The Concept
Aangan is an Urdu word that means a courtyard or a patio. In old style buildings and rural India, it is the centre place that binds all the functions of a household together. It functions as a flexible area where all the activities starting from morning tea, preparation & serving of meals takes place. A place where the young and elder share their stories, decisions are made for the family, orders passed and festivals celebrated.
Borrowing this concept, Aangan For All (AFA) is a project that aims to create an Aangan for the community to learn, share and exchange information, ideate and build up programs/ plans that will help towards creating a sustainable livelihood especially for the underprivileged.
What we do?
- AFA Agra Centre (Uttar Pradesh)
We have collaborated with Global Dreamshala, DEVI Sansthan, Lucknow for enabling their 30-hour literacy programs. The objective is to empower an individual with basic literacy in Hindi, English and Mathematics in a timeframe of 30 hours, irrespective of their age group. This is especially beneficial for women and children who left their studies owing to personal or financial reasons.
Work we do
The AFA Agra is open to students preparing competitive exams like IIT and other higher studies. They use our facilities and in return they volunteer to teach the kids from the nearby villages for an hour every day.
Young children are given basic literacy and help with their studies
Women not only join our Basic literacy program but also set up a breakfast stall outside the centre for early morning joggers/ walkers. This is a good source of income for the women who are otherwise not allowed to work outside.
- AFA Bijanbari (Darjeeling hills)
This centre runs two projects:
Project Shiksha is a support initiative to provide Educational opportunities for under-privileged children in Bijanbari valley. We strongly believe that only education can empower our children to make the right choices in life and embolden them to chase their dreams. It is the foundation for our future. Program includes full Sponsorship from Nursery to Senior Secondary to Higher Education depending on the child’s capacity.
Work we do
- We raise funds to sponsor books, school fees, shoes and uniforms, and education support for children.
- For higher studies the children have to move to the nearby towns/ cities. Hostel is provided to the needy school going children as well as to those studying in Universities away from the village.
- The AFA Centre provides after school coaching and mentoring to empower these children to enable them to make choices and aim for a future without bounds/ bondage – an Un-Bound Future.
- We regularly distribute Notebooks, Clothes, School bags, Geometry boxes etc. to the needy in the basti (far off areas in the highlands, where there are no motor-able roads). From time to time, our volunteers buy Uniforms. Some have even sent us their old/used laptops/netbooks for our students.
- Organise social events like cleanliness drives, painting & renovation work.
- Organize competitive events like Singing talent contest, Dance competition, Treasure Hunt for Kids, Football matches for senior girls, Sports meet, Painting Competition etc.
- Support Children for extra activities – Children ages 14 + are sponsored for a 15-day Adventure Course conducted by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling.
- Bonding exercises like weekend picnics and hikes are regularly organized.
Project Sammaan is an initiative to inculcate a culture of environment, sustainability, and rural development initiatives in the village. It aims to enable and empower the rural communities with knowledge, leadership, and execution capabilities for holistic development and transformation of villages. Creating new opportunities and possibilities of a Sustainable Livelihood not only fulfils the aspirations of rural communities to break the cycle of poverty but also gives them a chance to have a future without bounds or bondage – Unbound Futures.
What we do
Our first step has been to help the families of sponsored children so that the parents can provide food and create conducive environment for the student.
Some Activities we have undertaken so far:
- Setting up animal farm (Chicken, Goat, Pig).
- Help repair and maintain Roofs and build toilets.
- Setting up electricity backups.
- Sponsor locals to attend workshops in Permaculture with a sister organisation so that they can return and help us in spreading the message.
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