rush monthly reports

Report of the rush-CEF/OSA for the month of December 2007

Overcoming the limitations
Start trouble trouble so trouble cannot trouble you.
Needs grow into problems and problems lead to intolerance then conflict reigns; managing the conflict does not mean controlling people but ventilating them to surface their demand. Protest can be in the form of allegations of verbal or written statements, demonstration, demands, cracking the fiber of democratic linen the policy of a nation wears. Worldwide democratic movements turn to bloody coup and mass disturbances, which is not a healthy citizenry practice. We are missing the norm of democracy there. People should have patience for democracy consumes more time for a change. And it is a long drawn political premise in resolution of conflict management. Need has to be grounded as a conflict of any form and leadership goes to anybody concerned to the cause. It is not true that leaders are a special genesis who to be awaited for a change rather the leader remains within. National economy is the chair on which Democracy sits. People of Poorest nations have an illusion comparing democracy with anarchy and then we forget our power to change.
(Statement out of perception)

Tracking the primary education has become an uninterrupted action after the program has been deep rooted into the community life. The geographical barriers will be there as the program was implemented by choice not as an accident. Geographical factors keeps the community separated and each cluster have a different behaviour. Economically the bondage mean that they are fishermen who are a different genome neither match with the marine fishermen nor the fresh water fisher folk rather hybridization of both the genesis. Once upon a time they were coastal nomads and identified as migrants and now anthropologically a refined genome of the two. They are the fishermen fit for the calm lake CHILKA. The past prosperity was looted by middlemen who bought the perishable products fish and prawn, then came the country-liquor vendors made them slaves of consumerism. In the mean time the livelihoods are restricted and opportunity of development is distorted. These Opportunistic disturbances did not let them grow civilized but made a tribe identified by their economic cannibalism. Each one has become a barrier of common development and they are neglected. Exploitations are remote controlled by big mafia around, the costal forest; the lake fishery, the vote bank and the rest of the glittering things are occupied. Political overtone in every aspect of development seems to be decentralization of power equitably but in particular it is nothing but proletariatising of corruption. Let it be but quality of life will be questioned in each move in the community.

Community though benefited from the education camps they demand more from the camp teachers. The short term teachers are running the sanpatna UGUP school become a part of the government school functioning. They do not believe the political process to bring in more staff rather thinking of how to sustain these teachers who played a pivotal role in upgrade the children in the making of nomads. Absence of the bridge camp teachers in school resulted in low attendance of pupil and the VRCC continue asking for help. The OSA-CEF campaign derived a benefit appointment of 147 SSA teachers for the same block, but there are back door policies in snatching all of them to other GP. Political process to draw more SSA teachers for the primary schools in the GP resulted in allotment of just 3 SSA teachers. It is also a fact that children of all other GPs of the Block at the CHILKA bay are deprived of education as a very neglected link and communication is possible. Process planning for more EGS schools for adolescent girls are on the cards as the teachers are forced into the segment of adolescent girls who were already drop out and engaged in mapping their future in a childhood marriage. The OSA took half the target and benefit is achieved where there is more need of teachers. Some teachers are engaged in training on the Sanjukta for barefoot teachers working within the community. It was observed that the skill of teaching must be upgraded so that they will continue in community when the project will be windup.

Child resource center in Arakhkuda UGUP is not just a declaration but the whole community is motivated to change the old infrastructure. The VEC is able to motivate the stakeholders in making the science club for the Block in the above school. This is a competitive movement also against the declaration of model school of OSA initiatives. The mid-day meal though an impediment for the single teacher there the community is planning to invite Akhaya Patra provision into the GP in a hope that the task can be shifted from the teaching staff and children can get a square meal without toiling in the lake. Moreover the parents started restricting their children to refrain from fishing during school hours. The literate few are praising the quality education and become a pressure group in the movement.

Sanpatna UGUP School is led by one staff who is the teacher- cum HM-cum VRCC cum Peon of the school. He protested inclusion of camp teachers teaching in the school, in the first instance now the intruding teachers from OSA occupy his territory. The VRCC can easily present his capacity how he is able to hike the quality of his children. Sometimes the teachers in groups are screening the community for the new dropouts and remain in the islets to bring them inside the camp; at that time the VRCC feels the need of staff input extended to the UGUP SCHOOL.

EMPHASISING CHILD RIGHTS:
OSA/CEF tried its level best to incorporate the four fundamental rights i.e. survival, protection, participation and development to be replicated in the program on education. Right to education comes from the fundamental right to development. Here the right to participation in the decision making process have started through children clubs initiated by some of the teachers. To make the education pleasant rush/osa implements puppet theatre through its child right cell.
PUPPET ACTORS IN OSA



Children are also involved in the IEC of mass mobilization teams presenting street play in the theme of education-governance.
Disability and education:
The dist OSA chapter started receiving comments from the camp on how to manage the children with disability because the array of disability is too big and needs special teachers, communication and learning aid. Some of the children with mild disabilities use to perform better in the bridge camp so the parents are anxious to make the schools accessible. During the next Panchayat election they are demanding their candidates to contribute the ramp, as it is urgent for a group of disabled children.



Health and education:
It is usual that the remote GP is facing severe water and sanitation problem, the brackish water causes skin diseases and children use to face recurrent dermatitis. The health center is absent where as people get them admitted in the far-flung health center at Bramhagiri. This is no doubt a hindering factor for education.

Migrants of economic capitals
The project registers a couple of trafficking cases in women and children who were transported by the local contractors to different places. Contrary to the behaviour of adolescents and girls in education front they are progressive in moving for work hence trafficked. It indicates an option of integrated approach in the settlement taking the livelihood issues at the focus.

Environment building
Some camp teachers opine that they are involving children in building the hygiene in and around. They call it as learning, which is most essential for the fishermen habitats. It can be acquired as a habit since childhood.





Integration of other programs:
The PRI members of arakhkuda GP were invited to attend a resource training on Anti-trafficking activity and HR Defense actions in NCDC bhubaneswar being organized by the CACT state forum, the problem relating to trafficking of minors and women in the GP was however a negative indicator of education initiatives taken by OSA.
Similarly the PRI and select teachers were invited to join the CACL campaign to stop child employment in hazardous sectors and discussed over the recent legislation on the issue. The participants indicated to solve mass employment of children by using the legislation and filing litigations to restore/retain children in the school instead of join in fishing profession.

Mass mobilization
Dated 8, 9, 23, 26 of Dec were utilized in the mass mobilization through the core group, vec, MTA, PTA and preparatory activities were conducted For The Upcoming P R Elections.
Meetings


Visits
The National level REFLECT TEAM of action aid was the scion visitor into a destination Dhalabali to conduct interactive PROGRAM LIKE PLA for duration of one day.

Cacl state coordinator paid visits twice to monitor the operation at the base camps. The project partner of the dist OSA also visited the camps to se implementation of MIS given in the action plan.

Case studies.

Teaching the children with disability a teacher’s experience

A teacher Mr. Charan Behera who got the post of SSA teacher in the block mentioned his action in the inclusion process. In his study he mentioned about the ground problems in handling these categories of children.
He mentioned his toil to bring the child from the settlement and pledged special focus on the said child. Finally he believes that OSA will achieve success if some special teachers will be arranged for them. Now he thinks of the school accessibility concept and dealing with the main stakes of the block in making the school accessible.


To,
Mr Ambika Prasad Nanda.
Action Aid
331-A- Sahid Nagar
Bhubaneswar