News & Events

Projects undertaken by FIDA in the year 2006

In the year 2006, four projects were undertaken by FIDA which addressed issues like health, higher education and teachers training.

1. Distribution of Footwear:

FIDA activities were initiated with a small project on Independence Day. During the preliminary visits to the school, it was noticed that almost all the children roam around barefoot, which leads to a lot of skin infections, especially during the rainy season. In order to infuse a quantum of hygiene, footwear and biscuits were distributed to around 450 children on 26th January 2006, mainly to acclimatize them to the habit of wearing footwear. FIDA members also participated in the Republic Day celebrations at school.

2. FIDA Foundation Scholarships:

Four scholarships for higher education have been instituted by FIDA to motivate students to excel at their studies, as also to ensure continuity in education . The scholarship awarded to the topper in the Std X Board exams is named “The Rajendra Hotanhali Scholarship” in memory of our dear friend. The FIDA Foundation scholarships include a starting amount of Rs 3000; lodging, boarding, tuition fees and a monthly allowance of Rs. 300/- per student. The scholarships would be renewed every year based on the academic performance of concerned students.

In the year 2006, the school secured a pass percentage of 86%. Based on indepth interaction with the students as regards their academic as well as non academic strengths and motivation levels, four students (2 boys, 2 girls) were finalized for award of scholarships. However, all the students (except for the topper) wanted to pursue their education in nearby ashramshalas and were not inclined to go to colleges in Pune city. Although FIDA members were of the opinion that they should gain wider exposure in junior college by moving to colleges in Pune city, it was judged non-feasible to uproot the students and dislodge them completely into an alien environment. It was finally decided to go by the choice of the students themselves and to gain their confidence in the coming years. The financial burden on FIDA being small (as these ashramshalas provide scholarships and subsidise the education), it was decided to extend the scholarship to seven students instead of four (3 boys and four girls) for the year 2006. The recipients of the scholarship for the year 2006 are Suchintak Budhe, Dnyaneshwar Nisal, Sarojini Pichad, Ratna Shinde, Deepak Hemade, Ratna Nisal and Vidya Madge.

3. Teachers Training Programme:

FIDA networked with Vidnyanvahini, a non governmental organization involved in imparting scientific education, distribution of books and spreading knowledge to schools without adequate resources. Two science teachers from the Wadeshwar Ashramshala attended a workshop on science scheduled at Padmavati, Maval Taluka from 1st to 3rd July. The workshop aimed at making science interesting to the students. This was the first step towards a more qualitative and value added education which is of prime importance on the FIDA agenda.

4. Health Camp:

Health being an integral component of our activities through FIDA, a health camp was organized for all students at the Wadeshwar Ashramshala on December 10’ 2006. The main aim of the camp was to serve as a basis to gather information and analyze the overall health of the school, so as also to initiate corrective measures wherever required.

The doctors participating in the camp included Dr. Noel Zacharius, Dr. Gauri Joshi, Dr .Mihir Hajarnavis, Dr. Anil Kale, Dr. Priya Nair and Dr. Sameer Saxena. They were further assisted by six volunteer interns.

Health cards were printed for every student. The various parameters looked into during the health camp included nutritional status; personal hygiene; general examination covering teeth, tongue, throat, ear, nose, eyes, nails and skin; chest examination; abdominal examination; deficiency syndromes; vaccinations; hemoglobin content etc. Over 300 students were examined during the day. Vitamin A syrup and de-worming capsules were distributed among the students.

A major finding was that almost 90 % of the students suffered from scabies indicating very poor sanitation at the school. A few projects to improve the hygiene conditions at the school were initiated:

  • As a follow-up to the camp, around 27,000 ml of Gamma Benzene Hexachloride (Gamma Scab) was sent to the school to control the wide spread incidence of Scabies noticed among the children.
  • In order to ensure personal hygiene, toothbrushes, toothpastes and soaps (500 each) were supplied to the school.