development pathways -...

DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS

November 2016 Vol.05

An IL&FS Group CSR InitiativeTHE NALANDA FOUNDATION

Development Pathways Vol.05

WELCOME!

CHILDREN ARE OUR GREATEST TREASURES.THEY ARE OUR FUTURE.

NELSON MANDELA

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What began with a small social intervention in 2011, has now shaped into the Nalanda Foundation working in 19 project catchments across India touching 400,000 lives directly through the IL&FS CSR initiatives. Our efforts of strategizing interventions to link underprivileged communities in over 500 villages across 13 states in India, are now slowly finding recognition in the public sphere. In this issue of Development Pathways, you will find heartwarming stories of our CSR initiatives and the accolades some of our interventions have recently received before the national CSR community

Though the focus of our CSR is on improving lives by enhancing skills and livelihoods, emphasis is also

given on designing initiatives for children to ensure that our next generation is well nurtured. Today we are working in over 200 schools through 15 unique programs designed for children. Over 50,000 children are part of these programs. Some initiatives such as the Mobile Science Labs, are providing direct academic nourishment to extremely poor students in remote schools of Jharkhand, while some are smaller initiatives such as installing solar panels in the government school of Mandlote, J&K which is indirectly helping children get better access to computer education. In this issue, you will find a number of stories about the change brought to thousands of children through our initiatives

LITTLE SWACHH DOOTSSANITATION SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAMME

Jambudiyapura, Gujarat

Village Jambudiyapura is located along the Vadodara Halol Highway in Gujarat. Two years ago, this village did not have a single toilet, giving rise to unhygienic practices among villagers. But today, the village proudly stands as an open defecation-free village. GRICL completed the construction of 56 toilet blocks consisting of a WC, bathroom with a shower facility, a washbasin and a platform for washing utensils and clothes and measures for the disposal of waste. These were handed over to the villagers in April this year. To ensure appropriate usage of toilets and sustainability of the project, GRICL decided to involve children as a part of the project. Their involvement would prove significant as children form a major part of the population in Jambudiyapura. Out of the 235 residents, 130 are children in the age group of 0 to 18 years (Baseline Survey 2015). Hence, children are being involved and trained to learn about the different aspects of good ‘hygiene and sanitation’ behaviour

The children responded well to the training and became the change-makers in the village. Initially, we brought them together and helped them open up through small icebreaker activities and then formed systematic groups with definite functions to perform. These activities involving children ensured 100% success in the cultural transportation in the realm of Sanitation and hygiene in Jambudiyapura. Here are some activities:

Mapping and data collectionChildren mapped the houses and the surroundings, toilets and other features. They got oriented for filling up pictorial / Gujarati schedule charts, numbering the houses and collecting door-to-door family information

Building interest in cleanlinessChildren were encouraged to discuss cleanliness practices they follow at home. After discussing about common habits at home, they made elaborate drawings of cleanliness solutions and presented them to the whole class

Dustbins for every homeIn order to make dustbins more common in Jambudiyapura, children joined forces to make dustbins using old tins and implemented them at every home

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Saving up for cleanlinessThe concept of “ toilet maintenance fund” was introduced to sustain toilet maintenance. Generally, people avoid minor plumbing repairs to save money. Therefore we encouraged every child to maintain piggy banks for emergency repairs. Committee member Dakshaben demonstrated how piggy banks could be made using old plastic jars from home

Manipulation BoardTo make the children understand simple operations of using the toilet appropriately, a manipulation board was used for their training. It became quite popular amongst the children. The board had various padlocks, sockets and a tap fixed on it which helped children understand the different parts and furniture items used in constructing the toilets

Young reporters!Children turned young reporters and learnt to identify and document the unhygienic and open defecation spots around the village through a photo shoot. They also got involved in checking

children’s hygienic behaviour and understanding the GRICL system.

Always wash handsThe toilet blocks renovated by IL&FS had help the school teachers to inculcate in children the habit of using toilets for defecation and urinating and washing hands with soap after using toilet and before and after the meals

The overall focus of the Sanitation Training Program was to define the role of the local sanitation committee and create impactful awareness among the children of the village on building cleanliness and sanitation skills. The children’s cadre will help the committee maintain cleanliness in the village regularly

The success of ODF villages depend upon the adoption of sanitation habits by their children. In Jambudiyapura these little Swacch Doots convinced us that, if trained properly, children are the best change-agents in a village and so this should ideally be an integral part of the Swacch Bharat Mission

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STORIES OF

In February 2016, we partnered with YoungBuzz to commence a comprehensive career counselling program aimed at transforming the lives of school students in Mandvi-Kutch. The life skill workshops helped enhance their confidence, communication skills, teamwork, time management and inter -personal skills and the Career Guidance Sessions emphasized on career planning, goal setting, study options in arts, science, commerce and IT.

The sessions had a dramatic impact on the attitude, exposure and overall development of the students. Ramju, from standard 9, Godhra Govt. School, Mandvi, is one such student who benefitted from this program. Consistency and regularity in school was always a challenge for Ramju. He was unable to focus in class and thus would disturb other students too.

When he attended the ‘My Strenghts and Weaknesses’ session, he admitted about his tobacco addiction saying,

“ I consume tobacco 4 times a day and do not like this habit at all. But the cravings are so strong that I end up consuming. I hate this habit and want to change it”.

The focus of the program motivated and helped Ramju to not only set a goal for overcoming his tobacco habit, but also helped him explore opportunities for a successful career. And as for the grim habit, he gradually liberated himself from it, became more attentive and well behaved in class and now aspires to become an engineer, the dream that he had not entertained before.

Many other students like Ramju took this program enthusiastically and expressed a deep desire to work towards a better future. Through this intervention, we were able to reach 462 students, 111 parents and 43 teachers. An initiative of this kind is the first step towards changing the lives of students in Kutch. Consistent follow up programs by us will continue to create a long lasting impact on the lives of all these children and bring a new hope for their futures.

In rural India, where girls are still expected to take up non-technical career fields such as arts, commerce, etc, one of our IBT programs is gearing them up to take on bolder steps and learn something that is usually considered as a man’s job. A group of girls from Guruvarya Eknath Govinda Dev Pathshala, Bori Khurd are learning about electrical fittings and repairs.

Among others, Akshada, a class 9 student has shown great interest in learning this new skill. She was introduced to various types of electrical circuits, electrical material and different technical

MY STRENGTHS!MY FUTURE!

I CAN DO IT!

Mandvi, Kutch, Gujarat.

Khed, Maharashtra

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know how’s of electrical fitting procedures. She also learnt to handle the drilling machine, tester, switchboard, etc. After the training, she was a designated school electrician for a day. Together with her classmates, she installed 10 electric points

in the school. Akshada’s teacher tells us, “She was

afraid to handle the hand drill machine initially.

But after some practice, she overcame her fear and

began using the drill machine confidently. I also see

an improved confidence in her. After the practical

class, she not only fixed the school circuits but also

worked on the electrical fittings in her home.”

The evident improvement in conceptual clarity and confidence in Akshada shows that mere access to opportunities can open boundless horizons for today’s young generation. Owing to the low rate of students opting for technical courses, with this program, we hope that students going for technical training and vocational education will increase substantially over time.

“A child’s mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited.” To feed the hunger of the ever-curious young rural minds, we implemented two Mobile Science Labs in 31 schools of Dhanbad district in the Barwa Adda Expressway Catchment.

We partnered with Agastya International Foundation and prepared various experiments and models based on the science syllabus of the Jharkhand Education Department. Our mobile science labs touch about 8000 students with this intervention. The combination of well-trained teachers and interactive models allows the child to think, observe, explore and conquer his/ her fears.

Learning by doing, sparking curiosity among students, promoting peer to peer learning, identifying young bright minds and developing them with young instructors, developing leadership skills and competency building of the teachers are the major objectives of this programme. IGNITING YOUNG MINDS!

Barwa Adda Expressway Catchment

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Vijay Kumar of Class 8 from Gobindpur says, “The initial few classes were like magic shows! However, as the teachers of the Mobile Science Bus explained the various scientific concepts I

started finding the experiments very interesting”.


Nikita Kumari, a class 8 student says, “ I used to consider Physics as most difficult subject. In last three months I have attended three sessions of Physics and Biology in the

Mobile Science Lab. Now I am improving and also learning things by doing practicals”.

“ The Science Bus is giving us an opportunity to learn things by doing. Seeing the biology models and learning the concepts by doing my own is a wonderful experience”, says Himanshu.

Every week the Mobile Science Lab also goes to villages during the evening time to create awareness about science and motivate parents to send their kids to schools. The teachers are also very happy with the initiative. Ram Shankar Tiwari, Asst. Teacher from Variya Bunyadi Vidyalaya, Nirsa says, “It is a great way to teach as the students are getting practical exposure. It easily explains complex concepts in easy practical ways so that children learn faster ” If such education facilities had been available during our childhood, we would have also done better in our Education.” With the mission to ignite young minds, the Mobile Science Labs have created a positive atmosphere in the schools. With this transformation, we hope to add more value to the education of these underprivileged children in the coming days.

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SAY YES TO SPORTS!Nana Layja, Kutch, Gujarat

This year, we collaborated with Sportseed, and piloted a sports program in three schools for about 820 students. The objective was to enhance their basic fitness level and also improve upon the four founding pillars viz. Locomotor abilities, Coordinative abilities, Social & Affective skills and Cognitive development.

We selected four dissimilar sports to improve these abilities viz. Archery, Taekwondo, Jump Rope and Football. Most of the students had not even heard about these sports and a base line study showed that 90% of them could not even qualify the minimum baseline fitness at their age. The trainings followed where 275 students learnt Taekwondo to improve their locomotors abilities i.e. improvement in full body movement/growth, body balance, self-discipline and confidence. 118 students trained in Jump Rope, improving their coordinative abilities. 426 students were exposed to Archery to improve their cognitive abilities and improve focus & concentration.

By the end of phase 1, the students’ four founding pillars had improved drastically. The trainers witnessed that children now felt more confident, attended schools regularly and showed utmost interest in participating at the Khel Mahakumbh (a state-level sporting event) this year.


In February 2016, we partnered with YoungBuzz to commence a comprehensive career counselling program aimed at transforming the lives of school students in Mandvi-Kutch. The life skill workshops helped enhance their confidence, communication skills, teamwork, time management and inter -personal skills and the Career Guidance Sessions emphasized on career planning, goal setting, study options in arts, science, commerce and IT.

The sessions had a dramatic impact on the attitude, exposure and overall development of the students. Ramju, from standard 9, Godhra Govt. School, Mandvi, is one such student who benefitted from this program. Consistency and regularity in school was always a challenge for Ramju. He was unable to focus in class and thus would disturb other students too.

When he attended the ‘My Strenghts and Weaknesses’ session, he admitted about his tobacco addiction saying,

“ I consume tobacco 4 times a day and do not like this habit at all. But the cravings are so strong that I end up consuming. I hate this habit and want to change it”.

We identified sports teams for each sport in each school for the Khel Mahakumbh and are now getting trained for competitions. We are also distributing sports gear to the top 6 performers in each sport, so that they train well and qualify to participate in the district/state level tournaments and the “Khel Mahakumbh”.

During May this year, we conducted a football training summer camp where they learnt the basics of the game. During the course, children have developed a deep love for the game and look forward to more such training programs.

These days, the Balakaar Aanganwaadis in Phulambri are seeing a new rising sun. After Nurjahan Pathan, an aanganwadi teacher attended the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program designed and

SOWING SEEDS WITH LOVE Phulambri, Maharashtra

Children learning Taekwondo

implemented by IL&FS in 2015, she brought a number of improvements to the quality of education and functioning of the aanganwadi. Her efforts have not just brought improvement in the children but also impacted their parents and staff members positively.

Nurjahan learnt about the ECE methodology at the program and brought the necessary discipline to the Anganwadi. Everyday, 3-hour sessions are carefully designed to improve their speaking and cognitive skills, imbibe patience and inclusiveness, discipline, and acquire basic knowledge of colours, numbers, language through participatory learning and capacity building. Initially, the children were unorganised and highly impulsive, but with the improved ECE program, they are developing positively. They are gradually opening up, bonding with their peers and teachers, following a discipline and showing increased interest in exploring new things. The tone in which the conversations happen amongst children and the teacher is dramatically gentle. Children have become disciplined and understanding. They are

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affectionate towards each other and have developed patience. The teachers’ role has become that of a facilitator and change agent in the program and students’ engagement is extensive.

With the belief that children learn better at play, the Funtoosh Program is designed to reach out to underprivileged children across Balasore District, Odisha and help them develop confidence and learning skills through games and activities. The Funtoosh bus covers 1,350 students of 8 schools, where the team actively uses 311 games. The games and activities have improved mathematics and logical reasoning of the students. Here are the experiences of two Funtoosh students.

10 year old Harish is a class 5 student of Baghabali U.G.U.P School of Jaleswar Block of Balasore. His father is a laborer while his mother works at home.

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DONʼT FORGET TO PLAY!Balasore, Odisha

Harish was not very regular in attending school. He was neither interested in reading and writing, nor in playing games. Funtoosh mentor Sunita says, “Initially he was reluctant, but gradually he started participating. Within a few weeks, he started enjoying the games and soon we realised that he is very good in observing things and asking questions. Today Harish comes to school regularly. He shows interest in education and has improved a lot in Mathematics and Environment Sciences. He feels very happy and proud to be part of the Funtoosh programme.”

9-year-old Priyanka Kapri is a student of Deuli Sudhir Part Basic School of Narayangarh Block of Paschim Medinipur District (West Bengal). She is a student of Class four. She lives with her parents. Her father is a Motor Mechanic while her mother is a homemaker. Priyanka’s Principal Mr. Hiranmoy Acharya says, “Priyanka is a good student. She comes to school everyday. However, she would never show any interest in extra co-curricular activities. She used to speak less and did not have friends in class. But once the Funtoosh programme started, she picked up very fast. Her class performance has also gone up. Although she has been a good student academically, she is now learning team work and how to behave in groups while playing games. Priyanka says, ” I love playing the games in Funtoosh. I made a lot of friends also. I always share my learning experience with my parent and they feel very proud of me.“


The Panchi Program implemented in the Ghazipur slum of Delhi is currently offering learning support and various personality development programs to 120 children from the Ghazipur slum. Children are encouraged to learn skills such as film-making and are also doing sports training. For the school going children, Panchi program acts as a support and those who are school-drop outs are counselled and encouraged to go back to school.

Salman‘s family hails from Bihar. His father works at the Waste to Energy power plant and his mother does waste-picking. In September 2015, Salman was enrolled in class 1 at the local primary school. His school teachers often complained about his disorderly behaviour in class. He used to be easily distracted and disinterested in school activities.

The Panchi teachers too faced similar issues with Salman. They decided to help him channelise his active energy into productive extracurricular activities. He was enrolled in Karate and drawing workshops and has excelled in both. He was also encouraged to assist his teacher and facilitate the tutoring sessions. Over the year, Salman has gained confidence and has begun taking self initiative. More recently, he won a drawing competition and has received accolades from his peers and teachers for the change in his behavior, attitude and improvement in class grades.

FLYING HIGH WITH PANCHIGhazipur, Delhi

Seven year old, Shama Parveen lives in Ghazipur. Shama lost her parents at the age of 4. Her eldest brother is the only working member of the household and as a tailor, his income of Rs. 6000 is barely adequate to feed the family of six as well as to finance the education of children in the family.

Both Shama and her cousin were enrolled in the Panchi school program. Despite being older, Shama was extremely shy and would only communicate with her teachers through her cousin. She did not know how to hold a pencil and would avoid coming to the center. However, within one year, Shama’s personality has blossomed, as she has become more talkative and friendly and interacts with her classmates with more ease. Her personal hygiene habits have improved and you will always find her wearing her shoes in the center and the slum, a behavior that is new to her family. Extracurricular activities like summer dance workshop have also helped Shama overcome her shyness and gain confidence.

Many other children like Salman and Shama have been a part of the Panchi program and have found a new desire to explore and open up to live a fuller childhood.

This year, Shama was enrolled in the local primary school as a 2nd grader. She says, “ I want to complete school studies and I want to become a teacher.”

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IL&FS FAMILYCELEBRATES JOY OF GIVING

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JOY OF GIVING WEEKThe Joy of Giving Week was celebrated during the 3rd to 7th October in the IL&FS Financial Centre, Mumbai. Nalanda Foundation showcased opportunities in various IL&FS project catchments where CSR initiatives are currently implemented. 26 generous donors from IL&FS group contributed a total amount of Rs. 226,900/- towards the following causes.

Along with the donation drive, Nalanda Foundation also had two product stalls within the IL&FS Financial Center, Mumbai. The Gulmeher and Soul Mountain products made by underprivileged women in our Delhi and J&K catchment make these products. The stalls had an overwhelming response from IL&FS employees and others at TIFC during the Joy of Giving week. Their contribution and feedback on the products and the overall initiative has been highly valuable.

A total footfall of about 60+ visitors purchased products worth Rs. 35,530/-. They expressed a noticeable and dramatic transformation in the art of Gulmeher’s waste pickers turned artisans’ artworks and the neatness in the stitching and designs of the bags made by Soul Mountain women group from the past year.

Joy of Giving Opportunities

Gift Literacy

Gift a Fodder Bag

Gift Spectacles

Sweater and shoes for children in slum

Solar lantern

Gift a restored anganwadi

Gift a repaired roof

General Donation

Vadodra, Gujarat

Sinner, Nashik

Mandvi, Kutch

Ghazipur, Delhi

CNTL, J&K

Phulmabri, Aurangabad

Chenani, J&K

Adult literacy programme for women in the tribal village called Jamudiyapura

Fodder bag to help the poor women in Nasik use the fodder for feeding their livestock during drought period

Free eye checkup and provision of spectacles for students with poor vision

Sweater and shoes for children living in Ghazipur slums

Re-chargeable LED lights for needy students in Chenani to use at households

Repair work for Anganwadis to improve learning environment for little children

Rooftop repair for 2 widow women in J&K living in kachcha houses to make it weather proof and livable

To be allocated to the remaining causes

17500

15000

6200

1600

25500

38000

20000

103100

Location Description Amountreceived (in Rs.)


REWARDS FOR OUR JOURNIES!This year, our CSR initiatives have received national appreciation! On September 1, National CSR Leadership Congress was held in Taj Vivanta, Bangalore, during which the CSR and Sustainability Awards were presented. 3 of our Group Companies showcased their initiatives before the CSR Community and all of them received awards.

The 3 initiatives that won the awards are:1. CSR Award for the Best Community Development - won by Balasore Fishery Project, funded by ITNL and implemented along Balasore Kharagpur Expressway. This initiative helped farmers practice inland fishery to avoid crop destruction due to submergence during monsoon. Today, 350 farmers in rural Odisha are benefitting from this initiative.

2. Award for the Best CSR Impact was won by the Jambudiyapura – Total Sanitation Project of GRICL which is implemented along Vadodara Halol Toll Road. This is a tribal village that did not have a single toilet. And today, it has become a 100% open defecation-free tribal village with toilets for each household. It is also equipped with an underground grey-water management system. The community played a big role in the success of this initiative.

3. Award for Best CSR Impact - In the same category, Skilling Program supported by the Nalanda Skilling Scholarship Scheme, funded by IFIN also won an award. Scholarships are given to youth to learn the industrial trades and many candidates are also offered jobs after the successful completion of the course.

The Nalanda Foundation team with the awards

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FIELD UPDATES

Children from 8 primary schools in Nana Layja, Kutch, celebrated the ‘Clean India Initiative’ on Mahatma Gandhi’s 147th Birth anniversary on 2nd October 2016

Owing to the various temples in Jammu and Katra, there is a round the year demand for flowers in the area. The rates of flowers are also comparatively higher than cereals and vegetables in the market. Looking at the opportunity 7 women beneficiaries have undertaken cultivation of Marigold in July and they have started harvesting flowers in mid-September. Women are jointly sending flowers to the Jammu mandi for sales and till now on an average they have earned around Rs.3300/- each. The harvesting of flowers will continue till October.

Drawings made by children in the Funtoosh Program in Balasore. These drawings are the children’s take on the various methods of dealing with poverty.

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FIELD UPDATES

As part of the women livelihood support program, the women producer company in Sinnar district reached a new milestone this year. For the first time, the producer company sold the goats at a weight-based system without the middleman. A total of 66 goats and a buck of Osmanabadi breed was supplied to the goat farms and the company made a turnover of Rs 3,29,000 and earned a net profit of Rs 76,943. Totally 19 women benefitted through this and got 30% more price for the same goat. The available profit will be used as working capital for upcoming procurement. The sales of quality breed will create availability of quality breed for scaling up the goatry enterprise.

Dr. S.S Garg - Genral Manager, Mr. Krupasindhu Guru – AGM and Dr. Rashmi Kadian Environmental Specialist, from India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited visited the Digital Duniya bus program in Mordewadi village and Information to Basic Technology Resource centre in Gawdewadi on 1st September to understand the education interventions. The team interacted with the students, instructor and teachers. The team was given a detailed presentation and report on CSR interventions covering Education, livelihoods and water issues in the catchment. The purpose of the IIFC team to KSEL was to understand and prepare a Environmental & Social Due Diligence Report. Collectively, they appreciated the comprehensive approach adopted in the CSR interventions.

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FIELD UPDATESDevelopment Pathways Vol.05

A group of 20 employees from IL&FS Group Companies in Delhi recently visited the Gulmeher center in Ghazipur. The visiting employees were exposed to the various programs & initiatives along with an introductory presentation on “Gulmeher” and its current status.

World Environment Day celebrated in villages along BKEL. The farmers who are part of our fishery initiative took part in various plantation and other activities organised on the same day.

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Seven year old, Shama Parveen lives in Ghazipur. Shama lost her parents at the age of 4. Her eldest brother is the only working member of the household and as a tailor, his income of Rs. 6000 is barely adequate to feed the family of six as well as to finance the education of children in the family.

Both Shama and her cousin were enrolled in the Panchi school program. Despite being older, Shama was extremely shy and would only communicate with her teachers through her cousin. She did not know how to hold a pencil and would avoid coming to the center. However, within one year, Shama’s personality has blossomed, as she has become more talkative and friendly and interacts with her classmates with more ease. Her personal hygiene habits have improved and you will always find her wearing her shoes in the center and the slum, a behavior that is new to her family. Extracurricular activities like summer dance workshop have also helped Shama overcome her shyness and gain confidence.

Many other children like Salman and Shama have been a part of the Panchi program and have found a new desire to explore and open up to live a fuller childhood.

TEACHING ENGLISH TO INDIAIn August this year, Disha Modi and Anisha Panigrahi from Corporate Sustainability Group and IL&FS Skills (respectively) were our first batch of volunteers as part of our Corporate Volunteering Program. They dedicated four working days into teaching Basic English to rural children in Khed, Maharashtra. While Anisha had former experience in teaching children with Teach for India, Disha was a first timer. For four days, Disha and Anisha visited various schools in Khed and conducted 2 English classes for students everyday.

As they returned to IL&FS, they shared their experience with the Nalanda Foundation team. Among the many untold stories slipping through their joyful smiles, Anisha shared with us her fondest memory. She said, “On the final day, when it was time to part, a little girl walked up to me and asked when I will come back to teach again. And when I said, well the program has come to an end and I’m not sure when I would come again, I saw tears rolling down her eyes! Just knowing that my inputs had so much impact, touched me.”

Disha and Anisha were our first two corporate volunteers to go in the catchments where IL&FS CSR initiatives are being implemented. We thank them and appreciate their efforts to spend time with the rural students in the Khed-Sinnar Catchment.

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FIELD UPDATESDevelopment Pathways Vol.05

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