Background  
 

There has been a growing concern in India about the shortfalls in implementing the educational programme especially in the area of primary education. Many children who do enrol in school do not, after awhile, continue with their studies and the drop-out rate is high. Aseema is committed to addressing this issue and established The Centre for Street Children in Mumbai on 15 December 1997.

 

 
  Aseema’s Support Centre  
 
Initially, Aseema conducted evening classes in one room at an old and reputed Bandra school - St. Stanislaus High School. The children who attend these classes come from a pavement community and live in houses made of plastic sheets. They are "no where" children who either beg on the streets or work in the local "chai"(tea) shop or garage and are not in school. Most of the children who came to Aseema had never been to school and many of them had dropped out.
We found the children to be intelligent and anxious to learn and the following year had them admitted to private or municipal (state run) schools. We support them throughout with books, uniforms, bags, and stationery and support classes.

Today the Support Centre functions every evening from 4p.m. to 6.15p.m. at a private school in Bandra, St. Joseph's Convent. All Aseema children who are in mainstream schools come regularly to this centre. Here they receive help with their homework and also learn art, yoga, singing and judo.


 
 
The Pre-primary Centres
 
The Montessori
We believe that the Aseema Montessori is the first Centre of its kind for street children in India. This Centre was established in August 2000 at the Pali Chimbai Municipal School (PCMS) in a room we rent from the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC). The Montessori provides the children with a firm educational foundation that prepares them well for mainstream schools at a later age. Children aged two and a half to six and a half attend this Centre.
The Montessori is a great success and we have found that not only do the children grasp and learn well but the Montessori system has also helped in instilling in them a sense of "discipline". The qualitative difference in academic and social learning, which has taken place since the introduction of this teaching system, is truly impressive.
The children are fascinated with the colourful and beautifully designed Montessori apparatus and enjoy coming to class and learn rapidly under trained Montessori teachers. There were so many requests from the community to admit more children that from June 2002 we started another Montessori class. The Montessori Centre now functions from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and again from 1 p.m. to 3p.m.

Balwadi (Kindergarten)
To cope with the increasing number of children seeking admission, Aseema established a "Balwadi" in 2004 for children aged three and a half to five and a half years. This consists of junior and senior sections and caters to children who are too old for the Montessori and too young for Standard I.

Balvikas
A new Pre-Primary class, the “Balvikas” was started in June 2006 for children aged five and a half to six and a half to prepare them adequately for Standard I.

The Montessori and Balwadi both follow the Montessori system and comprise Aseema's Pre-Primary Education Centres which prepare children for admission to Standard I of the PCMS.

 
   
The Activity Centre  

The students at Aseema's Activity Centre learn embroidery, crochet and sewing and make many lovely items which are displayed and sold at exhibitions. The students enjoy these activities so much that we have started basic sewing and embroidery classes at the PCMS as well.

 

  
 
The Pali-Chimbai Municipal School
 
The "adoption" of the Pali Chimbai Municipal School (PCMS) in November 2001 is an important landmark and ushered in a new and important era in Aseema's history. Adopting the school has provided Aseema with a challenging opportunity of working together with the BMC to provide relevant and quality education to underprivileged children. At the time of adoption about a 100 children were studying in the school while at present the number has risen to 426. In all the number of children now studying at our Mumbai Centre is 629. It has the potential to be a model school, especially as a paradigm for state run schools in India.

As part of reviving the school so that it is a place where education is a joy and the children are inspired to learn, Aseema began by revamping the existing infrastructure and learning environment. Prior to our involvement, the school building was dilapidated, the drainage system and toilets in a state of disrepair and the blackboards were not usable. There were only two BMC teachers in a school consisting of seven standards.

It is imperative to create an atmosphere at the school that is vibrant, appealing, fun, relaxed, inspiring and safe. The school has been given a face-lift and our children have played a part in brightening up the school. Their artwork has been prominently displayed in the corridors and the renovated drinking water area has tiles that have been painted by the children. These tiles have helped to make the area bright and cheerful. The repaired and renovated drainage system and toilets have also greatly helped in instilling good habits and hygiene.

As part of reviving the academic programme we have placed class teachers in the school and also art, sports and needlework teachers. A school bus ensures that the children attend regularly and on time. Our greatest reward is that the children enjoy coming to school - they attend regularly and their attention span and learning ability is constantly improving.

 
  Project Igatpuri : Education Centre for Tribal Children  
 

75% of India lives in the villages. Yet our rural areas remain backward and ignored, forgotten by urban India as is surges forward into the next century. About 5 Kms. from Igatpuri (a small town in the state of Maharashtra) is the small hilly village of Awalkheda.

Here the land lies parched and can be tilled for only three months of the year. As agriculture is the main occupation, the tribals are without work and income for nine months each year.
We believe that change will come about only if the children are educated, for only education can empower them to break out of the circle of poverty that has been a way of life here for centuries. Awalkheda is surrounded by 7 ‘wadis’ (hamlets) namely Chandwadi, Gowalwadi, Jambhwadi, Jambulwadi, Karachiwadi, Phanaswadi and Warachiwadi.
In 1995 Aseema conducted a survey of 180 families living there and the existing schools and found the educational facilities very inadequate. The schools are in a dilapidated condition and children of Standards I to IV are grouped together and taught by one teacher.
In 1996 Aseema started training the Pre-Primary teacher at Phanaswadi. Teaching aids and educational materials are being provided and steps have been taken to ensure that all the children from the “wadis” of Phanaswadi, Jambhwadi and Chandwadi come to the “Anganwadi” (Pre-Primary School). A nutritious meal is provided to the children daily. The children enjoy coming to school in their new uniforms and the number attending has gone up from 12 to 40. The present school is in a very dilapidated condition hence construction of a new Anganwadi is being undertaken at Jambhwadi.
A fourteen acre plot has recently been purchased at Awalkheda for our Proposed Education Centre for Tribal Children. Here educational and vocational training will be provided to achieve independence for the child and the community.

 
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