Annual ReportYear 2016-2017Asha Darshan Trust, Tamulpur

Background: Asha Darshan, since inception, has been trying to respond to the need of addressing the growing inequality and injustice among the most vulnerable and mixed populations which inhabit the North east. Vision is to establish a peaceful society where people of all religion, nation and communities lead their life in harmony, love, respect and peace. The trust has been conducting several programs for the purpose beginning from women SHG formation to income generating, awareness, education, sanitary, Mahila Shanti Sena, livelihood, flood & disaster management etc. Activities of the year 2016-2017 are mentioned below. Summer Camp (Dance, music and yoga):Date: 9- 23 July, 2016 (15 days)Participants: Class V to X studentsTotal: 54Venue: Durga Mandir, TamulpurInstructor: Physiotherapist from GMCH, Music teacher and dance teacher from S. A. Ain Dance Academy,

People do not recall the blood shaded communal violence of 2012. Everyone wants to forget it as a bad dream, rejoin duty and meet each other like before in a normal environment. But where they meet was a problem because there was no event for trust building. Students of different communities carefully meet each other at schools, because parents warned them not to mix up with children of other community. In such situation Asha Darshan took a risk of organizing a camp to make the all children stay at one venue for some nights, work together and help each other in work. A summer camp was organized in Tamulpur where all students stayed for 15 days and participated in the events of yoga, dance and music classes. Parents who came to meet their children at the camp felt happy to see them enjoying, helping each. In music class popular songs of music maestro Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta, Parbatiprasad Baruah and others were taught. They learnt yoga and dance at the camp.

Children’s day celebration: Venue: Asha Darshan Branch office. N. C. Angarkata (Bogajuli)

Date: 13th & 14th Nov. 2016

On 14th November, Asha Darshan celebrates children’s day with great enthusiasm. Multiple activities, games & sports, drama, cultural competition are conducted in which children participate in large number from all schools. The best performers are awarded with attractive prizes

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organizing open meeting as an appreciation of their talents. Help received from nearest Directorate of SSB(Sashastra Seema Bal ). They supplied water for the programme and safe travel arrangement for the student in their big vehicles from home to the venue of the event and return.

RTE awareness training: Date: 9-11 January, 2017Venue: Asha Darshan, Bogajuli Participants: Parent, SMC Member, Teacher and staff Total: 43

Being close to community Asha Darshan has been trying to deliver good quality school education to disadvantaged groups. The article 21(A) of Indian constitution states that the States shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age group between six to fourteen years. This is in effect from 1st April, 2010. Parents of the students should be aware about their responsibility of their children so that the children will get the benefits and get educated. SMCs also have a great role to play for the purpose. A 3-days training on the various provisions under RTE Act, 2009 was organized for the parents, smc member, teachers and staff. The training helps creation of some conscious people in the area who will be engage with government for proper delivery of education service as entitled by the act.

NCC Drills Training: Venue: Nagapur, Satyanarayanpur and Simliguri SchoolDate: 28 Jan to 6 Feb, 2017Participants: V-X students Total: (Nagapur ME & High School 62, Simliguri ME School 30 and Satyanarayanpur ME School 54)

The schools require coming across many events and programs throughout an academic year. Organized movement of children in the event s is very essential for school discipline. So, drills & command training was organized at the above mentioned 3

venues. Whenever there is any school event the students come in line makes group and moves as one which looks very beautiful and attractive in school premises. Daily and yearly events of the year mentioned below―

Daily Morning Prayers, Environment day (5th

june),Independence Day (15th August), Teacher’s Day (5th

Sept), Gandhi Jayanti (2nd October), Children’s Day (14th

November), Republic Day (26th January) and Saraswati puja (1st February)

Self Defense Training for Girls: Venue: Nagapur, Satyanarayanpur and SimliguriDate: 7-17 February, 2017

Participants: VI-X students (Nagapur ME & High School 26, Simliguri ME School 41 and Satyanarayanpur ME School 67)

Self defense is important equally for boys like girls because everyone has equal rights to be safe and ability to protect themselves from assault. Being realized the fact boys were also allowed to come and join the training program. The training improved their fighting skill and changed the previous poor confidence level. They are much courageous now and

ready to face any unsafe situation. But in beginning they were very scared.

Vocational TrainingTailoring training: Vocational training on cutting & embroidery has been conducted at Tamulpur & Bogajuli office of Asha Darshan. So far 35 trainees have received the training. They can make more quantity; make attractive designs in short time. Before they did it manually so production rate was smaller in quantity hence income was also very low.

Venue: Bogajuli Asha Darshan branch office Date: January , February & March 2017 Participants: Total: 20Computer training: Workforce training is very important to deliver the requisite services in their respective fields. In two batches the teachers of Asha Darshan schools were trained on basic computer skills on windows 7, Disk operating system (DOS), MS-Office (MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint, MS-Access), internet and E-mail. First batch received the completed three months training. They are now capable of using computer for basic purposes. But the second batch has to come again to complete the syllabus. They stopped in between because of pressure of ensuing school annual examinations.

Handloom Training: Women have been trained on improved loom weaving skills for better income. Weavers working on improved loom earn more money because they can work in a high speed; make more quality handloom

products with attractive designs. In the year 160 women were benefitted with handloom training. Next year one more loom will be introduced in Manipur which is very easy for operating by single weaver, even persons with locomotors disabilities also

can use this with ease. Technology of the ancient loin looms or kamar kargha of northeast India has been modernized in Ahmadabad at Khadi Graodyog Prayog Samiti which was further modified at Arunachal Pradesh Seva Sangh to make it more weaver-friendly and improved production capacity.

Mid-Day Meal Programme: Students are regularly served good quantity of hot nutritious food in schools so that their health improves rapidly. Meals have been served in schools from Monday to Friday total five days in a week. Sunday is a holiday; Saturday the schools get over at noon so no mid-day- meal served in these two days. Students enjoy the food.

Teacher’s monthly meetingSchool visit: Field staff regularly visit to help efficient school management. They helped and -ensure accurate and up to date records of the following schools documents-Admission and withdrawals register, attendance register, class timetable, health records, individual cumulative record card, lesson plan, log book, disciplinary records, school cash book, school stock book, school timetable, school diary, staff and student movement book, transfer and leaving certificates, visitor’s book, syllabus, scheme of work and curriculum.

Women’s Day: Date: 8th March (Wednesday)Venue: Asha Darshan, Tamulpur

Asha Darshan celebrates the 8th March, 2017 as a women’s special day. The main purpose of the event was to commemorate the women’s achievements in the year. First activity of the day was lighting lamp (Banti Prajjalan) followed by a devotional song and an inauguration speech from the stage. A delegate from Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust gives inauguration speech. A popular teacher of the area presides over the open meeting and a panel of judges conducts all competitions thiyo naam, Diha naam etc. The best three groups

from among the performers were selected for first, second & third prizes. First prize: Cash Rs. 301/- with a certificate, a sacred book Kirtan Ghoxa and a Thoga (book self), Second prize: Cash Rs. 201/- with a certificate, sacred book Naam Amrit and third prize: Cash Rs. 101/- with a certificate and a sacred book Bhakti Ratnakar. All the participants came in cultural dress and met each other with love and happiness. Government officials- BTC executive member, medical & health officer and local leaders were also invited to express their opinions at the fu nction. There was lot of appreciations of the women’s special day celebration. BTC executive member felt proud of Asha Darshan for organizing such a beautiful event for the rural women in his constituency. Guest Anima Dutta wants to see a judge female in next year among the judge’s panel. Medical & health officer mentioned that no man and women can be the same, biological difference will be always there. But women can progress as much they want because they have different capacity.

Women Self Help Group (SHG): 435 women self help groups have been made active through regular visit and guidance. All groups have account in bank, maintaining records o f meeting, loan, incoming out going members etc, as per guideline provided. The groups have connection with UCO bank Tamulpur branch, AGV bank at Kumarikata, Nagrijuli, Ghagrapar, and Alahabad bank at Rangia. SHG member get loan support at a minimum 2% interest to meet medical or educational requirements of the families. The groups are doing paddy farming collectively and other income generating activity individually namely piggery, poultry, handloom and product marketing. Requirements: Awareness about group formation and accounts training for new members.

Mahila Shanti Sena:

Peace & development are interconnected and interdependent because without peace no development is possible and without development there is no peace. Restoration of peace for development was very essential in the region. There are 785 women peace brigades in the region created by Asha Darshan under guidance of Padmashri Rabindra Nath Upadhyay (Rabin Bhai). The peace brigades also known as Shanti Sainiks are organized in to groups called dusta and punja where dusta means group of ten Sainiks and punja means group of five. Already 66 Dusta and 25 Punja are active in the region.

Dusta /Punja help families lead a peaceful life and schools function properly. Whenever people demand intervention Shanti Sainiks go to the spot and recue victims. In the year there was an incidence of domestic violence of denying property rights at mother in-law’s home in Kachubari village. Shanti Sainiks went there and settled the dispute peacefully by organizing discussion at village level. Next incidence was in Punia village about a misunderstanding between spouses. 110 Shanti Sainik visited the home, assembled there, discussed the problem. When no reason found for doubt the husband asked for forgiveness. The wife also apologize him and accepting each other happily. Monthly meeting of Shanti Sainiks are regularly held on 10th of each month at the Asha Darshan office. Each member deposits 50/-rupees at the group account. Shanti Sainiks takes loan from this fund handloom needs and school admission etc. Shanti Sena helps also the formation of SHG and cooperative society. In the year two societies were formed, one for 120 women of Charrangbari and Tamulpur and the other one for 51 women of Bhakatpara. Both the societies have been registered under Assam State Cooperative Society Act. Requirement: awareness on women’s right, various entitlements

School Repairing: Asha Darshan has nine schools; all have been repaired in the year. RCC post, galvanized iron sheet (tin) and bamboo walls used for the repair of eight schools out of the nine. One school which is in Devinagar the floor repaired with cement and concrete and the walls also constructed with brick up to 3 feet height. A separate Kitchen also constructed for Devi Nagar School.

Civil Construction: Construction of the Asha Darshan office building first floor is in progress.

Hosting of Annual Conference of Asha Trust India: Asha Darshan- is a member organization of Asha Trust India. We are very happy to receive all the delegates who came to Assam from different parts of the country to join Annual Conference of Asha Trust- U.P. It was nice conference where dialogue exchange, work sharing, cultural integration and language sharing took place. This will encourage working for the disadvantaged groups. Asha Darshan considers it as great privilege.

Staff welfare: Qualified people come to work with Asha Darshan, they work whole heartedly to achieve expected goal by the organization, make the programs successful. But when they return home the Organization has to send them empty hands in a very distressing situation. Asha Darshan feels the social and legal responsibility of arranging something for the well-being of staff who dedicates meaningful times for the organization. Present staff strength of the organization also reminds that the organization falls under the ambit of the Employees Provident Fund and Misc. Provisions Act, 1952. As per the Act, the organization requires to extend employer’ share of PF contributions and it is mandatory. The organization request fund arrangement for the purpose. Employees are contributing their share from the last year 2015.

Staff details:

Category Male Female TotalPart time 3 2 5Full time 27 36 63

Observance of various days: Asha Darsan have observed the following days in this year. Republic day Independence day Environmental day Women’s day Gandhi Jayanti Children day

All these days were observe with colorful programme.

Note: There was an urgent need to organize RTE training and summer camp in the current year. Therefore Asha Darshan decided to organize them without disturbing other programme activities.