Overview:
This three-year project will fund an established government-accredited primary school in a snake charmers’ community of some 400 families. Before this project started, children in this community did not attend school but rather begged, stole and picked rags with their parents in order to feed themselves. The school has grown to accommodate a larger number of students and teachers with the construction of a slab and erection of a permanent tent for schooling and vocational training. Women will be provided with tailoring skills and self-help group membership, while both men and women will receive income generation skills training. Medical care and counselling will also be available for 250 women and children and 100 men.
Why support this:
The men in this community are the real drivers behind this project. They sourced the land for the school and the community leader was determined to ensure that all children attended class and that women are given vocational training. We love the passion of these men to improve the lives of their families. We appreciate our partners thoroughness in planning from the beginning to register the school with the government, and to achieve financial sustainability.
Budget: $22,000
The total budget over three years is $66,000 ($22,000 per year). This will provide for teacher salaries, school transportation, and school uniforms, books and running costs for an increased number of students.
The Need:
Snake charmers are members of the dalits, the untouchables, and live an extremely poor life. Now that snake charming is illegal, their main source of income has been shut off, further increasing their poverty. The children from the community are not welcome at other schools, nor can they afford the fees, so they spend their days just wandering around on the street. Without an education they have no chance to break the chains of inter-generational poverty.
Expected Life Change:
