Gift a bicycle to enable the education of a girl child by Gram Vikas Trust

Gram Vikas Trust has provided 16 bicycles to the rural village adolescents who were likely to drop out of their secondary education. GVT has collaboration with the Govt. schools that cover the full districts of Bharuch especially Dabhal, Kadvatalav, Khalak Company, Mohdikhanch of Jagadiya block. Thus, we were contacted by the school headteachers on these girls who were very good in studies and are likely to drop out this year as their family was not allowing them to continue further education as the school was not in the village and they did not have enough resources to send the child to school in public transport or through any other means of transportation. This intervention by GVT has helped the girl to continue with their higher education as these girls along with one more girl from the same village (her friend or next-door neighbour ) are attending the classes that are run by the Teachers at the village level as the schools are not functional due to covid-19. The family of these girls are also counselled and now they are very positive and encourage their children to study and be independent.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the schools were not functional for the safety of the students and teachers. Many other girls dropped out of the school because of the lockdown and also relocated as their parents lost their job and they shifted from their residential area in search of a job. GVT was constantly in action also during the lockdown and we scrutinized all the government schools and community facilitators who helped us to conduct counselling to the family of these girls who were likely to drop out and request them for the continuation of education. As the schools for higher classes have begun we will be planning to contact more and more schools who will be helping us with those girls who have already dropped out or are not regular to school because of the transportation difficulty, and meet the families of the same and provide them information on the importance of education and try our best for the continuation of the education for their daughters.

Impact story from the ground: Vasava Anjaliben Nagjibhai is studying in Standard 6th of Raisinghpura School and is a resident of Mohdi-Khanch, Dabhal village. The distance from her village to school is around 4kms. Anjali has lost her father in Covid-19 first lockdown due to some health difficulty. She is a very bright student but due to the loss of her father, her family condition became very critical. She is the eldest of the siblings and her mother is daily wage labour, Anjali takes care of the younger siblings and helps her mother to do HH chores. Due to these reasons, she was not going to the community school that was started by the Government school of Raisinghpura, (community school was initiated in villages where online education count not reach). On further investigation, the headteacher came to know about this situation and he contacted GVT about the same. GVT with the help of the teacher visited the child's house and saw that she was having difficulty reaching the school as she had to complete the household work. On providing the bicycle to Anjali she started reaching school on time and was able to continue with her academics.

Gram vikas trust works in remote villages of Jagadia and Vagra block where we have schools till 7th standard only, for further studies students have to visit other villages, in interior village local transport facilities are very poor and this increases dropout ratio among girls. We provide bicycle so that girls can visit schools in nearby villages and can continue further studies. We request for list of girls who have passed 7th standard and now are likely to dropout from school from the principals after that home visit and FGD with parents are conduct. After providing bicycle we continuously take follow up from each village and schools to ensure regular attendance of Girls. This reduces the dropouts among girl children and supports them for higher education in nearby villages. GVT makes sure that every girl is reaches to the school and is comfortable to go to school. This makes the girl confident and gives them the urge to study further, They are inspiration to others. Gram vikas trust has distributed around 25 bicycles in 2020. As the higher sections of the school reopened the girls were able to go to school with the bicycles given during the covid-19 .

Girl Child with Cycles provided under the project

The main purpose of the project is to provide transport facility to those girl children who have passed the 7th standard and there is no higher class schooling within the village; to reduce the drop out among the girl children and support them for higher education in nearby villages, which are 3 to 5 km distance. The programme started in the year 2008, till date no cases of children dropping out of the school after getting a bicycle has occurred, due to constant monitoring and intervention. We also involve SHGs and village level groups for their involvement and monitoring. Beneficiaries who have received bicycle and is absent for more than 1 day without reason, the schoolteacher will inform us as well as group members to justify reason.

Children happy to receive the bicycles

Program Update

Gram vikas trust works in Remote villages of Jagadia block where we have schools till 7th standard only, for further studies students have to visit other villages, in jagadia block local transport facilities are very poor and this increases dropout ratio among girls. We provide bicycle so that girls can visit schools in nearby villages and can continue further studies. We get a list of girls who have passed 7th standard from school principals after that home visit and FGD with parents are conduct. After providing bicycle we continuously take follow up from each village and schools to ensure regular attendance of Girls. This reduces the dropouts among girl children and supports them for higher education in nearby villages.

GVT has provided a total of 21 bicycles in January to March 2019 from which one girl was in 5th standard 14 girls was in 6th standard and 6 girls in 7th standard. Girls from Untiya Village have to visit schools at Sardarpura village which is 4 km away. 3 Girls from Untiya village have cleared 6th standard with good grades and regular attendance in school. 3 Girls from Moran Village have to visit Primary school at Dariya Village which is 5km away from which 2 girls have cleared the examination of standard 6th with good grades and regular attendance 1 girl from 7th standard cleared the exam with good attendance. 4 Girls from Gula faliyu village have to visit Primary School at Dariya Village which is 5km Away this all Girls now passed the exams with good marks. 6 Girls from Virvadi Village have to Visit Primary School at Dumalpor Village which is 5km Away, 1 have successfully cleared 5th class, 3 girls have passed 6th standard and 2 girls have passed 7th standard. 2 Girls have to visit Primary School from Moti Jamboi village which is l this school have shared that after receiving a bicycle from gram vikas trust attendance of these girls 4km away from Lakdiya Village and Vadhvana Village they have cleared 6th standard with good marks. The school principal of al is increased and also attend school on time. Girls shares that now they can easily participate in any cultural events or functions at the school level end enjoys bicycle riding in a group.

Story from the field

Ankita vasava lives at Moran Village of Jagadia Block that contains population of tribal communities,most of the people from this community are underprivileged and they do not get proper opportunities to study further.Jagadia block have only one high school all the students from different villages have to attend high school at Jagadia Village. Transportation facilities in Moran village is very poor people have to walk 5 km to reach out proper transportation. Ankita was a bright student but almost discontinued her education as the high school was very far from her village. There was no transport and she had to spend hours walking from home to school. Keeping her safety in mind, her parents decided to stop her education. School principal visited her house and share this issue with Gram vikas trust. He then approached Gram Vikas Trust (GVT) through village sarpanch and after home visit and meeting with her parents GVT helped her with a bicycle. GVT continuous takes follow up from her parents and School Principal about her attendance. This greatly reduced her travel time and now she is enjoying visit to school with her friends she also shares story about her regular journey towards school. She is a happy student with dreams of enrolling in university someday.

Program Update

The main purpose of the project is to provide transport facility to those girl children who have passed the 6th or 7th standard and there is no higher class within the village to reduce the drop out among the girl children and support them for higher education in nearby villages which is 3 to 5 km distance.

Gram Vikas Trust in association with women SHGs providing assistance to the poor family to invest in the education of their girls child and on other way promote the culture of girl education. The most challenging task is to create the motivation among the marginalized communities for the education.

Story from the field

At the age of 12, Vasava Sanjanaben Sanabhai lost her mother towards sickness and is left all alone with two brothers and a father. Sanjana stay in Virwadi village. Sanjana father is a daily wage worker and her two brothers are still studying along with her. Sanjana willingness to study did not keep her away from school even after the loss of her mother. Being a girl child of the house Sanjana truthfully completes all the cleaning work in the house and cooks food for Sanjana father and two brothers. Sanjana fetches drinking water from far for the family and then dresses up for school, as Sanjana stays in Virwadi and goes school to Du:malpur which is 4-5 kms away from home has to walk all the way to meet her thirst for learning thus Sanjana decide to drop out from the school and discontinued. Gram vikas trust promoting girl child education identified and intervened in the matter and provided bicycle to Sanjana as she can save the walking time to reach school and fulfill her task at home at the same time with more energy and positivity. Sanjana now reaches school on time and her performance in studies is excelling day by day, being a bright students Sanjana helps her classmates to learn new things and lives happily.