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AID Chennai Update-Jul 27 2005 |
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This is an update from Balaji Sampath on the happenings in AID Chennai during the last week.
- We had the Eureka Library Monthly Review Meeting at Chengalpattu. A large number of NGOs who were running the libraries attended the meeting and reported on the progress on the libraries. Many were very excited with the library program and said that it was working in the villages very well. Grassroots (an NGO in Chengalpaatu) had organized a library exhibition in each village to spread awareness in the village about the library. Kalam (NGO network in Tirunevelli with 18 NGOs) had launched a library program with a big gathering and in several areas the villagers have even put up a big board for the library. Many of the NGOs showed news reports of the libraries in their areas. (In one report in the Hindu, they translated AID's Tamil name - Indiya Valrachi Iyakkam - back into english as Indian Development Institute!). The library program and the review meeting was reported in the Hindu last Sunday.
- Last Saturday and Sunday our Secondary Education Team had organized a 2 day training workshop for all the science volunteers from different blocks and also from many of the newer NGOs who wanted to start the program. The training was
a combination of camp-mode followed by actual in-class training where the volunteers where asked to take class on what they have learnt and given further inputs on improving their classes. In most places the volunteers have started going to schools in their blocks and the program has now begun in several blocks!
- This Sunday our Secondary Education Team organized a Tution Centers Network training program. There are a large number of volunteers in slums across Chennai who are running free tuition centers in their areas for children in government schools. They have no access to either good materials or good training on teaching techniques. We have identified several of these centers and have started a network for them. This was the first training camp which was attended by people from 30 centers. The volunteers found the camp very useful and wanted to have it more frequently - we will be organizing this once a month.
- The Eureka Primary School in Koovathur had its foundation stone function! The school (which will cater to the Tsunami affected children) is being supported by Banca Sella and we hope to make it into a model school which will work towards improving the overall quality of education in the area. Representatives from Banca Sella and several local panchayat leaders (and of course all our volunteers and fulltimers) participated in the foundation stone ceremony. Many of you probably know that we have recently constructed another Eureka school in Vembakkam which was supported by AID US.
- We gave nets to all the fishermen in Uyyalikuppom on saturday (supported by Scope). It was a big function and nets worth about Rs. 6 Lakhs were given to 252 families.
- Representatives from NEG Micon went with me to visit Koovathur to finalize the site plans for a carpentry vocational center for the area. We have finalized the machinery required and are hoping to start a carpentry unit in the area soon - this will both provide jobs to people in the area and also supply low cost teaching aids, educational toys and furniture to many government schools. We have already started a number of enterprise units in the area - Bag making center and several food processing units. We have just completed the first phase survey of about 30 villages in the area and are looking at a holistic livelihood plan for the area.
- Lot of our regular stuff - Health, Education and Livelihood Work and Tsunami rehab work, Field Visits, etc have also been continuing.
Apart from the above list that covers new happenings, coming up soon...
- This Saturday and Sunday (30th and 31st) our entire team is meeting at Yelagiri for our monthly review where each team will present its work. Yelagiri has also just recently started the science and library programs - so this visit will help kick off the program.
- Low Cost Science Lab Distribution to 50 Corporation Schools - On the 6th of August (Saturday), we are organizing along with Satyam Foundation, the inaugural function for the Low Cost Science Lab program. AID has developed a low cost science lab with which one can demonstrate 300 experiments (the first phase has 100 experiments with a manual). This is being provided to 50 schools in Chennai and our resource team will be training the teachers and also going to schools regualrly to demonstrate the activities. All are welcome to this function. For more details please contact Ravishankar - 94440-84910.
- Many smaller programs have been planned - you can get the details from the AID office (Gayatri - 98412-44566).
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