These centres help to keep the children healthy and educated, and also give their mothers a livelihood through vocational training. The aim of the schools is to get the children up to their age’s standard so that they can enrol in government schools, and then they are then supported by the project through coaching and extra tuition.
How It Began : This charity began 10 years ago when a teacher and social worker really felt that they could do more to help those in vulnerable communities, especially children who instead of attending school were working in roadside tea stalls or at home. They started with one school in a rural area which developed into a community centre and provides education, health care and support for mothers through income generation programmes. Year by year schools were added and the NGO grew and developed and is working in four different wards of the city and two panchayats (rural community areas). The communities have embraced the schools and centres and have directed the growth of their own centres.
The Organisation Now :The organisation has 14 different informal schools/centres across Kolkata and the semi-rural outskirts of the city. They have successfully educated over 2200 children and mainstreamed over 1500 into the government school system. The children enjoy the coaching sessions so much that they rush from school to get to the sessions on time. The vocational training means that older children and women have a chance to be more independent and support the children’s education. The well being of the children and their families are all supported through free health clinics and nutritional meals at school.
What you’ll be doing :You will be supporting the teachers in the schools or coaching centres by helping them teach English through their curriculum. You will be planning and facilitating activities with small groups within the classroom, or to large groups in the coaching sessions to make English learning fun and interesting. You will also be engaged in making ‘Teaching Learning Materials’ which are posters or games to help the children learn English. You will also be supported to be able to monitor the children’s progress over a period of time.
Working Hours :From 12.30pm to 6.30pm teaching, and the mornings can be spent planning.
12.30pm – 4pm in the informal school and then from 4.30pm – 6.30pm in the coaching centres.