2004-4

New Delhi - October - December 2004
REACHing Further
In September 2004, another feather
was added to Deepalaya’s cap. REACH India/USAID approved
a project to build the cpacity of non-governmental organisations
educating children. Under the programme, Deepalaya will work
with six NGOs in different parts of Delhi. Our role will be
to facilitate the identification, enrolment and mainstreaming
of ‘out-of-school children’ in their respective
locations.
According
to a survey conducted by the Directorate of
Education, Delhi (August 2003), there are
over one lakh (100,000) children in the age
group of 6 to 14 years who are out of school.
The goal is to mainstream at least three thousand
of them by August 2007.
In March 2004, REACH India called in applications from NGO’s
in Delhi. Over the past 25 years, Deepalaya has gained considerable
grassroots expertise in educating under- privileged children.
Hence we thought it fit to bid for being a capacity building
as opposed to an implementing NGO. Deepalaya underwent a rigorous
selection process, involving participation in several meetings
and several revisions of its proposal. Thanks to the credentials
and commitment of Deepalaya, we have been selected out of
about 30 NGOs which were being considered by REACH India.

The proposal involves a budget of Rs.1.72 crores for a period
of 35 months from October 2004 to August 2007. 77% of this
amount is for supporting the NGO’s identified by Deepalaya
and approved by REACH India. The rest is to meet the cost
of the various capacity building programmes and the costs
of monitoring, guiding and evaluating the programmes run by
the identified NGO’s.
Deepalaya has short-listed six NGOs currently under consideration
by REACH India. Once selected, each of these organisations
will be expected to identify, enroll and mainstream at least
500 out-of- school children by August 2007. In order to enable
them to accomplish this, Deepalaya will not only administer
the required financial support but also render assistance
through various capacity building programmes designed to impart
or enhance skills in identifying, educating and mainstreaming
underprivileged children as well as ensure sustainability
of such a programme. Constant counseling and guidance will
be an important component of the capacity building support.
Deepalaya will, no doubt, be the “friend, philosopher
and guide” to these NGOs. In this process, we will reach
even those children who are beyond our reach.
Bitten by the Bug
Preventive
health is one of Deepalaya’s major
concerns. But THIS was one fever we were not
able to save our children from. And the attack
was quite severe. It did not confine them
to bed, it sent them running to the field….
the cricket field!! Yes, it was the CRICKET
FEVER which had them in their grip.

In
November, the Charities Aid Foundation coordinated a cricket
match aptly named ‘A Different Pitch’. The event
was sponsored by Hughes Escorts Communications, Coca Cola
and Domino’s Pizza in collaboration with indianngos.com.
and the agenda was fundraising in a funfilled atmosphere.

The
teams involved representatives from the corporate world and
the media. Indianngos.com recommended Deepalaya as one of
the beneficiary NGO’s. The audience comprising children
and staff from the organiations left no stone unturned in
cheering their respective teams.
Deepalaya’s
team, Media XI, won and raised Rs. 21,000/- .
Thank
you indianngos.com and CAF for this innovative and exciting
opportunity.
In
December, the Deepalaya team from the Gole Kuan project played
against Ballarpur Industries Ltd. The match was coordinated
by Youthreach. We did not win this match
but we bowled the opponents over with our team spirit and
enthusiasm! According to Mr Chiranjeev Singh, General Manager
BILT “the cricket match represented a platform for the
Deepalaya children to showcase their playing skills and prowess.
Matches like these will challenge our employees to do more
for society in many other areas they can contribute to”.

Alumni In The Spotlight

I am Rajesh (20), working as a sales executive with Times
Multimedia. I am also pursuing a degree through correspondence
at Delhi University. My father works as a gardener and my
mother is a housewife. My elder brother works in a callcentre
and my younger sister is in college. We have all studied at
Deepalaya, which is what has helped us get to where we are
today. It is the guidance and encouragement that my teachers
gave me which led me to take up this job. I remember how my
principal and teachers pushed us to speak in English. The
equal stress on extra-curricular activities is perhaps what
I enjoyed the most. And it helped build our confidence. And
the most treasured moment of my life happened thanks to Deepalaya
- a meeting with the President of India H.E. Dr. A.P.J. Kalam!
I am thankful to Deepalaya and my sponsor parent Mr M. L.
Dewan for giving me a firm foundation in life. May many more
needy children benefit from your support.

The
Foundation Children of Tommorrow, Netherlands made a very
generous contribution of a 22-seater bus, specially designed
for our very special children. Fitted with a manual lift,
the bus is easy for children with physical disabilities to
board. With access to this facility, many of our disabled
children are now much more mobile and enjoy an easier ride
to school and many other places. An easy-to-board bus means
an easy-to-go-places lifestyle!
A Pat on the Back
In November 2004, Goyela village (in the Mewat district
of rural Haryana) was declared an 'Ideal Village'. The selection
was based on a wide range of criteria including the functioning
of the panchayat, (local administration unit) the provision
of water and electricity, the condition of roads, the level
of sanitation in the village, the state of agriculture, and
income and cooperation levels of villagers. Deepalaya has
been recognised for contributing to the development of the
village and its inhabitants.
An eight year long project focussing on training women's self-help
groups in Mewat also came to an end in December 2004. When
officials of the Haryana Government, the sponsors of the project,
visited the villages to see the activities undertaken by Deepalaya,
their representatives said they "were simply impressed". They
were happy to see that the project had reached sustainability
and added: "the Commissioner has worked with a number of NGOs,
but none like Deepalaya"! These recognitions further boost
our spirits to reach out to many more such areas. It gives
us much satisfaction to note that our efforts in Mewat are
paying off. And the villages in which we have been working
are indeed developing in the right direction.
Special Networking
Deepalaya
is currently taking the initiative to form a grassroots level
advocacy network for the ‘Rights of Disabled’.
Although the Indian government has made legal provisions for
equal opportunities through the PWD Act-95, the reality for
people with disabilities remains dismal.
Far
less than half of this population are participating in the
labour force, much fewer when it comes to women. And accessibility
to public places is nearly unheard of. Fortunately India has
good advocacy networks at the national level, but is lacking
the same at the grassroots level. This is where Deepalaya
hopes to make a difference by building a network of grassroots
NGOs working on these issues which can formulate joint plans
of actions, generate resources and share expertise.
For
the past seven years, Deepalaya has been actively participating
in advocacy networks with community involvement in Delhi.
We have now initiated similar actions in the states of Jharkand,
Chattisgarh and Uttaranchal. This is happening in collaboration
with NGO’s in the area. Over the next few years we shall
be focussing on these efforts.
Talents Galore

In
December ’04, students from Deepalaya School, Sanjay
Colony participated in an NGO mela, organised by the YMCA.

They participated in many competitions and came out with flying
colours! The first prize in Group Dance and the first and
second prizes in Solo Dance,went to Deepalaya. The dance performances
were highly appreciated for the maturity of their presentation
and high standard.
The children also bagged the second and third prizes in the
drawing competition. Well done dear children. We are proud
of you!

Together in Grief
In light of the disaster which recently struck South
Asia, Deepalaya employees have contributed a day's salary
towards the tsunami relief work. The annual staff picnic was
also called off and the funds earmarked for the same were
pitched in. The most important contribution however came from
the children who together raised Rs. 4,060/-!
In all Deepalaya made a total collection of Rs.1,12,156/-.
Along with the cheque went a prayer to the Lord Almighty to
give the afflicted all courage to bear with the loss and reconstruct
their shattered lives.
Continued Support
The Associated Merchandising Corporation has been
supporting Deepalaya’s girl child education programme
over the last year. Initially committed for a year, they have
now decided to continue their support for another year. Last
year Deepalaya was one of the nine applicants selected for
AMC’s first international grant. In response to our
achievements and accountability, they are standing by us for
another year.
Going, going GONE!
General Electronics (GE) Countrywide recently produced
a calendar with the drawings of children from various NGOs.
July and December pictures are by Deepalaya children - Meena
and Komal from Sanjay Colony. Not only were the pictures selected
for the calendar, but they were also auctioned at the launch
of the calendar and sold for an astronomical sum of Rs. 1.5
lakh to the benefit of Deepalaya's projects. THANK YOU GE...we
look forward to your encouraging support.
Facts of Life
"Kuch Khathi Meethi Baatein", a book on adolescent
concerns, has been brought out by Deepalaya. The sixteen pager
covers issues related to adolescence such as menstruation,
masturbation, responsible sexual behaviour, RTI's and STI's.
It also gives information on NGO's providing counselling services
on reproductive health.
The book has been produced with the support of Positive Steps,
an organisation committed to promoting adolescent wellbeing.
This is a 'must read' for all passing through this crucial
phase of life. To get a copy, please see contact details overleaf.

Successfully Placed!
For Dolly and Rabiya in South Delhi, the New Year
rang in with hope. The two 18-year old students of the Special
Unit have recently secured employment in the garment industry
at a monthly salary of Rs. 2,000/-. Both girls received primary
education as well as vocational training at Deepalaya.
Dolly
who is hearing impaired has also been given hearing aids as
well as a contribution of Rs. 20,000/- for the reconstruction
of her home and family shop after a gas leak that occurred
in June 2004. Rabiya is physically disabled. Now both the
girls have a different future to look towards. Our best wishes
continue to be with them. Deepalaya extends its sincere gratitude
to IMC Garments for giving them this opportunity.
On the Run
16th January 2005 was a relaxing Sunday for most of
us. But not for Mr T.K. Mathew, Secretary and CEO of Deepalaya.
For on that day he participated in the Standard Chartered
Mumbai Marathon.
Registered as a 'Dream Team', Deepalaya had committed to raise
at least one lakh to participate in the marathon. Mr Mathew,
a dream fundraiser as well as a dream runner it turns out,
raised a whopping eight lakh. And this will of course go towards
rehabilitating many more street children. Three cheers for
Mr Mathew and all the supporters who made this possible!
Did You Know...
Childline is a 24-hour phone service for children
in need. Runaway children, children in difficulties or anyone
who is witnessing a chid's abuse or harassment can call 1098
to receive help. If you see any child in distress don't hesitate
to call. All calls will be connected to one of the nearest
5 NGO's each situated in North, West, South, Central and East
Delhi who run Childline. This service is also available in
other cities.
Letter To The Editor
In October 2004, I came to India to volunteer at Deepalaya.
I started to teach English and Mathematics at the Deepalaya
School in Kalkaji Extension. Through my ineractions with the
children, I learnt Hindi and came to know about their backgrounds,
needs and wishes. Despite their deprived backgrounds, they
are eager to learn and are full of aspirations. I also support
the older students in the school choir. Whenever there is
time I teach the children songs as all of them yearn for unknown
things to discover and learn.

Besides my work with the children I am involved in various
other projects at Deepalaya. And the environment is so encouraging…even
though I am just 19 years old, all staff members help me to
make use of all my skills and listen to my ideas. And this
is the same encouragement that the children are receiving.
Their future is definitely in safe hands.

Through this association, I am also gaining precious experience
for my studies at university. The feedback from the children
and the people working in Deepalaya are always pushing me
to do more. And that I will till I leave in a few months’
time.
Anna Mirjam auf dem Brinke- a student
volunteer from Germany