M ARCH 2018

Asha Insights: Spring Summer (Q1)

About Asha Zurich

Asha Zurich is a chapter of Asha for Education, a world- wide organization that works
dedicatedly to catalyze socio-economic change through the education of underprivileged
children in India. We have no paid staff, no office rent and hence very low overheads, typi-
cally covered through contributions from volunteers. This is a key factor that distinguishes
us from many other organizations. In 2017, Asha Zurich is sending more than 1,300 un-
derprivileged children to school in seven projects with an annual budget of more than CHF
100,000. Write to us at info@asha-zurich.ch with any queries about our projects and ac-
tivities.

Asha Zurich is happy to present
to you our first newsletter for 2017.
Events in Zurich
In the first quarter of this year, we
successfully organized a Bollywood
party and sent a team of 70 run-
ners including 15 teams to the Zurich
Marathon. These events increased
our visibility and raised over 40’000
CHF to fund Asha Zurich’s projects.
An article about our marathon fund-
raiser was also published in the on-
line magazine Namaste Switzerland.
Please take a look at https://goo.
gl/TcvWVA.
Palas
Project ‘Palas’, started in the year
2017, supports 831 students in 30
informal school classes. The project
also supports boarding education of
30 students in Shirpur, Maharash-
tra. The total student population re-
duced to 705 recently because par-
ents migrate in search of livelihood
in summer, which is an annual phe-
nomenon. A study camp was orga-
nized for Palas students in March
(51 students) and May (91 Stu-
dents).The objective was to help aca-
demically weaker students, selected
with feedback from their supervisors
and teachers who monitor their per-
formance. 6 students from Palas at-
tended an English language camp
on 17 March. Additionally, an edu-
cational movie ‘Wichitra Duniya’ was

Asha Zurich Newletter

m asha-zurich.ch/ T +41 (0)767703517 B info@asha-zurich.ch Page 1
shown to the children to increase
their exposure to the outside world.
Palas organized exams for students
on 17 April in Maths, Marathi, and
English. 5 students from Palas ap-
peared in the 10th standard examina-
tion this year. ‘Mahila Din’ (Women’s
day) was celebrated in Shirpur. It
was attended by 462 women and 114
men (mainly parents of Palas stu-
dents) to increase their awareness
of women empowerment and impor-
tance of education for women.
Sabuj Sangha
Sabuj Sangha is a non-profit, non-
government development organiza-
tion established in Nandakumarpur
village in South 24 Parganas, West
Bengal. It is an area where child mar-
riage is prevalent, because of var-
ious factors including low literacy
and poverty. To combat this, Sabuj
Sangha initiated project ‘Nayantara’
to help those girls whose education
was interrupted to complete their
education till class 12. The project
also provides vocational courses and
extra-curricular activities for youth
older than 18 years. Progress reports
of the children in this project are sent
to us on a quarterly basis. The pilot
project started on 15 February 2015
with 18 students living within a 3-4
kilometers distance.
Asha Zurich Newletter
m asha-zurich.ch/ T +41 (0)767703517
Additionally, the project also provides
direct and indirect forms of support
such as:
• English, science and mathematics
tuitions at a coaching center run by
experienced teachers.
• Provision of educational material
such as text books, stationery and
school uniforms.
• Nutrition support provided in the
morning before school starts.
• A hygiene kit, comprising of ba-
sic amenities such as toothbrush,
soap, and a pack of disposable san-
itary napkins, is regularly given to
all the girls . The use of the sanitary
napkins is encouraged to eradicate
the age-old practice of using a cloth
during menstruation.
• Physical Education including prac-
tice of ‘Bratachari’, a type of
body movement synchronized with
songs to improve heath and well-
being, is organized after school
twice a week.
• After-school classes on Information
and Communication technology.
• Training in life skills, such as
problem-solving ability, decision
making capacity, creative think-
ing/lateral thinking, coping with
B info@asha-zurich.ch
stress, trauma and loss using role
plays and discussions.
• Extra-curricular activities such as
art and craft classes, pottery, wood-
craft, paper craft, applique and
waste material recycling.
“Nayantara” program highlights
not only the educational growth of
a child but also her overall develop-
ment as exemplified in the case of Su-
chitra (Refer Box).
Boys Town Society
Overall, the activities of BTS and
FM schools are progressing well. Ihe
school is currently closed for sum-
mer holidays and will be reopened
on 1 June. Examinations for all stu-
dents were conducted just before
the schools closed for the summer.
The answer papers are being cor-
rected and we expect the children
to have performed well. The admis-
sion in the Boys town for the upcom-
ing academic year started recently.
The school strength is expected to in-
crease to 300 in the new academic
year. The building work for the new
school is almost complete. In fact, the
children wrote their final examina-
tions in the new building. BTS have
applied for the matriculation school
board so that they can offer 6th
standard education. One of the chal-
lenges faced by the school is staff-
attrition because of factors such as
pregnancy, marriage, and transfer of
husband. BTS are currently recruiting
new staff and have received 40 ap-
Page 2
plications for 6 open positions. In or-
der to increase loyalty and decrease
staff turnover, BTS plans on offering
higher staff salary (a 10 to 15 percent
increase), which should also help at-
tract more experienced staff.
Some special highlights:
• One boy appeared for the med-
ical entrance examination.
• BTS organized a seminar
on“Crimes against Children”,
where 35 scholars and students
presented papers. Represen-
tatives from the government,
NGOs, police, Child Protection
Units, and the social welfare
board participated. The pro-
gram was broadcasted live by
All India Radio.
Lok Biradari Prakalp
Asha Zurich has been associated
with this project since June 2011. Lok
Biradari Prakalp (LBP) is a school for
tribal children that offers a sanctuary
of peace in a region inhabited by wild
animals, venomous snakes, and Nax-
alites (ultra-left rebels). The project
was started by Dr. Prakash and, his
wife, Mandakini Amte in 1973 in
the forests of Hemalkasa, a remote
region located between Maharashtra
and Chattisgarh. The school serves
Asha Zurich Newletter
m asha-zurich.ch/ T +41 (0)767703517 B info@asha-zurich.ch
650 students from 600 neighbor-
ing villages and provides education
“Nayantara” Impact
up to 12th Standard with boarding,
lodging, and medical facilities. It is
aided by 14 teachers and 6 volun-
teers. Asha ZÃijrich contributes to-
wards boarding, lodging and edu-
cational expenses of 100 students,
which in monetary terms amounts
to Rs.16,56,000 (about 24,500 CHF)
per year. LBP was selected in Global
Asha’s Work an Hour campaign in
2017.
Asha Zurich is proud to announce
that 44 students out of 45 passed
the 12th board examination this year,
an achievement that also featured
in the Times of India:http://toi.
in/J9JCdZ/a18bg. Dinesh Madkami
topped with 77.69% (505/650),
closely followed by Sunita Vachami
with 75.38% (490/650). Shriniwas
“I want to be a teacher and I will defi-
nitely continue my education whatever
Alam bagged third position with
the situation arises.”
73.69% (479/650). Besides aca-
- S UCHITRA JANA , A GE 15
demics, the students are encour-
aged to participate in sports, school Suchitra is now in class IX. She lost
trips and various activities that range her father two years ago to cancer
from paintings, robotics, and cre- and her mother works as a domes-
ative events. Programs are orga- tic help. Suchitra is a keen and hard-
nized throughout the year on various working student and would like to
themes including personality devel- break this cycle of poverty by edu-
opment, health-awareness, first-aid cating herself. To support her dreams,
treatments, and the constitution of she is being provided tuition support
India.  for two months by this project.
Page 3