Ind eng-319-doc
- 1. SUBMISSION FORM Name of School: Anando Registered Office 301, Priyadarshini 36/3 Southend Park Kolkata 700029 Field Office 63/8 PGHS Road, Ground floor Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032 NGO Director Gitanjali Ghosh Tel.: 9830006747 E-mail: anando.kolkata@gmail.com Student Information:- Sr. Name Age Grade No. 1. Madhumita Roy 14 yrs 8 2. Mamoni Mondal 13 yrs 8 3. Pinky Panja 13 yrs 8 4. Piyali Chandra 12 yrs 7 5. Deepti Aich 13 yrs 8 Mentor Teachers : Gitanjali Ghosh, Arati Bera
- 2. THE PROJECT THE DIRTY DIVIDER Implemented over 8 days between 29th August 2010 and 26thSeptember 2010 (Please note our children’s recreation group meets only on Sundays and thus the project was implemented over consecutive weekends.) FEEL What is the problem you were attempting to change? Anando runs a weekend activity club for disadvantaged children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. The groups meet every Sunday on the premises of the Shishumela Vidyalaya, a government –run primary school. The school is a bit drab and not very well maintained. The members of the weekend club are often disheartened by the unkempt classrooms they have to work in .They thus strongly felt that this was an issue that they could do something about. They decided they would clean up the school premises and brighten the school hall. There was another motivation for choosing to clean and brighten the surroundings of the school. The children who meet here every week are often involved in a host of art and craft activities which they enjoy thoroughly. The girls, who are all adept artists, felt that they could spread this enjoyment to the young children who attend the Shishumela Vidyalaya and who rarely get the opportunity to participate in group art projects. They thus wanted to do something where they could involve the school students as well as their friends in the weekend club. IMAGINE Tell us some of the ideas generated A number of ideas were thrown up by the group. These included whitewashing a classroom, cleaning up the school garden, addressing the problem of open drains next to the school and painting a mural for the school hall. Although the group started work on several of these ideas, it was the last that they were able to complete to their satisfaction and which they chose to present for the Design for Change Contest.
- 3. DO What was your final solution and how did it change the situation and yourself? (Do include number of students participating and the number of people impacted) The Final Solution The final solution that the group chose was to paint a colourful mural on a wooden classroom partition. The partition had been lying bare for a while and was being used to divide the school hall into two separate classrooms. The group felt that by painting it in vivid colours they could help brighten up both the classrooms. Further the divider could be used as a backdrop whenever the school students organized celebrations and performances. The project would also help them involve the young students of the school in the project. The group could then share their own talents with the children while helping the students gain a sense of pride in their school and its surroundings. Working Together The group consisted of 5 girls from Anando’s club for older children. As leaders, they were responsible for planning the project, setting up dates and getting permission from the school. They also took the onus of teaching the school children and involving them in the project. The group decided that they would involve all the members of Anando’s weekend club in executing this project. This included the 15 other students in their own group as well as the 25 children in the younger children’s group (6 to 9 years). 15 students of Classes 3 and 4 from the Shishumela Vidyalaya also took part in the project. Thus in all 60 children were involved in the project at different stages Change in the Situation The school hall looks a much happier place now! Though the walls are still drab, the vivid colours of the partition overshadow them and light up the classrooms. The painting has also inspired the two classes on either side of it to fill up the walls of their space with lots of drawings! The partition is now regularly being used as a backdrop for all school functions and even by local groups who hold events there. But perhaps, the most remarkable change has been in the attitude of the school students who took art in the project. They are extremely proud of their work and are so happy when others compliment them on it ! They have also been taking extra care to ensure that other children do not deface it.
- 4. Change in Self The group who implemented this project has been impacted strongly by it. The project allowed then to take up an issue and address it in their own way with minimal adult interference. This initially made them nervous, but their confidence just kept increasing as every stage was successfully completed. At the end they were understandably very proud of their achievement! The project also gave the group an opportunity to involve a number of others in their efforts. They worked side by side with the boys in their club in a spirit of teamwork and camaraderie….a first for them! They were also able to share responsibilities with each one looking into a certain aspect of the project. Teaching younger children and helping them participate in the project was a first for some of the group members. The enthusiasm and organizational strength they showed was remarkable and many of them termed this “the best part of the project”! As young girls stepping into their teens, the project allowed the group to take on adult responsibility. In the process of trying out their ideas they learnt to handle disappointment when some of their plans fell through for reasons beyond their control. Perhaps, one of the most significant changes that the girls experienced was realizing that one could get so much happiness by making others happy!