SVYM Mobile Science Van
Pilot program by Asha with SVYM to expand exposure to science in remote communities:
The van reaches 9,000 students at 20 different rural schools in Karnataka and provides
laboratory equipment, teaching support by trained staff, and other resources to improve
the teaching of science. Not only have SSLC exam pass rates improved, but there has been
a 40% increase in the number of students choosing to specialize in science after grade 10!
SEED Plan
Provides well-rounded education to children living in slums: The study center supports the
education of around 200 children each year in Tamil Nadu. In addition to supporting their
book learning, the center is showing great success in graduating students who communicate
effectively, think independently, and are harbingers of real social change. They excel in their
chosen careers, whether it be English teacher, lab technician, scientist, or social worker.
Sahanivasa
Provides educational support to children of low-caste, rural workers: The coaching centers
support 1,430 students from 15 villages in Andhra Pradesh who are subject to
discrimination, child labor, and academic disruptions due to migrant working. The academic
support (together with Sahanivasa’s work on an employment guarantee act) have reduced
dropout rates by 90% and brought pass rates in the grade 10 board exams to 97%!
Navsarjan
Scholarships to encourage the education of girls: These boarding schools in Gujarat instill
confidence and self-respect in the Dalit children who face discrimination in the local
government schools. Initially, cultural and economic constraints limited the enrollment of
female students. Thus, Asha instituted a scholarship program to subsidizes the fees for
girls… whose numbers, since then, have increased by over 6 times to about 90 students!
Deenabandhu
Eco-Friendly Home for Girls: This shelter in Karnataka houses over 30 orphaned,
abandoned, or destitute girls in a building built of fly-ash bricks, with solar water heaters,
solar power for electricity, rain-water harvesting, gray water recycling, and other green
features. The project serves both as a showcase of renewable energy and as a place where
the education, sheltering, and sustenance of underprivileged children leads to empowered
and environmentally-responsible individuals.
SEED Narpanigal
Community-run after-school coaching for first generation students: This program for
children of a slum in Tamil Nadu is run by the young people of the slum itself. Many
graduates of the program volunteer some of their time to coach the cohorts that follow
them. The support is well-needed, as 98% of the project’s 10th and 12th grade students are
the first in their family to attain this level of education. Particular attention is paid to
helping students who are lagging their grade level to catch up and regain their confidence.
Kamalakar Trust
Providing access to education across language and economic barriers: The children of
migrant laborers, uprooted from places with different languages than the local language,
can have difficulty accessing a formal education for this reason as well as their economic
disadvantages. This school in the outskirts of Hyderabad aims to address the problem by
imparting education in English medium (whereas the government schools teach only in
Telugu medium) for free to these very poor children.
Viveka Tribal Center for Learning
School for children in remote tribal hamlets: This project began in a thatched hut with
only a few students and now provides quality education to over 400 tribal children. The
government-aided school actively endeavors to preserve and encourage tribal art and
culture while providing a modern education, so that these kids fit into the mainstream
while retaining their pride and heritage.