Organisation Name: Bahujan Hitay Amaravati (subsidiary of TBMSG Pune)

Project title: BH Amaravati Boys Hostel 2008-11 (PBFI)

Project Location:Amaravati, Maharashtra, India

Need (the wider problem that project will help to resolve):

1. A survey of 98 SC/ST (scheduled caste and scheduled tribe) boys, aged 10 to 17,  from 6 different villages in the Amravati District revealed that:
1. many are so poor that they are suffering malnutrition and cannot afford the fees nor the uniform, note books or text books necessary to gain admission to school.
2. there are several orphans and four other boys whose fathers have been imprisoned for life for the murder of their wives.
3. the education that they receive is also of low quality such that they are weak in foundation subjects such as Mathematics and English.
4. many suffer discrimination by higher caste teachers.
2. The result of these factors is that many such boys are struggling to engage in education and are instead moving towards daily wage labour work (75p per day).
3. There is therefore great demand for places in the BH Amaravati boy’s hostel – last year there were 83 applications for 36 places.

Overall intended impact (the wider societal change to which your project is contributing)
A society where deprived SC/ST students from rural and tribal areas have equal educational opportunities, and so the freedom to participate in the main stream of the nation.

Outcomes (changes in beneficiaries lives or behaviours if Outputs are achieved):
SC/ST students will:

1. overcome their unwillingness to seek education
2. develop greater self confidence
3. achieve higher qualifications (12th Standard certificate and degrees)
4. some students will enter professional careers (target is one engineer and one accountant within 3 years)
5. be able to live freely and fearlessly (especially orphans and prisoners’ children)

Outputs (specifically deliverable results expected from the project to attain the Outcomes)

1. 36 rural boys from different castes and backgrounds will be admitted to the hostel.
2. They will benefit from a daily extra curricular teaching and study programme, focussing on English and maths
3. There will be activities and competitions in music, karate, sport and games.
4. 28 students will get the basic knowledge of computer
5. They will learn personal hygiene and clean the hostel
6. The boys will receive nutritional food and regular medical checkups
7. They will develop skill and confidence in song and drama
8. They will enjoy excursions to different cities and sites of interest.

Number and gender of beneficiaries: 36 boys