Duration: 2009 to 2017
Supported by: Aide et Action

Programme Background

The Access and Quality Education Project now covers 20 most disaster affected villages of Golaghat district in Northern Assam mainly populated by the Mishing tribal community, Schedule Caste (SC) and other backward caste population. The Mishing are an ethnic group inhabiting the districts of Dhemaji, North Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat of Assam. They are the second largest tribal group in North-East India, followed by the Bodo’s. Traditionally they live on both side of the bank of river Brahmaputra.
The traditional joint family dwelling system is most predominant among the Mishing people based on patrilineal and patrilocal system.

Cultivation is the primary occupation of the Mishing Community. The average land holding of the individual families of the villages are 7 hectares of arable land. Geomorphic and anthropogenic flood and erosion have robbed the Mishing of their land and property. Once very rich land lords have been reduced to landless by frequent waves of flood and erosion. Destiny has forced some Mishing families to reside on the river embankment permanently. The economic condition of almost all the Mishing families in the Project area is now very poor. The initial implementation of the project in 2009, somehow reduced the dropouts in the project schools and however in some of the other schools in the project area. But not in all the schools. Still in 50% of the school, the issue of dropouts has to be address in the project area.

The project area had 22 venture schools which are run by community. These schools are plagued by a host of problems such as lack of basic physical infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, lack of adequate school infrastructure, lack of adequate Teaching Learning Materials, textbooks and notebooks, lack of safe drinking water facility and sanitation facility. The conditions of the government schools are also equally not good so far as quality of teaching, regular attendance of the teachers and use of Teaching Learning Materials are concerned.
The State Government has passed an Act named ‘Assam Venture Educational Institutions in 2011 (Provincialization of Services) Bill 2011’ paving the way for regularization of services of 95,000 school teachers in 16,000 venture schools. It is hoped that after proper implementation of the Act the condition of the venture schools is somehow improving and would improve in a better in future.

The project area being flood affected, it was found that out of the 20 schools selected for Back to Basics programme in 2014. 11 nos. of schools are affected annually by flood. During this period, schools remain closed for an average of one month.

Aims and Objectives

:

• To improve the access and quality of education to the children below 14 years of age residing in 2(two) Panchayats under Bokakhat subdivision of Brahmaputra valley in upper Assam.
• To build the capacity of the community communal and develop them as pressure groups to promote and strengthen education governance and other cross cutting issues.
• To create a Children’s platform to led advocacy and motivate other children to pro-actively participate and contribute towards building of a compassionate, just society through child club.
• To build and strengthen the capacities of women and children in general and girl child in particular to advocate for their right to education and development’s

Geographic Operational Area: The Project location is at Mohuramukh under Bokakhat legislative constituency of Golaghat district (Assam).

Area of Intervention

Two Panchayat namely – Gulung and dushutimukh of Bokakhat legislative constituency under Golaghat district of Assam.
Major Activities Undertaken :

1. Strengthening VDC/SMC/mother’s group to support the child in improving their knowledge.
2. TRG members guide the VDC, SMC and mothers group to impart education to the child.
3. Conducted Child competency assessment for better competency of the child.
4. Regular monitoring of the CCA by TRG, SMC, VDC and the mother’s group.
5. Higher level activities would be conducted in the existing child club forums of the 2 Panchayats.
6. Women’s federation (Sanmilita Nari Adhikar Suraksha Manch) includes all women in the area.
7. Women’s federation takes up issues of advocacy.
8. Linking SHGs with financial institutions.

The Outcome :

1. With regular monitoring and follow 660 students in 20 projects schools was able to have proper competency level.
2. Once in a 2 month randomly TRG’s expertise utilized their efforts in the project area to develop the children.
3. TRG initiate the CCA in 20 project schools where 650 students have appeared.
4. VDC, SMC participated in the CCA sharing session.
5. 20 child clubs became regular village activity. 8 new wall magazines were being developed. 20 wall magazines come up with yearly edition. 4 outer level exploratory walks facilitated by VDC federation. 2 exposure visits facilitated by VDC federation. 8 outer level exploratory walk have been organized with 2 exposures for the child club forums.
6. 43 nos. of women in the federation.
7. More than 30 federation members and other 60 non members have been undergone a training on financial linkages.