Transforming Lives of Kolkata  Slum Children

Smile’s ideology, ‘Educate the child – Change the society’ finds full endorsement in this initiative titled – Educating Child to Transform, targeted at downtrodden and deprived children from the slums of Kalabagan, Borobagan, Khas Mahal, Bristipara, Jhorobasti and Hoglapara in Tollygunge area of Kolkatta in West Bengal.

About the Partner

Ms. Shimanti Das, Ex headmistress of St. Francis Xavier’s School, Kolkata and founder of non-profit voluntary organization, ‘The Schools of World - Kolkata’ is the force behind the initiative.

The school is located in a deprived community, who belong to the lowest rung of society comprising of vendors, porters, sweepers, rickshaw pullers, daily labourers, hawkers. Children from these families lead a carefree life spending the day wandering about streets and market places, and odd places sometimes looking for a job or fending for themselves by means of antisocial activities.

The initiative aims to transform the lives of such children by empowering them with the tool called Education.

Special Focus & Objectives

• Establish a non formal education centre for providing quality education to the deprived / underprivileged children &   address the nutritional & other health care needs through monthly health camps

• To provide Remedial and Counseling support to school going children. This will be ensured through remedial   counseling to the children and sensitization programme for parents as a follow up of activities

• To provide Life Skill Education on weekly basis on issues like personality development, confidence building, behavior   & etiquette, health & hygiene, reproductive health, values, good habits, & social concerns, & other related issues

• To increase participation and awareness of local / community people, regarding issues related to rights of children

• Organizing Community Level Awareness programs on Education, Health, & social issues

• To increase enrollment & retention rates in the non formal education centers in the targeted slum

• Mainstreaming children of the centers into formal schools after 1 year of intervention

About the Project and Major Activities

Education Centre

One non formal educational centre is running in the community in 2 shifts. English, Hindi or Bengali, Mathematics, Social Studies and General Knowledge form the main subjects of curriculum. Group discussions and sessions with the community and parents help children understand issues like their rights and duties better.

Health Care Facilities

Quarterly health check up of all the children under the project and the women from the slums ensures a sense of well being among the children and their parents, thereby ensuring a better focus of children on education.

Supplementary Nutrition

All the children under the project are provided with supplementary nutrition regularly to help them cope with the problem of malnutrition. Hence, most of the children under the project enjoy good health.

Life Skill Education

Children under the project are being trained on vital aspects of personality development like behaviour and etiquette, hygiene, reproductive health, good values and habits, social concerns. They are also being given training on art, craft, dance and drama through workshops and cultural programmes

Scholarship Programme

A special annual scholarship of Rs 1500 has been instituted by Smile Foundation for 3 most outstanding students who are going to be mainstreamed into formal schools.