If you are going to visit India this summer, Wish you a Very Happy Summer vacation in India. We also encourage you to make your trip to India a memorable one by visiting a project that is making a difference. In this newsletter, we are also proud to present a 5-city lecture tour by Mr. Yogendra Bhushan of Bodh Siksha Samiti, a Vibha supported project in Rajasthan. As the 'project of the month', we are happy to present you "Alamb", a project that we have been supporting for a long time. As always, your feedback is critical, please write and tell us what you think.

Vibha Project Visits

Make your next visit to India a memorable one!

If you or your loved one is Indian, its that time of the year again - Summer Vacation. A time for most, especially Indian students in the US, to visit home and meet family. This time around, we at Vibha, give you a opportunity to do something worthwhile. We encourage you to visit a grassroots project that is making a difference to your local community/town.

Vibha is currently supporting more than 35 projects in India. A visit to any of these projects will help you put a human face to all your support. The time spent here will enable you to closely observe and learn about the problems that are being faced and the solutions that are attempted. We are certain that this will be an extremely satisfying experience. We have observed, in the past, that these visits have served to reinforce in our volunteers, the fact that individuals leading projects can make lasting impacts to their communities. We also realise that often the beneficiary of your support is many degrees of separation away and hence this visit could also serve to allay any apprehensions about the utilization of funds, should you have any.

Please make an effort. All you need is half a day out of your vacation. We are confident that it will be one of the highlights of your trip. Visit www.vibha.org/projects for a complete list of projects. In order to visit any of them, please write to our volunteer Vignesh and we will be glad to facilitate your visit.

Yogendra Bhushan's Visit

Vibha is honored to host Yogendra Bhushan, founder of Bodh Shiksha Samiti in Jaipur, in a national speaking tour in June. Yogendra Bhushan is a well-known grassroots worker who has been recognized internationally and in India by several organizations including UNICEF, the Indian Government etc. for his contribution to providing quality education for marginalized children.

Bodh's approach to education involves continuous innovation of teaching and learning methodologies developed through collaboration with teachers, the local communities and other organizations. Bodh's activities include running several schools, training of teachers for both public and private schools, and the development of pedagogy, curriculum and other educational materials for equitable quality education. The materials developed and the experiences gained through the Bodh schools have made Bodh a key resource agency for state initiatives in mainstream education. Yogendra's talk will cover Bodh's vision and activities, the current status and available models of education in India.

Yogendra's tour dates: Minnesota (June 5), Dallas (June 7), Austin (June 9), Atlanta (June 10). Please take a look at the tour page for more details.

Together, we can do much more!
Dream a little! Do a Little!

Write To Us...

Your feedback is important to us. Vibha welcomes any comments, suggestions or questions you may have about our projects, programs, products, monitoring etc. If you are particularly interested in a topic and would like to see Vibha showcase it please let us know.

Project Profile

Alamb
Om Vihar, Hastsal, New Delhi.

Alamb (established in 1992) is an organization that seeks to raise awareness about the right to education, good health and self-respect among women and children in the socio–economically weaker sections of society. The educational program includes non-formal education for children who have dropped out or who have never been to school altogether and remedial education for children in government schools who need help with their studies. The project areas located in West Delhi have no electricity, drinking water and road facilities. The men and women living in these slums are primarily engaged in factory work, tailoring, and domestic help or are drivers or rickshaw pullers. Some of them are unemployed. Given these conditions the project looks at the following components;

Girl Child Education Program: Literacy rate among women dwelling in slums is a dismal 28%. Those that get any opportunity whatsoever typically leave school after the 6th grade. Others do not get to attend school at all, and are expected to work and support the family income. In addition, constant gender discrimination also exists; with parents preferring to send their sons to schools rather than their daughters. The absence of a Govt. Primary or elementary school in the target community also inhibits intentions. Given this Alamb feels a strong need for an educational program specifically targeted at the girl child. The aim is to reduce dropout rates, remove gender discrimination through counseling and expose these girls to opportunities that can make them self-reliant. The program had 350 enrollees in 2004-2005 and is expected to grow this year.

Vocational Training: In 2004, Alamb opened vocational centers that impart skills in embroidery/cutting, tailoring and beautician courses. This training will help girls in the community to procure work that can then supplement family income while simultaneously provide them options to become independent. Sixty girls are enrolled in the vocational training program for tailoring and 40 girls enrolled in the beautician course.

Computer Training Center: Older children in the slums (between 12 and 18) have shown an interest in acquiring a basic training in computers. A BCA/MCA degree is the target qualification aimed for. The training curriculum includes MS DOS, MS WORD, MS EXEL, MS POWER POINT (MS OFFICE), C+, C++ , VISUAL BASIC, and ORACLE (ONE YEAR COURSE). Currently, there are 40 students enrolled in this program.

Health Care: Currently there is no health facility in the community provided for by the Government. The primary health centre is 7 km away, forcing dwellers to depend on a private doctor whose fees are often difficult to meet. Additionally there are issues with the immunization of children, adolescent health care and Pre Natal care. Knowledge of personal hygiene and nutrition also remain poor. This program aims to create awareness on immunization, sanitation and personal hygiene. Through this program 600 parents and children will have access to weekly health checkups. All new born babies and pregnant women will be immunized. Health, cleanliness, nutrition, sanitation and safe drinking water awareness will be promoted through monthly meetings/camps.

Alamb has been involved with improving the underprivileged slum children for more than ten years now. The project has exceptional impacts - to illustrate;

• When Alamb set its foot in the Samtadham slum several years ago, the community was disorganized and not aware of its rights. Today, the same community demands collectively from the government amenities like clean water, adequate health care and equity in educational opportunities. Organizations like “bal clubs” and “Mahila panchayat” which Alamb has helped create, involve women and children and help them become self-reliant.


• In a matter of two years, the Alamb study areas for children were transformed from 1 temporary shed and 2 open air classrooms to a complex of five permanent classrooms with many more students enrolled in their study programs.

It is progress like this that spurs us on in our efforts to create opportunities and hope for children. If you would like more information on Alamb please contact us at projects@vibha.org.

Vibha 1030 E El Camino Real, #424 Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Phone: 408-997-9992 | Fax: 775-593-1061

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Vibha is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit, non-religious, non-political organization that seeks to restore to underprivileged children their basic rights to food, shelter, health and education - in short, a future.
All donations to Vibha are tax exempt in the US.