GRABUU supports a number of educational projects of Nayantara’s Supportive Educational program (SEP). More than 350 children of class I to X are enrolled in this program. These children who come from the local tribal community regularly attend the government run schools. But the quality of education imparted in these schools is extremely poor. In order to elevate the quality Nayantara Trust had started the Supportive Educational Program in 2008. Presently, there are 8 study centers spread out over 12 villages. The children come to these centers from the nearby villages and attend the SEP classes for two hours before or after their regular school hours. The teachers of the SEP program travel to these study centers and teach the following three subjects , Math, English and Bengali according to the syllabus developed by Nayantara Trust.
The SEP used to be supported by Jamsetji Tata Trust, but they discontinued the funding in 2016 GRABUU picked up the tab. GRABUU is deeply involved in SEP’s educational projects like, adopting the activity based and interactive teaching method, setting up computer center for basic computer training, creating “Education Lab and Library”, increasing the “teacher-student contact” hours and providing meals in some cases,-building new study centers in the villages, arranging English Teachers’ training program, installing solar lighting in the study centers for evening classes, etc. The budget to fund such projects are Rs.774,000 ($11,215.00). Here are some of the projects:
- One Extra Day per week for “No Child Left Behind”
- Weekend classes for class VIII – 24 students
- Food for Class Program which enables one extra hour of class for Class VI to X Students in lieu of Meal before going to school
- “A Teacher’s day in an English class”/ English Teachers’ Training Program
- Concept-based Math and Science Teaching Program
- Computer training to develop skill in the following applications for the students of Class VII to X:
Scholarship for Nurses’ Assistant (Sahayika Sevika) Training
Scholarships are awarded to the girls of the local tribal community who have completed ten years of schooling and are qualified to undergo training in a hospital called “Matri Bhawan” run by Ramkrishna-Sarada Mission, Kolkata. This has been a very successful program. Over the last few years after the completion of the training 14 of 29 girls had jobs in the same hospital and thus helping them transitioning from stagnant poverty-stricken life to a financially independent professional one. The rest are working in different hospitals in Kolkata and the districts.