IT education introduced in Zinzeria and Teliya

Before you think we've gone mad...these are children in Zinzeria village (Pench) having fun with the Photo Booth programme on Kirti's laptop!

Kirti Chavan visited Pench recently to review the progress of the programme in Sawra village, where it was introduced last year. He also launched the programme in two new villages, Zinzeria and Teliya, at the request of the village schools there.

Read all about the IT education programme here.

Zinzeria school has been given 5 new computers by the government, the teachers are highly motivated, and the children very enthusiastic about learning these new skills. In Teliya we have installed one of the four computers donated for this programme by ICICI Bank last year (two are in Sawra school, and one is being repaired). We need more computers there, preferably new or in very good condition.



I sometimes read romanticized views about tribals, how they live in their age-old way in the forests, and how cruel it is to ask them to give up that lovely life.

I have just one question here: Has anyone asked the tribal children what they want? Isn't it rather patronizing to assume that they should be content with ploughing fields and drinking mahua, while "our" children have laptops and cell phones and every opportunity the world has to offer?

Give these kids computers...and see what happens. If they still want to live in the "old" way, well and good. But every child deserves a choice.

I saw this on a friend's Facebook wall and simply had to post it here. Sums up the tiger's plight so brilliantly!

Mobile Health Unit schedule for April, May, June, July 2011

Click to enlarge the table. If you'd like to volunteer for any of the camps, please email me at rajashree.khalap@satpuda.org

Click here for volunteer reports on our medical camps.

February 2011 Update: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Team:

Ashfaq Aarbi – Conservation Officer

Vikram Parte and Umashankar Yadav – Field Assistants

Highlights:

• Six shramdaans for water conservation – two bori bandhaans to create stop dams and four soak pits
• Classroom visits to 18 schools to give lecture on nature and wildlife conservation, attended by 771 students
• Total of 4 unemployed youths placed in jobs at Bhopal and Hoshangabad
• Workshop on grading of SHGs and training in food processing and livelihood programmes covering five villages of Matkuli cluster
• Education van programme – film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in 8 villages, attended by 699 people

Conservation:

During February, we organized 6 shramdaans to promote water conservation:

- On February 15, Field Assistant Vikram Parte led a team of 50 students Government Primary and Middle Schools, Podar in a shramdaan to build a stop/check dam on a stream in the jungle around 2 kms from Podar village. The resultant water body will provide water to wildlife. Spotted deer are regularly spotted in this area.

- On February 18, a shramdaan was organised at Dhargaon in which 16 students from the village’s Government Primary School joined hands with Field Assistant Umashankar Yadav to build a soak pit next to a hand pump used to draw drinking water. The overflow water from the pump will flow into the soak pit and help recharge the water table.

- On February 19, Umashankar Yadav led a team of 13 villagers of Mallupura in shramdaan to build a soak pit next to a hand pump. The overflow water from the pump will flow into the soak pit and help recharge the water table.

- On February 26, Conservation Officer Ashfaq Aarbi led a team of 70 students and 2 teachers from Government Middle School, Anjandana to build a check dam on a stream in the forest around 3 km from the village in compartment number 399. The resultant water body will recharge the water table and also provide water to wildlife as well as domestic livestock. Gaur has been sighted in the area.

- On February 27, a shramdaan was organized at Birjikhapa. 19 students from the village’s Government Primary School teamed up with Field Assistant Umashankar Yadav to build a soak pit next to a hand pump used to draw drinking water. The overflow water from the pump will flow into the soak pit and help recharge the water table.

- On February 28, Ashfaq Aarbi led a team of 18 students from Government Primary School, Kukra in a shramdaan to build a soak pit next to a hand pump.

Above: Forest guard Amule lends a helping hand building a stop dam near Anjandana, Satpura Tiger Reserve



Above: Headmaster of Government Middle School, Anjandana, works with colleagues to build the stop dam



Above: Shri L K Shukla, Deputy Ranger at stop dam near Anjandana



Above, below: Shramdaan volunteers pose proudly at the site after their efforts!

EPCO Workshop on biodiversity conservation:

In other conservation-related activities, Ashfaq Aarbi participated in a workshop on February 24 on biodiversity conservation in the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, organized by Environment Planning and Co-ordination Organization (EPCO). Satpuda Foundation has been selected by EPCO to conduct awareness programmes on biodiversity conservation in 7 villages of Satpura Tiger Reserve where we work. Dr. Ravi Upadhyay, of the Department of Botany of Government Narmada College, Hoshangabad, also delivered a lecture at the workshop. Dr R.P Singh, of EPCO, who is in charge of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, also participated.

Dr. Ravi Upadhyay, of the Department of Botany of Government Narmada College, Hoshangabad, speaks at a workshop on Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve

Education:

Our team visited schools in all the 18 villages of our area of operation, to give lectures on nature and wildlife conservation.

Above, below: Ashfaq Aarbi talks about conservation to students of Government Middle School, Anjandana, Satpura Tiger Reserve

Employment Cell:

4 youths were provided with jobs thanks to our efforts.

Details of the placement are as follows:

Training:

Janpath Panchayat, Pipariya, organized a 5-day training workshop at which Self-Help Groups (SHGs) were given Grade I and Grade II ratings, based on their status. Grade I certification makes a SHG eligible for Rs 25,000 assistance (revolving fund) from nationalized banks. A Grade II certification makes the SHG eligible for a loan of Rs 300,000 to Rs 400,000, provided they have repaid the revolving fund assistance of Rs 25,000.

Janpath Panchayat approached Satpuda Foundation to identify SHGs for the workshop. We sent 5 SHGs from our area of operations to the workshop. The workshop was held on February 23-27.

All the participants received training in making processed foodstuff like pickles, pappads and fruit jelly.

Above, below: Ashfaq Aarbi talks to participants at the SHG workshop at Pachmarhi, Satpura Tiger Reserve

Education Van:

A total of 11 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation were held in 8 villages.

Above: Wildlife film show at Raikheda village



Above: Wildlife film show at Government Ashram school, Matkuli

February 2011 Update: Kanha National Park

Team:

Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

Sampatlal Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights:

• 2 shramdaans to clean surroundings next to hand pumps
• 1 anti-plastic campaign
• 1 nature trail
• Education programme in 10 schools, attended by 437 students
• 2 unemployed youths assisted in getting jobs locally
• One programme to train SHGs on how to expand their activities
• Nine film shows on nature and wildlife conservation, attended by 567 people

Conservation:

During February, our team organized two shramdaans to clean up areas next to hand pumps used to draw drinking water in 2 villages. In both cases, the areas immediately next to the hand pumps were full of stagnant water, which had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The shramdaans focused on clearing up these areas, de-silting canals to take spillover water away from the hand pumps, and on cleaning up soak pits to take the excess water.

On February 11, the first programme was held at Samaiya. Conservation Officer Amit Awasthi and Field Assistant Sampathlal Dhurve led 6 unemployed youths of the village in the programme.

February 17, a similar programme was held at Batwar. Our team led a group of 16 students and one teacher from Middle School, Batwar in the activity.

Above: Soak pit before being cleaned, Batwar



Above, below: Soak pit being cleaned, Batwar

On February 22, our team also organized an anti-plastic campaign in Primary School, Manegaon in which the students picked up plastic litter and waste lying around the school campus and the village and buried it in a pit.

Education:

During February, our team visited 10 schools to teach students about nature and wildlife conservation.

Satpuda Foundation also organized a nature trail on February 15 for students of Dhanora Tehsil, Seoni district. Under a programme sponsored by the Central Government, students of one district are sent on an exchange basis to another district. 80 students from Dhanora were sent to Kanha. The senior teacher at Government Middle School, Mocha approached Amit Awasthi for assistance and Amit organized a nature trail for the visiting students. On the trail, the students were taught about nature and the need for conservation. They visited the Medicinal Plants Conservation Area, Chapri, a centre where native medicinal plants are grown and nurtured.

Above, below: Conservation Officer Amit Awasthi talks to students on a nature trail at Chapri, Kanha

Employment Cell:

Two youths were placed in local jobs.

Above: Baldevsingh Marawi of Patpara (Kanha) who got a job with our assistance

Training programme:

On February 21, Satpuda Foundation organized a one-day capacity-building workshop for Self Help Groups (SHGs) at our centre in Chapri. The workshop was co-hosted by Ajeewika (M.P Government Rural Livelihood Programme). It focused on teaching the SHGs on how to maintain records and accounts. Speakers at the workshop also explained the various livelihood and business opportunities available to SHGs. Shri Mithilesh Kumar, District Project Manager (SHGs) of Ajeewika and Ravindra Daheria, local Ajeewika coordinator based at Mocha spoke on the occasion. Amit Awasthi also spoke to the participants.

Education van programme:

There were a total of nine film shows on nature and wildlife in February.

Above: Wildlife film show at Government Primary School, Manegaon, Kanha

February 2011 Update: Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Team:

Anoop Awasthi – Conservation Officer

Niranjan Hinge – Field Assistant

Highlights:

• 1 shramdhaan for water conservation – soak pit at Ambadi village
• One bird-watching trail for children of Khamrith village
• Classroom visits to 11 schools to give lecture on environment, attended by 427 students
• Medical camps in 6 villages – 305 patients treated

Conservation work

Our team organised a shramdaan on February 14 at Ambadi village to dig a soak pit next to a hand pump near the village school. The pump had a lot of stagnant water around it. The pit will take spillover water from the pump and recharge the water table. 25 students from Government Primary School, Ambadi and 2 teachers joined hands with conservation officer Anoop Awasthi and field assistant Niranjan Hinge in digging the pit.

Above: On February 8, Niranjan Hinge led 8 children from Khamrith village on a bird-watching trail in the jungle near the village. Hinge, a former guide at Pench National Park, talked to the children about birds, their role in nature and the need for conservation.

Education

Our team visited schools in 11 villages of our area of operations to give lectures on nature and wildlife conservation.

Above: Nature game at a school in Awarghani, Pench M



Above: Nature game at school in Durgapur, Pench MP



Above: Field Assistant Bandu Uikey talks about nature conservation to students of Government Middle School, Tekadi



Above: Field Assistant Niranjan Hinge conducts a nature game at Government Primary School, Durgapur

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

A total of six villages were covered by our health camps in February.

Above: Medical camp at Karmajhiri



Above: Medical camp at Gumtara