(April - November)

The project was implemented in two blocks of Kishanganj and Pothia covering 13 villages. The name of the villages is:

1. Patharbasti - Kishanganj Block
2. Paswantola - Kishanganj Block
3. Naunadi - Pothia Block
4. Faringola - Kishanganj Block
5. IraniBasti - Kishanganj Block
6. Kulamani - Pothia Block
7. Tegharia - Kishanganj Block
8. Jhinakor - Pothia Block
9. Geralodhi - Pothia Block
10. Satbolia - Pothia Block
11. Khankah - Pothia Block
12. Balubari - Pothia Block
13. Satbolia (Uttar tola) - Pothia Block

Methodologies:
We followed an integrated approach in the intervention area where our aim was to encourage young children, adolescent girls to enroll for nonformal education and motivate women to go for functional literacy.

The methodology followed for Project Pahla was setting up the Nonformal Education/Literacy centers in 13 villages. As part of the strategy the NFE centre teachers were given regular trainings and orientations so that they can interact with the children and adult learners alike.

AIF began with the identification of the children residing in these villages and also nearby areas. Our main target was to encourage more girls to join the NFE schools as their education is generally neglected and look down upon.

Since we have accreditation from National Open Schooling Ministry of HRD, Government of India to conduct examination for class three, class five and class eight levels it helped us in convincing parents to send children to our nonformal centers.

We followed the curriculum and books prepared on the basis of blueprints provided by NOS and Bihar Govt syllabus. We tried to keep the course at par with any formal school. Our main concern was to develop the capacity of children preparing them for formal schooling in the future.

The course was divided into 4 modules. The first three months were devoted to teaching basics in language and mathematics. In the next three months we introduced writing skills and subsequently other subjects like EVS and art of healthy and productive living were introduced. The books were provided free of cost to the children.

These NFE centers became viable platform for discussing developmental and health issues. The women were encouraged to attend meetings where health workers discussed their health problems. A team of SHG trainers visited the villages facilitating the formation of SHGs.

Activities undertaken:
Capacity Building Initiatives of Azad India Foundation:
Training of Literacy and Open School teachers:

Azad India Foundation organized first two days residential training for the literacy and open school teachers by the resource persons from Pratham an organization working for the education of children. They spoke about the various methods and techniques to teach the first time learners. This training was attended by 13 teachers and 3 staff members of AIF.

Review trainings and monthly orientations of the literacy and Open school teachers:
Azad India Foundation organized regular trainings and orientations for the teachers by the resource person by Mr.Shamim Akhtar who is TLC trainer. He explained the concepts of the books for the National Open School through participatory approach. The trainer divided the participants in small groups and the exercises were all group activities. The discussions were held between various groups. The teachers were made to do many activities to develop their skills for interaction with the children. Simple games were devised for those participants who were shy and unresponsive.

The other techniques followed were mind mapping, question and answer sessions, short lectures and information which participants wrote down. Since the whole training was participatory in nature, it brought out the weak and strong points of the participants. Those participants who were shy in the beginning were made to speak and present in the training again and again. It helped clearing their doubts and bringing conceptual clarity to some extent. The simple language and games helped the participants in gaining confidence.

Training of the SHG trainers:
Azad India Foundation organized one day training of the SHG trainers. The training was conducted by Mr.Qamruzaman a SHG trainer who gave information about the process of formation and maintaining the accounts and other related aspects of SHG.

Setting up Nonformal Centres:
Kishanganj district has a dubious record of having lowest literacy level in whole of Bihar. The worst sufferers are the women who due to illiteracy and ignorance face exploitation at all levels.Azad India Foundation set up nonformal centres in 13 villages under Project Pahla Kadam where women and girls came for functional literacy classes. The criteria for deciding these villages were non-availability of any formal educational system and number of potential beneficiaries.

The selection of the teacher was done in consultation with the villagers. The method of teaching was non-formal using local dialect Surjapuri and in some centers in Bengali/Hindi to help the women learn effectively .In these centers women were taught to read and write. Some centers functioned in the afternoon after women finish their household work and some in the evening when they return from their fields. An attendance register was maintained duly signed by the teacher and project coordinator who regularly visited the centers. Side by side they were given information on health and hygiene and other relevant issues.

For the first time we were able to work with reclusive and close Irani community who sent their daughters and women for nonformal education for the first time.

These nonformal centers also gave basic education to young children who accompanied their mothers and were not enrolled for National Open School Examination.

• Total number of women and girls made functionally literate : 325
• Total number of young children given basic education:230

National Open School Centers:
Azad India Foundation believes that education is true means of socio-economic and intellectual advancement of the society. Every child at least deserves primary education irrespective of caste, religion or socio-economic background. National Open School is an endeavor of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India for distance education. Azad India Foundation became OBE centre (open basic education) of National Open School in 2003.

We enrolled 350 children under Project Pahla Kadam who were given free education up to class three level. About 200 girls and 150 boys were enrolled in different villages. We conducted their examination in March-April and the result is submitted to National Open School for certificate.

A detailed result of the students as follows:
" Total number of students enrolled : 350 " Total number of male students: 150 " Total number of female students: 200 " Total number of students appeared for final exam: 162 " Total number of students passed : 129 " Total number of part pass students: 33 " Total number of absent students: 80

Our sustained efforts have seen more than 100 students joining government primary and middle schools.
National Open School together with UNESCO -APPEAL (Bangkok) conducted a research survey of NIOS open basic education program.Azad India Foundation was one of the agencies where this survey was conducted. The survey team visited the nonformal centers of Patharbasti and Paswantola of Project Pahla Kadam where they interviewed about 50 children. two days workshop was conducted with the team of evaluators from UNESCO and JAPAN and NIOS where the relevance of the equivalency program along with the findings of the report for lifelong learning were discussed.

Formation of Self-Help groups:
Micro finance is recognized as a key strategy for addressing issues of poverty alleviation and women's empowerment. Access to financial services and the subsequent transfer of financial resources to poor women enable them to become economic agents of change. Women become economically self-reliant, contribute directly to the well-being of their families, play a more active role in decision-making, and are able to confront systemic gender inequalities. In this regard Foundation facilitated the concept of SHGs among community women to encourage them to participate in their development and work towards day-to-day problems through small savings. It is a major step to realize economic freedom. Under Project Pahla Kadam 13 SHGs are formed in the various villages. These SHGs are regularly saving money and giving them on interest also to members within the group and the community.

Training to SHGs by Khadi Gram Commission:
Azad India Foundation organized skill training in different trades like incense stick making, candle making, phenyol making and detergent making for the SHG groups. These trainings were conducted by resource persons from Khadi Gram Commission Patna in two batches. The duration of the training was one week each with market visit. " A total of 120 women were trained in different trades. Three SHGs are marketing their own products in the local market. " Sushila SHG (Faringola) is making and marketing incense sticks. " Good Luck SHG (Moidunpur) is making and marketing detergent powder. " Gharib Nawaz SHG (Sathbolia) is making and selling incense sticks at local hatts. Sushila Self-Help Group

Sushila Selp-Help Group was formed in village Faringola under Project Pahla Kadam (ADB small grant program).There are 12 members in the group who contribute Rs 30 per month.Azad India Foundation organized training in detergent and agarbatti (incense) stick making from Khadi Gram Commission for the group members. The group members then decided to start agarbatti making on small scale. They pooled their resources and bought raw material from Kishanganj and Siliguri.After the incense sticks were ready the main problem was of marketing. The president of the Group Sushila along with her daughter Kalyani started selling to the paan shops, house to house within the village and extended family. They earned profit of Rs 100 which gave them hope and strength for the future. Again they bought raw material and devised new strategy. Now they do two type of packeting -one rupee and 10 rupees. One rupee packets are sold within the village and ten rupee packets are given to small shops outside the village etc. They also have started giving money on interest to women within the group and village also. Earlier it was Rs 2 per month now they have raised it to Rs 10 per month within the group and Rs 15 for the women other then group.This is only a small beginning of empowerment for these women of village Faringola, Kishanganj, Bihar

Community Health Initiatives:
In the villages, health is still relatively neglected issue due to various factors. The Foundation have made health care one of the prime functions through various interventions. Our health workers organized awareness programmes on various diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, polio etc in the targeted villages. They also carried out community meetings about benefits of immunization, breast-feeding and new government health schemes etc from time to time.

Health Camps:
Azad India Foundation organized health camps at 13 NFE centres of Patharbasti,Paswantola,Naunadi,Faringola,IraniBasti,Kulamani,Tegharia,Jhinakor,Geralodhi ,Satbolia ,Khankah,Balubari and Satbolia (Uttar tola) . The doctors were invited from Kishanganj and Chattargach referral hospitals. They saw many patients including girls and women and gave medicines. They also gave information about sanitation and hygiene to the community members.

Review meetings and monitoring:
Azad India Foundation carried out regular staff meetings and monthly reviews. A reporting format was developed which was monthly submitted by the teachers. The project coordinator and project leader regularly visited the intervention area. Regular tests were conducted to assess the level of improvement among the students.

Community Meetings:
The project coordinator and field workers of AIF carried out regular meetings with the parents, guardians and important persons of the community from time to time. These meetings are very important for building enabling environment for generating interest in education. AIF also organized film shows 'Meena ki Kahani' which deals with issues concerning education for girls and gender issues in the target villages.

Support from the women
AIF got support from women in the villages. The women from these villages attended community meetings regularly and also sent their daughters to NFE centers. Constant interaction with them has led to high enrollment among the girls to the government schools. The consistent result shown by the girl students can also be attributed to the tremendous encouragement given to them by their mothers. There is a change in perception about education in many people as slowly they are realizing the importance of education.

Positive response from the men folk of the community
In most of the villages the male members have become supportive of our project after our coordinator and field staff carried out meetings with them on different issues like importance of girls' education and organizing women in self -help groups. In most of the villages menfolk played very important role in convincing women and motivating them to undergo skill building trainings.

Support from the Block level officials
We get support from Block Development Officer, Block Education Officer of Thakurganj and Pothia. The project coordinator and project director conducted meetings with these officials at the beginning of the project and briefed them about the objectives of the Project. They were regularly invited to different functions of the project.

Support from the local media
The local media has widely reported about our work thus making people aware about Project.

Support from the Panchayat members
AIF has carried out intensive meetings with the local panchayat members and ward members of the target villages to ensure their full cooperation.

Challenges/Difficulties Faced By Azad India Foundation
It is difficult to retain children from the villages to complete their education. Most of the children work in fields or migrate with their parents in search of work. So it was difficult for them to take out time for the studies. However we tried to make timings flexible for them. Parents prefer to send their children to Madarasas for religious studies which they hold more important. The drop-out rate became higher during farming and festival seasons.

Azad India Foundation faced the problem of having competent programme staff. Being such a remote district it was being very difficult to find educated and trained girls/boys to work as teachers. Kishanganj is a predominantly Muslim society not receptive to new ideas. The rural areas are very poor and lack basic infrastructure like health and livelihood options. It is difficult to change the prevalent mindset of the people. The girls and women who work in the fields or tea gardens do not want to study. The literacy level for women is lowest in Kishanganj district. In Muslim dominated villages it is even lower. Most of the girls are school dropouts or go to Madarasas for Islamic studies. The girls get married at an early age thus their education is neglected.

It has been found during the intervention that media reach is poor due to low literacy, language barriers, no electricity and reach of electronic media like radios and T.V promoting education is also limited. Being a conservative society it was difficult to convince women to organize themselves in self-help groups and go for skill -training. The concept of giving money on interest to others is considered anti-Islamic.

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