2. Educational Care
Education is the foundation for the upliftment of mankind. Education empowers an individual, broadens his horizons and drastically improves the quality of his life. Education, or rather the lack of it, is a burning national issue with a disturbingly large percentage of our population suffering from illiteracy. Despite our rapid economic progress, the children of rural India still remain devoid of the basic benefits of our growth. By giving them a smile we may make their day, by giving them food and shelter their basic needs will be taken care of, but if we give them the gift of education, we gift them stability, a life of dignity, financial independence and a much higher standard of living.
Launched under the Shrimad Rajchandra Love & Care Programme, 'Educational Care' is a heartfelt endeavour that seeks to provide needy children with education, value-based learning and programmes designed for their overall development. With a goal of reaching out to the underprivileged rural child, various empowerment activities have already commenced in the rural areas of Gujarat due to which 1 lakh school children have benefited. So far, stationery items worth Rs. 1.6 crores have been distributed at subsidised rates. These efforts in turn will sketch a brighter tomorrow for the children, for India and for mankind as a whole.
'Educational Care' is managed by the Shrimad Rajchandra Educational Trust (SRET).
The rural scenario for secondary and higher secondary education is grim. Especially with respect to the field of science, the options for deserving underprivileged students to pursue higher education are very limited. Recognising the need in the area for quality education, Shrimad Rajchandra Gurukul - a secondary and higher secondary school in Karanjveri, has been started. This school provides the highest quality of education, with a fully equipped infrastructure consisting of science labs, computer lab, library, residential facility, sports facility etc. The focus is on the all-round development of a child with special emphasis on the field of Science, Maths and English through innovative teaching methods.
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2 Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyavihar
In 2004, SRET adopted a rural residential (4th-8th std.) school in Tamachhadi, Dharampur. This school was renamed the Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyavihar (SRV).
With the financial support extended by SRET, the 9th and 10th std. were additionally introduced in the school. Earlier, students would drop out of school after completing their 7th std. education in order to work in the fields and earn a livelihood, mainly for the provision of their daily meals. To put an end to this unfortunate trend, nutritious and healthy food is also provided at school as a motivational factor for them to continue and complete their education, at least up till the 10th std. Continued financial support also ensured addition of more teachers and children.
The school today, houses children from 4th to 10th std. It looks after the all-round development of children through formal education, moral-based education, cultural activities and sports. The provision of holistic quality education has shown tremendous change in the confidence levels and overall lives of the children, who now regularly participate in inter-school competitions.
Free coaching classes are conducted for students in the 10th and 12th std. of 7 schools, in and around Dharampur, in order to prepare them for their board examinations. These classes help rural children who need extra care and attention in their academic performance but cannot afford to enroll in commercially run coaching classes. The focus is on the subjects of english, mathematics and science, as rural children require help in these areas. Many students have secured more than 80% marks in the above subjects and schools are achieving 100% passing results.
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This project involves the provision of school bags, notebooks, ball pens, etc. to needy students at subsidised rates. About 25 lakh units of educational aids have been distributed, reaching out to underprivileged children. The distribution takes place from 7 centres – Dharampur, Nanaponda, Kaprada, Khergaam, Vansda, Rumla and Ramkuva. Families travel over a 100 kilometers to purchase this stationery, as the quality is superior to that available in the market and that too at highly subsidised rates. Distribution starts one week before schools reopen. The entire process of product development, sourcing, distribution and sales is managed by group of dedicated sevaks.
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Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyavikas Yojna has been instituted to encourage, appreciate and award academic excellence. It is designed to aid and assist youth unable to pursue higher education due to lack of adequate family income. There are two schemes under Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyavikas Yojna.
- Interest Free Loans: Interest free loans of up to rupees one lakh a year are given to needy students across India to encourage them to pursue graduation and post graduation degrees. Those interested in availing a loan are requested to fill up the form by clicking here.
- Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded to students from Dharampur and surrounding districts, who display excellence in academics, sports, fine arts, performing arts such as debates, elocution, dance, singing etc..
Since there are no facilities for Higher Secondary Education in distant rural villages, students wanting to study further are forced to go to towns or cities. Here, often adequate hostel accommodation is not available and the students cannot afford personal lodging forcing them to either travel long distances - 30 to 40 kms every day expending much time, energy and expense or give up studies altogether.
The Shrimad Rajchandra Kumar Chhatralay is a boys hostel that has been started at Karanjveri, Dharampur. The hostel provides them with a safe and stable lodging and boarding facility from where they can adequately pursue their higher education in nearby colleges. The hostel also provides these boys with auxiliary facilities such as free coaching classes to encourage them to do well in their studies.
