Improving the life of Adolescent girls in Jharkhand (ANANDSHALA)

Anandshala program is being implemented with the support of Quest Alliance in 146 schools in two blocks, Deoghar and Madhupur block in Deoghar District-

• Students attend school regularly, engage more fully in school-related activities and improve their language and communication skills.

• Teachers become Change Leaders, armed with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to foster a student-friendly environment and bring in positive teacher-student relationships in schools.

• There is a more responsive system at the school and district level that supports all educationists to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively.

The Anandshala program works at turning schools into learning spaces full of joy and ensures that every child stay, engage and learns. It builds stronger relationships between students, teachers and parents. With effective use of data, its enables teachers to understand and support learners comprehensively. Anandshala program also enhance language ability and 21st century skills of students and adolescents’ girls of the community.

Since 2018 Anandshala has focused on improving the quality of education and like skills of the students and adolescents with the objectives of-

• COMPLETION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

• DELAYING AGE AT MARRIAGE

• INCREASING AGENCY

• DELAY AGE AT FIRST PREGNANCY

Strategy-

• Developing Change Leaders: The program looks at creating a cadre of master trainers chosen from among government officials. These officials, in turn, train other stakeholders to ensure the application of the Anandshala approach at the school level.

• Recognition of Good Practices: A platform for teachers and schools to share good practices, get recognised through awards and encourage widescale adoption of those good practices.

• Technology: Use technology extensively across the program to support the change leaders with capacity-building tools like instructional videos, interactive voice response system-based engagement and support and school-level data collection

• Advocacy: An integrated system connecting the different stakeholders of the education system from the school level to the district level.

Approach of Program

• Early Warning System- A system that uses school level data to help teachers get to know students, build relationships and track progress of those who are not attending, engaging & learning at school.

• Enrichment Program-Activities for students to develop language skills, using innovative strategies and tools like body movement, the arts, and stories.

• Parents Engagement-Activities and games for parents to build awareness & engagement with schools and their role towards their child’s education.

• 3109 out of school girls identified from intervention area of Madhupur and Deoghar block.

• 3 days Residential Training for 50 Girl Champions.

• Trained GCs re conducting Sessions of respective youth club members, girls dropped out of school.

• Members of Youth club are getting vocal and have started to raise their voice against child marriage.

• 3 youth club members have denied from getting her married.

• In training sessions, girls are showing their curiosity towards the norms and ostracized society and also enquiring about the career of their choice.

• Girl Champions and also their parents showing interest in different stage shows and simultaneously Participating in it.

• Engagement of parents through Open Houses in schools.

• 68 out of school girls readmitted into schools.

• Girl Champions’ meetings with the out of school girls, parents and other stakeholders.

• Girl Champions helping School Facilitators in Open Houses.

• 146 HMs has been oriented on objectives, outcome and strategies of Anandshala program.

Ab Meri Bari Campaign – Ab Meri Baari​ is a nation-wide movement to build awareness on adolescent priorities – education, nutrition, health, sexual and reproductive health, skilling, safety and agency – empowering adolescents with the power to exercise choice.

25 adolescent girls of Madhupur block under ‘Ab Meri Baari’(AMB) are leading various initiatives to create a nation-wide movement for raising awareness on adolescent priorities such as education, nutrition, health, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), skilling, safety and creation of agency for empowerment.

Objective of the Campion:

1. 25 adolescent champions skilled to highlight and raise awareness on a range of issues- health, education, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health at a gram panchayat, block and district level

2. Convert parents, men and boys to become vocal supporters for the girls and advocate a gender equitable change

3. Improved awareness and knowledge of girl champions and subsequent change in aspirations, behaviour and social capital

4. Influence government to improve implementation of adolescent focused policies based on insights received from the girls

The major highlights of the social mapping-

1. In the most villages, the adolescent friendly health clinics (AFHCs) open only twice in a week

2.In most AFHCs, services related to adolescent health and hygiene are not provided

3. Information about sexual reproductive health is not openly and proactively shared through camps and champions

4. The student and teacher ratio are much lower than recommended in the RTE Act, 2009

5. Though free books are provided, they are not given in a timely manner as required

6. Very few schools provide service to cater to adolescent needs

7. Most AWC do not have sufficient and regular supply of sanitary pads

8. There is very low awareness of legal provision of child safety provided through local institutions