Meeting on 30-01-2013

Minutes of the Meeting on 30/1/13 :

1) The turnout was 21 out of around 50 volunteers despite mails being personally sent to all the volunteers. Out of the absent volunteers , only 3 confirmed their unavailability.
 

2)The feedback on assembly was taken , and new volunteers shared their experiences with PRAYAS .The issue of improving general knowledge of kids was taken and it was emphasized that volunteers are free to experiment with their classes , but they have to put more effort for it.
 

3)For improving assembly standards , it was emphasized that volunteers devote some time for preparing kids of their classes for assembly .It was also discussed that presence of volunteers during assembly improve the morale of kids .Volunteers should try to be present in assembly at least on the day when their class kids have to present in assembly.
 

4)It was proposed that a database can be maintained, at class level ,of each child, which could include the interests and areas in which he/she excels . Be it academics, co-curricular, or extra curricular.
 

5)Charging of nominal fees from kids was discussed among the volunteers , and everyone appreciated the drastic improvement in kids attendance after introducing this concept. To make clear , fees is charged only from those kids who have an attendance below 90% during a month. Rs 10/- for primary, Rs 20/- for class 6th -10th & Rs30/- for class 11th-12th.Special cases are exempted from paying this fees.
 

6)The discussion regarding persistence with the kids that are not academically bright took place . It was explained that in most of the systems the kids that are not academically bright are left out , and that is where we should work more hard instead of leaving them.
 

7)Volunteers shared their experiences and problems with the naughty kids .It was shared that patience and experimentation like reverse psychology, making use of emotional attachment with kids have worked in past and might work in future too.
 

8)The extent of freedom given to the kids at PRAYAS was discussed. Most of us agreed that a lot of freedom is given to the kids and some expressed their concern about the misuse of this freedom leading to indiscipline. Then it was emphasized that though some kids do misuse the freedom given here, this independence has benefited most of the kids. At least it has created a platform where the kids can freely discuss issues that are not entertained at home.
 

9)It was emphasized that the volunteers should not impose their ideology on the kids regarding subjective topics like religion, etc. The volunteers should present a balanced view about all the aspects regarding the topic and let the kids make an informed decision.

Please comment on this thread to discuss any of the above mentioned points.

2010: Year in Review

A recap of the major events (apart from academics) at PRAYAS in the year 2010 - PRAYAS 2010: Year in Review :)

2011: Year in Review

A recap of the major events (apart from academics) at PRAYAS in the year 2011 - PRAYAS 2011: Year in Review :)

2012: Year In Review

A recap of the major events (apart from academics) at PRAYAS in the year 2012 - PRAYAS 2012: Year in Review :)

PRAYAS Presentation

This is the link to the presentation given by us to the incoming batch in July, 2012.
http://prezi.com/po39hbzia80l/prayas/

PRAYAS FAQs

Q1) Why in and around campus only?

Ans. The problem with the education system in India is ubiquitous. But we have to choose a starting point. What better starting point than our own locality? We believe that it is our moral obligation to contribute back to the people who have been serving us for so long. Also proximity factor plays a pivotal role

Q2) Why do we focus on every kid rather than emphasizing on bright kids?

Ans. We cannot bring about a change by selectively helping a small section. The bright kids always get opportunities to excel while the average lot remains neglected, especially in the low income groups. And these are the kids who need special attention. This does not mean that we exclude the bright kids who come to us.

Q3) How is PRAYAS associated with Opportunity School?

Ans. We share the same vision viz. helping the underprivileged kids associated with the Institute get a proper education. Opportunity School is a proper school with regular 6 hours teaching period, while PRAYAS is an informal system trying to supplement the educational deficits of the schools. Many kids from Opportunity School come to PRAYAS in the evening.

Q4) Why is expanding Opportunity School necessary?

Ans. Currently only around 350 kids are enrolled in Opportunity School and the school is up to class 8 only, while it is accredited only up to class 5. According to our estimate there are at least 800 kids in campus who study/should be studying in class range 1 to 12. Expanding the school in terms of classes, getting proper accreditation and affiliation will be very helpful. Most of the nearby schools are just dummies with no accreditation and teachers. Improving an existing school will be easier and a good solution to this problem.

Q5) What are the restricting factors in expansion of Opportunity School?

Ans. At present, with its current plans and functioning, funds are not an issue for Opportunity School. Space is one of the major constraints which has not been solved till yet due to Institute’s administrative reluctance and indifference. A visit to the school would reveal that the space that it is working in currently is not sufficient for even the basic needs. The school does not even have a playground. Alumni support can play a critical role in rectifying these problems.

Q6) Why does PRAYAS need extra funding from the alumni?

Ans. The club fund provided by Students’ Gymkhana is not sufficient for our sustenance. Our modest future plans ask for more funds. Financial support from alumni will be necessary for us. Refer to the table at the end of the file for detailed current and planned budget of PRAYAS.

Q7) How is PRAYAS linked with other NGOs – Jagriti Bal Vikas Samiti?

Ans. Jagriti Bal Vikas Samiti is an NGO working in the field of education and has its roots in IIT K. PRAYAS has been closely linked with Jagriti for many years in various ways like teaching the kids covered by the NGO, training their teachers, volunteering in various activities of Jagriti. In fact, people like Mrs. Vijaya Ramachandran (Incharge of Migrant Labourer Project of Jagriti) initiated the Evening School at her residence which later on evolved to become PRAYAS.

Q8) Why is addressing health issues important?

Ans. As we all know, proper physical, mental and social well being are important prerequisites for good learning. Of all these, physical health is the easiest to take care of. We have experienced that many of the kids in PRAYAS suffer from various ailments, a few having really serious problems which generally go unnoticed due to ignorance or are deliberately overlooked due to financial constraints. So, unless we address this aspect too, we can not educate kids properly.

Q9) Why are we planning to help the kids get higher education / jobs?

Ans. We believe that higher education gives a life changing exposure and is therefore necessary whether one goes for a job or not. In absence of continued support, the kids generally drop out after 12th and might feel that what they had dreamed under conducive patronage of PRAYAS are unrealizable and it might shatter their very faith in education. To preserve this faith so that they can serve as a strong base for their future generation, it is necessary to help them till college education.

Q10) What do we plan for the kids’ higher education?

Ans. Along with regular counseling, encouragement, and help, financial support in form of book grant, partial fee payment, is imperative for helping the kids through college. In case of extremely poor financial condition, we plan to contribute a section of the college fee from PRAYAS.

Q11) Why do we need a corpus fund?

Ans. Since most of our activities / plans are regular, not just one time investments, we need to have a constant source of income. Hence we plan a corpus fund.

Q12) What are our current sources of funds?

Ans. Our primary source is the Students’ Gymkhana. Our budget for the current fiscal was Rs. 55k only. This is insufficient for catering to all our activities/plans. This year being the Golden Jubilee of the Students’ Gymkhana, we received one time amount of Rs. 92k. This fund was utilized to gift our kids with study lamps, portable tables, alarm clocks and dictionaries. A health camp is also scheduled to be conducted using this fund. Apart from this, we had received one time amount of Rs 50k from the Antaragni Team in the year 2009. We used this fund to establish our laboratories. Also we get generous contribution from the Senators’ Seed Fund for organizing some of our festivals. But this fund is subjected to the will of the senators and can be used only for consumable items.

Q13) What kind of workshops do we plan to organize and why?

Ans. We believe in the holistic development of our kids’ personality. It is important to expose the kids to various skills and train them in their field of interest. Many workshops have been organized for the kids at PRAYAS in the recent past. Some of these are for charcoal sketching, mime, comics making, etc. Most of these events are serendipitous and unplanned. These events expose the kids towards many skills which can help them in their future. Also it provides a refreshing break for the kids from their routine life.

Q14) Why are we investing in organizing trips to blind schools, schools for the differently abled and excursion?

Ans. We believe that making the kids aware and sensitive to social issues is an integral part of their education. Hence organizing trips to place like blind schools, schools for differently-abled, etc. will help them to evolve as human beings and appreciate these kids. These trips also serve to motivate our kids to learn from their experience and try to overcome the obstacles they face in life. We believe that constant motivation is vital for the kids to excel.

Q15) Why do we celebrate major festivals at PRAYAS?

Ans. Generally our kids do not get to celebrate these festivals at home due to financial and social constraints. So here at PRAYAS we try to give them a joy, love and affection of these festivities by celebrating together and distributing sweets. This also helps in nurturing a loving relationship between the kids and the volunteers.

Q16) What is the need of the Annual Function?

Ans. The Annual Function is the only opportunity our kids get to showcase their cultural talents. We believe that this is an integral part of their education. This events marks the annual highlight of PRAYAS and serves as a common platform for the interaction of the kids, their parents, the volunteers and the other campus residents. It helps the kids to boost their confidence and that of the parents in their kids.

Q17) Why are we concerned about the workers’ condition in the campus?

Ans. Being sensitive to the apathy of the people who serve us day in and day out in the campus is quite natural for sane human beings. Apart from this, most of our kids are the ward of the workers and improving their condition will automatically take care of most of our concerns mentioned above.

Q18) How can the alumni help in improving the Worker’s condition in the campus?

Ans. As you must be aware, most of the problems related to the workers’ condition in the campus are due to the Institute’s negligence, indifference and reluctance. It is only by sustained persuasion and persistence by the well wishers of the Institute like the concerned alumni that this problem can be solved.

Head		Current investment				Needed Investment		Comments
Games and Sports Items		4000				10000		for replacing damaged items and adding new ones
New Books		5000				20000		To add newer versions, books for changed syllabus, increasing number of copies for increasing strength
Xerox		3000				10000		for study materials, books, hand-outs, question papers, tests etc.
Stationary		3000				5000		chalk, duster, papers, markers, etc.
Computer Maintenance	1000				5000
Mattress/mats/sheets	2000				5000
Exam Fee		7000				10000		for NTSE, Navodaya entrance, JEE etc. form for deserving kids
Media and Publicity		2000				5000		For creating awareness among campus residents
Lab Maintencance and Expansion		6000				10000		To make up for used/broken items
Vocational Training & Workshops		5000				10000		for Kids
Teachers' Training		3000				5000		for Volunteers
Annual Excursion	12500				20000
Annual Function	12500				20000
Festivals		5000				5000		sweets etc. for festivals like Diwali, Rakhi, 26th Jan, 15th Aug
Once-a-sem Health Check-up of Kids		15000				20000		Doctors' fee + medicines
Surveys		2000				5000		of Nearby Schools, Clinincs, Localities
Scholarships and Prizes		12000				15000		for encouraging meritorious kids in form of School fee, books etc.
Future plans
Higher Education			nil			50000		For kids passing class 12th
Medical Emergency Fund			nil			20000		For urgent health needs of kids
Gifts (Study lamps, Portable tables, dictionary, bicycles, etc.)				50000			To tackle electricity problem and constraints of other resources
Total				300000			For proper functioning