Setu Charitable Trust


A note from the founder of setu teen chapter - vedant tiwary



Setu Teen Chapter - volunteering opprtunities



I am a junior (11th Grade) in High School in North Carolina, US and founder of the Setu Teen Chapter. The mission of my organization is to empower teens with values of leadership, responsibility, discipline and desire for community service. I have been very closely associated with Setu, since a long time and have participated in some of the community activities, like the village marathon, health camps conducted for the street children in Mumbai and so on. My purpose to start the Setu Teen Chapter, is to sensitize my friends and other teens on social issues and like I have experienced in the US, I want this to be a gateway for teenagers to get involved and get first-hand experience working with an NGO. You will find summer programs that you can sign up for, crowd funding opportunities for projects that you can participate in and also get a chance to visit one of the Setu sites in Maharashtra, U.P and experience a day in the life of a social worker on the field. Look forward for such opportunities.


CONTACT

teen project -prayaas





Contact: vedanttiwary2014@gmail.com



TEEN VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS


Seeking support for a local project lead

Supervisor for every 5 children supported to report progress back to the project lead

Someone good in Excel to create an Information database to input progress and publish report on the children.

Fundraising for the project


Geographical Area of Implementation: Parbhani town in Maharashtra, India


Children Covered: 50


What concerns the project seeks to address?


A baseline survey conducted at Parbhani, a town in Maharashtra, indicates that there were nearly 500 households at the outskirts of the town which has no preparatory school facility for the children in the age group of 3 to 5 years. Most of the families live in poverty having an income of less than Rs. 30000 ($450) per year. The children remain neglected as their parents spend most of their time in search of jobs as casual laborers.


Being poor they are unable to arrange for schooling of their children who also suffer from malnourishment and related ailments. We have selected 50 children from among the poorest family in Parbhani. The name of the children with their social profile is available.


GOALS & OBJECTIVES


Provide nutritious mid-day meal to the children at the creche and ensure that they do not suffer from malnourishment


Prepare the children for admission to regular schools after a year of stay at the creche Provide medical aid to the children at the creche suffering from ailment


Make each child at the creche sensitive to the environment Inculcate sense of hygiene and sanitation


BUDGET: Rs.5,25,000 (INR)/ $7500


PROJECT EXECUTION


Need to create an information system for the progress of the project. The expenditure on various items, the quality of midday meal and the progress in health and hygiene parameters, sensitivity of children to environmental issues etc., will be evaluated based on online submission by the Project leader. The project leader will be required to visit Parbhani town for a review of the project


FUNDRAISING


The total expenditure of the project works out to Rs. 525000 or $7500. A donor may support expenditure on a child by donating $120 for annual maintenance or in multiples of $11 for maintenance for a certain number of months. The biodata of the child being supported by the donor will be shared with her. A monthly report on the progress of each child will be provided to you.



TEEN MUMBAI PROJECT - BALWADI IN BHIWANDI, MUMBAI





contact: vedanttiwary2014@gmail.com



BACKGROUND


The Quresh (people working in slaughter houses) community is among the most backward social groups. The income level of the members of the community is very low, with most falling within the ‘Below Poverty Lines’ limit. Literacy rate is less than 40% with literacy among women being less than 20%. The number of never enrolled and out of school children is very high, indicating that educating their wards does not constitute priority for the families. The number of children in families is usually large being more than 4 and the community believes that it is advisable to have more children as they will be an asset in generation of income for the family. Children go out to work at a very early age with most of them being employed in illegal slaughter houses. The children are socially ostracized and are perceived as violent, unruly and cruel. Through Balwadi and class room intervention, the project would endeavor for social inclusion of the children and mainstreaming them as regular students in schools. After a series of meetings Setu Trust has been able to convince the community to give equal treatment to girls and defer their marriage till they become responsible to take care of their family. As a step in this direction Setu Charitable Trust proposes to start adult literacy plus skill development course for adolescent girls who have dropped out of schools. 120 such girls have been identified. The girls will be taught regular curriculum of subjects prescribed in the school so that they can complete 10th grade education.


PROJECT DETAILS


There are 93 children in the age group of up to 6 years and 14 years among the members of Quresh community and neighboring households around the slaughter house, in Bhiwandi town adopted by Setu. The program comprises of joyful learning, mid-day meal, regular health check, distribution of medicines to sick children, inculcating moral values and social norms etc. Inclusion of mid-day meal has greatly helped in checking malnutrition among the children. All the children have shown gain in weight and height. Children have acquired academic proficiency and those in municipal Schools are making satisfactory progress. The children are well groomed and stand out with their neat turnout at the school. There are 88 children for Special Classes for children in the age group 7 to 14 years. This is necessary because due to lack of proper facilities, there is a large drop out among these students in the area. Efforts are made to engage them in tutorial classes and enroll them in schools. There are 60 girls in vocational tailoring courses of the age group of 12 to 18 years. These girls are provided facility of vocational training, sensitization about problems of adolescent age and special coaching to equip them to appear at the board exams


EXTENDED PROGRAM STRATEGY


Through our base line survey, 241 children and have been identified. Their weight and height needs to be recorded as soon they join the balwadis. They will be under regular care of qualified doctors from civil hospitals. Children will be supplied nutritious mid-day meal. This would supplement their food and help in increase of their height and weight which will be recorded at end of every month. The sick children will be treated by doctors. They will be attended by well trained teachers in the organization who will engage the children in joyful learning for 4 hours every day. Teaching material play material etc. will be available to them. They will be taught importance of value of education and sensitivity towards environment. There will be regular inspection through the year by Setu Trust staff. The eligible children will be admitted under private or municipal schools. Record of their academic progress in the school will be maintained. Special coaching will be provided, where academic difficulties are tackled by teachers, thus creating a support system where the kids can excel in education.


PROJECT GOALS


Mainstreaming of all the children passing out from the balwadis in regular schools. 2. Well run balwadis with emphasis on personal hygiene, health, sanitation and 3. environmental concerns. 4. Healthy children with weight commensurate to their age. 5. No child will be subjected to suffering from diseases, illness etc. due to 6. malnutrition, insanitation and poor hygiene.


TEEN VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS


1. - Teens in Mumbai who can support the program with frequent visits to the balwadis

2. - Creating monthly reports including academic progress and health and hygiene conditions including weight and managing of any health condition identified during the process.

3. - Need 1 program lead, 2 project monitors, volunteer peer – educators

4. - School supplies, vitamin supplements and any other grooming supplies



TEEN SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT - VILLAGE TANK REVIVAL





Contact: vedanttiwary2014@gmail.com



BACKGROUND


This project is for desilting and construction of an embankment around village tank in a remote village in, Uttar Pradesh India. I visited the village in July of 2017, for a marathon that gets aspiring athletes and young students in and around the village. This is an annual event organized by Setu. I was appalled to see some children run the 5-mile race without shoes and was struck by the level of poverty and opportunity to help.


Geographical area of Implementation: Village Dharmer, District: Deoria, State - Uttar Pradesh, India



Project Duration and Cost: The Sustainability project for Desilting and construction of embankment around village tank will be completed over a period of 1 and half year starting in Q1, 2020 and is estimated to cost ~$50K


WHAT CONCERNS THE PROJECT SEEKS TO ADDRESS


A village tank is situated at the junction of three villages, Dharmer, Isaroo and Jiraso in Deoria, U.P. The tank has served for several decades as water source for irrigation and drinking water for cattle, animals, birds etc. It draws several birds all-round the year as there is no other tank or habitat for migratory birds in the vicinity. The tank is spread over an area of nearly 3 hectares and was surrounded by trees and shrubs. However, because of neglect and lack of maintenance, the tank has silted, and water does not accumulate as the ground level of the tank has gone up. Part of the tank at periphery has risen to the level of surrounding fields prompting several cultivators to encroach on these lands. The tank now bears a desolate look and birds have stopped visiting the place and irrigation activity has come to a halt. The problem of encroachment was recently brought to the notice of district authorities. Consequently, the tank boundaries have been demarcated and the encroachment has been removed. The authorities have urged Setu to help in restoring the tank now in ruins to its original position so that it serves the need of irrigation and drinking water. Setu is engaged in projects of rural reconstruction and is eager to support the villagers by taking up the work of desilting and beautification of the tank. It is a matter of concern that all the traditional water sources in villages have dried up because of neglect over the years. The village tank used to be the main assembly place for villagers, serving as a place for bathing and recreation, besides also serving as an irrigation source and source for drinking water for animals and birds. The tank had helped in creation of a green belt along the periphery. The area now presents a barren look and is in urgent need for restoration.


PROJECT DETAILS


It is intended to excavate soil up to further 3 ft. depth and use the excavated soil for construction of embankment of the tank. It is also intended to take up extensive tree plantation along the bund and flat areas beyond the tank boundary. Earth movers, bulldozers etc. will be used during excavation and carriage of soil for constructing the embankment. It is hoped that the tank will be restored to its original state and once again serve as source of recreation for villagers specially children and the old and irrigation of 3 villages.