Introduction

• Education is the mirror of society and the seed of socioeconomic development. It transforms people from ignorance to enlightenment, from shades of social backwardness to social improvement light, and a nation from underdevelopment to faster socio-economic development. The role of education, both urban and rural, is huge in the growth of the country’s economy. Although education in the urban areas has progressed rapidly during the last few decades, there are still some villages where education is not given sufficient priority.

• In India, education in the rural segments is not only important to eradicate poverty and illiteracy, but also for a variety of other socio-economic as well as cultural, and political reasons . Rural education is important not only for the enhancement of life quality of the rural community but also for the overall progress and development of the country. In rural development, education, economic development, physical and social infrastructure play a major role. Rural development is also characterized by its focus on economic development strategies that are produced locally.

• Owing to the fact that half of India's population resides in villages, the education system in the rural areas plays a huge contribution to economic growth.

Problems

In 1994, VRTI initiated its work in the field of education in villages of Bhavnagar and Amreli district of Gujarat state. The villages were deprived of development due to following problems:-

• Low levels of education in the villages.

• People were orthodox and superstitious.

• Unaware of government schemes of the banking sector.

• Highly seen - illiteracy rate, addiction rate, drop-out ratio in schools, child labor, child marriage, dowry, inequality among men and women, casteism, provincialism, untouchability.

• Lack of knowledge on health, hygiene, hazards of filth and garbage wastes.

• Increase in water-borne and other diseases.

• Lack of knowledge on human rights among the people.

• Lack of additional skills, since the occupation of the people was limited to farming and animal husbandry.

Activities

Looking at these problems, VRTI conducted Need Base Assessment and embarked following operations:-

• Superstitions, witchcraft, child labor, dowry, casteism, provincialism, child marriage, inequality, untouchability among the people..

• Health and hygiene – importance of hand wash, personal hygiene, bathrooms and toilets.

• Village cleaning, soak pit, waste collection, waste disposal.

• As per the survey of child labors at village level and in slum areas, built special schools for them and mainstreamed towards education.

• Provide support teachers, facilitate schools with various ammenities such as Library, Laboratory, Playground, Sports kit, CC TV camera, LCD – Projector and installation of Learning delight software, Building as Learning Aid(BALA) concept, provide educational kit to children.

• Organize youth development programs such as cultural program, disaster management, life skills training.

• Provide training and capacity building of panchayat members, water committee members, education committee members, children, teachers, anganwadi worker, asha workers, women, farmers, empowerment of women.

• Provide skill based training - Computer Training, Tailoring Training, Beauty Parlor, Beads Work, Animal Husbandry Training, Pottery Training, Incense Stick Making Training, Chalk Making Training, Canning training, Jhullah making training, Gender Equality Training, Exposure Visit.

Impact