Civic Education Program for Adolescent Girls


The pace, with which social and cultural values are changing in our society, the direction in which it is moving is creating instability in personnel and social life of the individuals. Social institutions are breaking up and new systems are not being evolved. In this flow of degeneration whatever new social systems / culture is being evolved, also starts decaying or degenerating before it is established.

All over the world individuals and society are bound in one thread through traditions and cultures but these are also breaking up very fast. These systems and cultures are very strong in India. The learned men like Gandhi and Vinoba - realized the gravity of this social decay and tried to set it in order. This movement may be termed as Sarvodaya (or Swaraj, Ram Raj or Total Revolution). This refers to self-rule based on self-discipline, cooperation, sense of dharma (righteous), spirit of sacrifice, and the close bondage between an individual and society. This social bondage in India takes place through family. The famility (feeling of family) is root of the family structure, and the famility is based on collectivity, in which covers individual and family - both. Whatever experiments have been conducted at the individual level / ashram level / at schools all of them had family and community feelings as its base. The voluntary organizations are following this principal in their working style too.

Education today faces two sets of challenges: immediate problems of stressed teachers, dissatisfied parents, and unhappy children and the no less urgent, but largely ignored, looming global environmental crisis. The vision of this project is of a learning community oriented towards sustainable future. It may be seen as an effort to give right direction to the individuals and family. The degeneration of family has created difficulties in giving right direction to the children at the education as well as at the family level. There has been a decline in the family feeling among the family members and this has to be stopped. Hence women have a special task and knowledge to spread those ideas in their families.

Vinoba ji has given the name "Stree Shakti" (women power) while Dada Dharmadhikari ji has termed it as "coliving of man and woman". As it is accepted all over the world that if the women of the family is cultured the whole family will be cultured accordingly, and the entire society will move in the same direction.

It is high time that young generation should be brought forward in this direction. They had to be educated about our old culture and rich traditions, which we are forgetting in the storm of the development process. People in the society are also feeling a need for such type of education. There are parents in the society, who want to develop a feeling of family and community in their children. At the same time they also want that their children should have a sense of duty and responsibility, knowledge about future career options so that they are able to stand on their own feet. It is essential that adolescent girls should be made aware about different career options and their interest should also be raised in this direction. There are several opportunities for employment at the family, village and local level, but its information is lacking among the girls. Hence it is necessary that detailed information at the local level should be imparted, and short time training should be given to girls.

Vision

Education has a vital part to play in ensuring that people have skills, knowledge and values necessary to participate in the creation of a sustainable future for themselves and others. New understandings in ecology and in systems thinking allow us to see the world as it really is: a "network of inseparable patterns of relationships… a living, self regulating system". (Fritjof Capra).

Objectives

  • Financial as well as infrastructure facilities to be given to meritorious girl students who want to continue their studies.
  • Society is formed with social relations and "women power" has to play an important role in it. A duly educated and cultured woman can make her children, family and the society a truly civil society. With this aim it is important to give civic training to young girls so that they become a cultured women of tomorrow.
  • Family - Joint family is a basic unit of the society. This basis is becoming weak gradually. Efforts would be made to strengthen the concept of joint family among young generation, which will propagate the principals of morality in family.
  • Young girls will enter the family life shortly. They had to be mentally prepared and trained in family spirit, tolerance, sensitivity, balanced life, self-  development, and its practical aspects. For this, information regarding employment potential and other related program needs to be identified and   should be widely propagated.
  • The Ashram will have a breadth of activities offering a synthesis of creative, practical and intellectual elements, an integration of head, hands   and heart.

What will such a learning community be like?

  • It is on a human scale that is small enough to facilitate good relationships both between teachers and learners, and teachers and parents, on the   understanding that a sustainable future is convivial.
  • Its focus is local, using local expertise, supporting and supported by, the local economy on the understanding that a sustainable future depends   on sustainable local communities.
  • It promotes awareness of, and concern for, global issues, on the understanding that a sustainable future depends on a just and peaceful world.
  • It values practical skills, especially those concerned with care of the environment like gardening, growing food, and cooking, on the understanding   that a sustainable future depends on a responsible use of the land.
  • It explores the interrelatedness of biophysical and social systems, on the understanding that a sustainable future depends on a sense of   interdependence.

Programs

Each day will start with the opportunity for a period of meditation, prayer and Yoga before breakfast. After breakfast there will be a brief meeting for everyone, followed by a period during which students will help with preparing food, cleaning the buildings and other tasks. (Besides this morning work, girls will be involved once a week in preparing supper and in cleaning up after meals.) The rest of each weekday will be devoted to regular studying. Afternoon will provide opportunity for rest, private study and tutorials. Evenings will offer a variety of talks and informal meetings, possibly arising out of the day's work. Lectures, discussions and small groups will be used and attention will be given to ensure that the learning atmosphere is as creative as possible. Saturday evening will be "Open Evening" when members of the local community will be invited to listen to a talk and meet the students. Weekends will not be scheduled in order to allow time for private study and contemplation, informal discussions, visit to local places of interest or time with friends and family within reach.

The "work" aspect of the ashram - cooking, cleaning, gardening and so on - is essential part of the ashram life. Embedding the intellectual discussions in the everyday business of taking care of the building and each other, and in continual contact with nature, promotes a level of reflection and understanding in which the whole person - their values and life concerns as well as their thinking mind - is involved. Equally, we prize the mood and feel of discussions as highly as their intellectual content. The natural development of a trusting spirit of community and family is central to the purpose of the ashram.

The following issues will be discussed with the girls during their stay in the ashram:

 

  • Health and primary treatment: Knowledge about general health and hygiene, internal structure of human body, first-aid, naturopathy, treatment with the help of locally available herbs, Ayurvedic treatment, first - aid for emergency like accident, burn, fracture, biting by poisonous   animals etc.
  • Child and maternal health service: proper care of pregnant women, safe delivery mechanism, care of newly born child, child - rearing, diet etc.
  • Balanced nutritious diet: Consumption of locally produced products, balanced diet and cooking techniques.
  • Child education: Basic education, meaning of education, education and manual labor.
  • Probable fields of employment:-
  1. Agriculture and animal husbandry: foodgrain, vegetables, fruits plantation, organic farming, processing of food products and processing of product for animal use.
  2. Employment at family level: - Tailoring, weaving, embroidery, etc.
  3. Imparting knowledge about non-agriculture employment opportunities at family, village, and regional level.


Number of participants

Residential accommodation will be provided to the meritorious girls belonging to the disadvantaged groups (SC/ST/OBC) from the villages. The ashram (hostel) would accommodate 15-20 participants.
Duration

The girls would be allowed to stay in the ashram as long as she wants to continue her studies and follow the discipline of the ashram.
Management
  • Kumarappa Institute of Gram Swaraj and Vinoba Gyan Mandir will undertake the project in Vinoba Gyan Mandir premises.
  • The Stern Institut, Begabtenförderung und Schulentwickung, Bonn (Germany) will support the project and hopes to establish contacts and visits  from German students.
  • Institutions and persons interested in this project will make the financial arrangements.
  • Efforts will be made that no fees are charged from the girls.

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