situation of closed schools, and completely shut down of educational activities has increased the fear of pushing the numbers.

Pratigya is working in the rural part of Khunti from more than a decade. Through our flagship program "Srijan Bachpan, Nurturing childhood" We have been running community learning centers, building safe and secure environment for children's to study and learn, developing community library, developing community's understanding of their responsibility towards education of their children. All these things we do by creating local leaders from the same or neighboring community. These are graduates who have been part of Pratigya's lie skills and leadership training. They understand the local problems and have ability to figure out the locally rooted global solutions.

Community learning Centers, under Srijan Bachpan have full developed curriculum on Life Skills, Financial Education, Social Education, Arts and Sports. Children are being engaged at centers so that they remain the fold of education. The probability of the going back to school becomes high then compared to others. This will ensure prevention of their drop out.

The organization also monitors their attendance and performance on regular basis. Regular supplementary life skill training and counselling sessions for better academic performance and personality development of these children are being organized.

The Srijan Bachpan programme has been globally featured in globally top 50 solutions out of 4300 solutions submitted from 174 countries. Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth (SDSN Youth is an initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network; a program launched by UN Secretary-General in 2012 to mobilize global expertise around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)) published this as a sustainable non-profit solution in its Youth Solutions Report 2019 which can be accessed in Page No.79 of the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hh9DmUo9G04K5tmoK2sM8SL2vW2yKmyo/view?usp=sharing

Supporting and retaining these children in their educational journey will help enabling first generation learners from the marginalized communities to become an educated person so as to break the shackles of generational ignorance and poverty of their parents. It will also enable children to be strong enough to stand and compete locally and globally. Moreover, the community will realize the need of quality school education and demand the same from the government. As most of the children Pratigya support for their education belong to the tribal population, hence this support will also enable the tribal children and community as a whole to be aware and educated enough to safeguard from deceit and exploitation.

Every year on an average 8-10 students appeared in Class X Board examination. Whether its State Board or CBSE, children who are being supported by Pratigya have proved that they are not lesser than from their peer privileged mates in any aspect. And, even in higher studies like Intermediate or Graduation, the children are accomplishing new achievements and reaching newer heights. Additionally the Srijan Bachpan intervention is helping these children in developing a sound personality with higher emotional well being and empathy towards society.