Help our work with education in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, India

  • Favourited 139 times
  • Last activity: 22 Feb 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: 1 month or more

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    My name is Priya. I am the co-founder of this Education and Welfare Society. We run a school for tribal children in Mohgaon block of Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh. Both of us were earlier working with a large non-profit active in 7 states of India. We worked in spheres of youth employability and were focused on mobilizing youth and providing them an orientation training and then placing them in jobs in cities. In the course of this work, we realized that the actual gaps were much more fundamental and basic – the entire skilling and vocational training sector was actually doing band aid work. Many of these youth would invariably return to their villages, since they were unable to learn on the job or had aspirations that were incompatible with their ability. We therefore, turned their attention to education and specifically schooling that crystallized into this school.

    Our school started in June 2016 with 90 children from 3.5 years to 9 years of age – we have classes but the system with respect to learning is flexible. Many of the children are first generation learners and almost all of them travel a distance of 8-10 km everyday to come to school. Based on our work in the last 3 years, we identified the cultural capital of the children here. We realized that children from the Gond and Baiga tribes that are the majority here are very good at sports and making things with their hands. In fact, they help their families in constructing their own mud houses!

    We have two programs other than the school that work on this cultural capital: a very vibrant sports program that we conduct in the villages and a robotics program to teach tribal children to solve problems using robotics and AI.

    We are specifically looking for an English teacher to start in April 2020. This is a paid position and we are happy to discuss this further if this is of interest.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Charity Work
    Art Projects
    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Teaching
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Mandla district of MP is a forest area inhabited by Gond and Baiga tribes. There is much to learn by studying their culture and customs. In addition, India's premier tiger reserve, Kanha is just 70 km away from the school. The program is likely to sensitize volunteers to the lives of tribal communities that we work in, their daily routines and provide them an opportunity to participate in a tribal wedding or help maneuver a particular kind of boat that people in these parts use or bathe in the river. For a student of social development and anthropology, there is much to learn. Verrier Elwin, the famous anthropologist has written several books about Mandla and the neighboring district, Dindori.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

    This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

  • Help

    Help

    We are actively seeking dedicated individuals interested in long-term volunteer commitments (a minimum of 3 months) to contribute to our initiatives in the following areas:

    Coding Education: Share your expertise in programming languages such as Python and Scratch to teach and empower our children with valuable coding skills.

    Farming/Hydroponics: Help us explore innovative farming techniques and hydroponic methods to enhance agricultural sustainability and food security in our community.

    Yoga Instruction: Guide our community towards holistic well-being by offering yoga classes, promoting physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual balance.

    Photography/Filmography: Capture and tell the inspiring stories of our community through the lens of photography and film, helping to document our journey and raise awareness.

    If you are passionate about making a meaningful difference and have skills in any of these areas, we welcome you to join us in our mission

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Hindi: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Single room with attached toilet. In some cases, the toilet may be outside the room but it will be a pucca structure.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    In their time off, volunteers can go for short trips and hikes in the nearby villages. They can go stay in village homes and get a taste of rural life and food. Local sights include Kanha Tiger Reserve, several forts and ruins from the Gond empire, several ghats of the Narmada River, the origin of the Narmada river, etc. There are private buses that ply regularly and can be used to travel around. We will also be happy to assist at times with travel. One of us is always in Mohgaon so we will be happy to assist with whatever is required. While you get most things in Mandla, for a few things (such as to watch a Hindi movie) you may need to go to Jabalpur, a city almost 3 hours away by road.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    Yes, we can.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    Yes, we can. Pets safe for children like dogs and cats.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

  • ...

    This host charges a fee

    read more
    Rs 100 ($1.5 USD) a day contribution towards food
Host ref number: 722772894867

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