Priyobondhu’s Flagship Integrated Program for Welfare of Women and Children (IPWWC) is designed to benefit disadvantaged Women and Children residing in slums and remote village areas. We assist Women and Children with limited accessibility to improve their quality of life.
Key features of the program
Nutrition
Daily Breakfast and Lunch and Dinner for Children and Women
Education
Non-Formal Basic Education for Children, Life Skills, Vernacular Education, Extra Academic Activities for Children
Women Empowerment
Skills and Employability Training for Women
Women and Children Health
Health Literacy, Mother and Child Health, Health Check-ups and referrals
Community Awareness
Importance of Education
Environmental
Water sanitation and Hygiene
Social
Legal
Basic essential supplies
Basic supplies
Clothes
School Kit for Children
It all began on a chilly winter day in December 2015 when we stepped at Hanuman Nagar Basti (Slum), Narengi, Guwahati in a motive to distribute warm clothing to the disadvantaged Children, Women and Men. As you might imagine the unhealthy living conditions, ramshackle houses, impoverished people, using drain water, open defecation, Alcoholism, Substance abuse, amoral behaviors etc. Subsequently, we visited numerous times and conducted community awareness programs on WASH, MHM, Importance of Education etc. and organized several health camps. Gradually we came to know of their livelihood through household surveys and interactive sessions. Children living in the Slum were found with certain behavioral disorders and most of them were found to be School dropouts or never been to school. Most of the Children were engaged in waste picking and household activities. Since then we began intervention for the development of the Women and Children in the Slum. We began single meal programs and serve a single regular ‘Full Course Meal’ to satisfy them who desire to eat a Nutrient-rich and delicious meal. But the motive behind the program is an enticement to attract people to learn life skills for full involvement in their daily life. We often conducted open air school sessions and saw Children being attracted to education one after another.
Consequently, on July 1, 2019 we formally announced and launched our Integrated Program for Welfare of Women and Children, where we opened a Non-formal Education Centre to assist Women and Children with limited accessibility to improve their quality of life. The Program focuses on Nutrition, Education, Women Empowerment, Women and Children Health, Community Awareness and providing Basic essential supplies. A makeshift room for regular classes is constructed temporarily.
Then we had 11 regular students initially whom we provided daily breakfast, educational supplies, clothes and uniforms, daily basic essentials etc.
Being activity based learning, experiential learning and Life skills the topmost priority, Education on Basic Assamese, Basic English, Basic Maths, Environmental Studies, GK and Current Affairs, Drawing, Performing Arts etc. are also imparted.
It’s a mission to make Children HAPPY, HEALTHY and LEARNED.
After 6 months, number of regular students increased to 15. Along with daily breakfast, lunch and dinner (occasionally) under essential diet rules, educational supplies, clothes and uniforms, daily basic essentials etc., special care of their health were also being taken care of by regular care and checkups. Apart from regular amusements, the Children were taken on day out trips to amusement parks away from their regular environment, and the primary reason is to create social responsibility through communication and interpersonal relationship process among the Children.
The major achievement in these 6 months came, when 4 of our Children of NFE Centre got selected in Government School at 2 no Mathgharia LP School on 3rd, Jan. ’20. They are the once street Children (Sunil, Rekha, Sunita and Sita) who could never make their way to School due to poverty, ignorance of parents, other engagements such as rag picking to name a few, are now happy learners who enthusiastically waits for the School bell to ring.
Simultaneously, we implemented the ‘Garden cultivation and management program’ which is intended to engage the Children as well as the Women in the process of environmental education by helping them to learn to produce their own source of food for improving their diet and health by cultivation vegetables, fruits and flowers and raise interest on importance of cultivation.
Archana says- '' We are investing on school children because educating school children on environmental education is advantageous, as it will reach more recipients with minimal resources. Children are generally eager to learn and disseminate positive behavioral change in the community too. Children also play key roles in their household related to environment, and steer change in their families and the society. These children will be the parents of the future generation who will pass on cultivation knowledge and practice to their homes and communities that they have learnt in their own childhood.
Through gardening Children will learn to get involved in hands-on learning agricultural practices and cultivation. In due course they will feel more connected to nature and learn to respect nature. Keeping in view of the present environmental issues, Children must be taught to take the responsibility of the environment.
We converted the slum wasteland into a productive vegetation land. Our aim was to engage the womenfolk of the slum in the process of garden cultivation and management. The garden came as a boon to the people of the slum in times of food crisis during Covid-19 pandemic.