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Summary: NewsletterOverseas news
Society for Integrated Development of the Himalaya (SIDH)
Construction of the new SIDH Learning and Resource Centre in Mussoorie,
India, is now well under way (see picture). The centre will increase
physical capacity, enabling SIDH to reach much larger numbers of students,
teachers, employers and community members - both locally and nationally.
By giving SIDH the facility to conduct larger-scale training, the centre will
provide a unique opportunity to disseminate education best practice and
ensure the future sustainability of SIDH programmes. The centre will be
available for hire to other organisations, as well as hosting Hindi language
classes for overseas students and researchers. Documents, publications
and educational resource materials will also be available for purchase.
Khoj Alternative Education Programme
Thanks to a variety of sources, we have now secured full funding for the
next year for a project run by our partner, Khoj, to support more than 300
street children in Ghaziabad near Lahore, Pakistan. Khoj (which
means 'discovery' in Urdu) practice an innovative approach to teaching
methodology and training and emphasize practical skills, including IT, which
further students' chances of meaningful employment. We are also
delighted that the SRSP Community School project (see below) is adopting
the Khoj methodology for teacher training - a great example of leveraging
between projects!
Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP)
A new three-year LfL project with SRSP has been made possible by a grant
from the Community Fund. SRSP began operations in 1989 and, for the
past 15 years, has worked to further community development in the
challenging environment of the North West Frontier Province. LfL and SRSP
previously worked together in the Province from 1999 to 2001, in Kohat
and Mansehra districts. The 2-year project reached over 1,600 children in
30 schools, building the capacity of existing community schools to
consolidate and improve the education provided. Our new project will
continue to assist and develop those 30 schools, as well as creating an
additional 40 schools and extending our reach to include Abbotabad and
Chitral districts. The project will increase access to quality primary
education for poor children in these rural communities and increase
student enrolment and retention rates. LfL is also providing technical
assistants who will help train local people to manage and develop the
schools, maximising community involvement in the project and supporting
its sustainability.
New projects
Since Autumn 2004, LfL has been developing relationships with partners in
coastal Andhra Pradesh, with the aim of providing a combination of
academic education, reproductive health awareness and life skills training
to 5,000 vulnerable children within the tribal fisherfolk communities,
particularly those affected by HIV/Aids. How, as these communities
struggle to rebuild in the wake of the tsunami earthquake, the need for
this essential work - which also includes coping mechanisms to deal with
the challenges of parental loss and homelessness - is more urgent than
ever.
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UK Schools news
We are now in the second term of our new UK Schools development
awareness training programme. Participating primary school teachers
have been using our specially developed Education Packs to teach their
classes about how children live in South Asia. In Autumn 2004, we
widened our remit for participation from London to the whole of the UK -
and have had an overwhelming response from schools across the nation,
from the Shetland Isles to Penzance!
Last term, a group of LfL staff and volunteers visited eight schools in the
Cambridgeshire village of Comberton, as they celebrated their India Week.
The team taught children hose to play South Asian games - Kabbadi! and
Carom - which left the staff thoroughly exhausted, but the children excited
and eager to learn more.
UK schools interested to join the programme and find out more about the
resources on offer should email [email protected] or call 020
7385 8765 for further details.
Owner: Learning for LifeAssociation: Learning for Life