Kandhamal district is predominately dominated by Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste communities. It is observed that most of the parents are not in favor of education especially for the girls.
The dropout rates are also higher in upper primary level. The reasons for dropout are, poverty, inaccessibility of good educational institutions, absence of nursery schools, lack of awareness on advantage and utility of education, insufficient infrastructural facilities and teaching aids, lack of good number of qualified and committed teachers and local culture and tradition. Mostly, the dropout students and youth are forced to migrate to other cities and indulge either in unsocial activists or get trafficked.
Jana Vikas reflected and considered the need of intensive intervention in educational sector. The Organization has taken an initiative to identify drop out students of the schools from the poor and marginalized families who were aspiring to pursue education but had to quit due to lack of finance. These vulnerable students were brought to the premises of Jana Vikas office and provided with free lodging and boarding facilities for three consistent months. They were taught the subject matter thoroughly, given career guidance and accorded with moral teachings to grow with good personality trait, confidence and dignity. Success achieved by the students impelled us to initiate coaching classes for students of primary schools at village level to improve at foundation level.
Besides, the students are encouraged to learn Kui language (Mother tongue) through essay, debate and song competitions in the schools, which helps them to assimilate course subject intelligibly. This method helped the students in reducing the timid characteristic and open up to speak confidently in public.
The schools with dormant management committees (SMC) were sensitized and trained to understand the importance of education for their children. Thereby, these committees have begun to monitor distribution of mid day meal, course books, uniform and also raised the concern to improve curriculum for providing quality education and to access school buildings.
Workshops were conducted in the schools with the students and teacher on human trafficking, child rights, and child abuses. Hand-holding supports were provided to use toll free phone number of child line and student help line for support and security.
Government of India completed construction of two hostels with 100 beds for the minority girls in two minority concentrated blocks namely, Daringbadi and Kotagarh in the year 2015. The hostels were lying vacant since last two years. Lobby with the local administration helped to release the funds and enrollment of students to pursue free boarding education.
