Educate Girl Child
ISW started its programme on “Educate the Girl Child” to address the two social problems pertaining to Gender Inequality that persisted in areas where the Organization worked. The first aim was to bring an end to child marriages in the locality and the second aim was to support the girl child in continuing the formal education; thereby preventing the girls from being the eventual drop outs. ISW decided to harness the social mobility of the gender discourse of the regions where it worked. The Organization believes in SDG Goal No.5 that speaks of Gender Equality. Education, being the pillar of strength for any qualitative growth of population is an important agenda for ISW’s development model.
Keeping this in mind, ISW runs its projects in various centers. The work pertaining to the same elaborated below;
Chella (Birbhum District, West Bengal)
ISW runs an education project for adolescent girls where the coaching is provided to the female students from Grade 6 to Grade 12. This helps the girls to complete their formal education upto Grade 12. Along with free coaching, ISW provides scholarships to these girls so that they complete their studies without being dependent on their families.
Khidderpore (Kolkata Slum, West Bengal)
In Khidderpore slum area, ISW runs its coaching center as well as vocational center for girls and women. Coaching is provided to the students to support their regular learning at formal school. Vocational training like Tailoring is provided to the young women so that they can find employment after the completion of training.
Purbapalli (Shantiniketan, West Bengal)
In Purbapalli area of Shantiniketan, ISW runs a coaching center for children who resides beside the railway tracks. The children are aged from 7 years to 14 years and study in formal school. ISW provides coaching as well as scholarship to these children to prevent drop-outs and also serve healthy tiffin to take care of their nutritional needs.
Barasat (North 24 Parganas, West Bengal)
In Barasat Project area, ISW runs regular foundation classes for students of Nursery classes and prepare them to be grade ready for formal education. Besides, lunch is also provided to these children as their parents are mostly vegetable vendors or work as domestic helps in people’s houses.
In the same premises, coaching is imparted to the regular school students from Grade 1 to Grade 10, during the evening so that they can cope up with their studies. The coaching is exclusively provided to those who cannot afford to take high priced coaching. If needed, scholarships are also provided to those students who are unable to afford their regular formal schooling.
The teachers of ISW also extends their services in imparting education to nearby community children especially those whose parents work in brick kiln area.