ALAKNANDA SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT
This is one of the flagship projects of Parichay that aims to help drop-out girl students from underprivileged families clear their matriculation under National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). In the first phase launched in 2016, the foundation had identified 59 girl students from Kalyanpur panchayat located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and enrolled them under National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). The foundation is now ready to start the second phase of the project with 60 more girls identified from the same region even as the students from the first phase are eagerly awaiting their results.
The foundation takes into account several factors before identifying the girls for the scholarship project. These include
- Financial position
- Parents’ interest in sending the girls for regular classes
- The inclination of the girl students to pursue their education
- Previous mark sheets of the girl students
- Performance in an entrance exam conducted by Parichay Foundation before their enrolment under NIOS
Under this project, besides taking care of their admission and examination fees under NIOS, Parichay adopts these girls for an entire year so that they can have regular classes with the course material provided by NIOS. The objective is to motivate them and help them clear the matriculation examination in a year’s time with guidance from regular salaried teachers and volunteers of Parichay Foundation.
That apart, Parichay organises extra-curricular activities on a regular basis from time to time for the students to motivate them to study and perform better. From yoga and dance classes to health camps and excursions, Parichay carries out several programmes to keep the students inspired throughout the year. On the occasion of Independence Day this year, Parichay Foundation also made an attempt to give a new sense of freedom to all students enrolled in the first phase by donating them cycles.
SALIASAHI DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Parichay organises counselling classes for adolescent girls in the slums on a regular basis on various issues, from encouraging them to study to making them aware about good health and hygiene.
Parichay empowers the young girls through its capsule program ‘PARI’ through which Personality Development and Spoken English classes are organised on a regular basis to help them get ready for a professional life.
Parichay also organises counselling sessions for the slum women to help them raise issues of domestic violence and fight against them and also make them aware about women empowerment.
Parichay volunteers regularly organise cleanliness campaigns in Salia Sahi area to improve hygiene and sanitation in the region with the help of three local clubs- Ekamara Club, Evergreen Club & Youth Club.
Parichay has distributed sewing machines among hundreds of slum women under its project “PARITA” in the Salia Sahi slum area.
On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Puja this year, Parichay also launched an ‘AGARBATTI’ project in Salia Sahi to change the lives of slum women in the area.
BEGUNIA PROJECT
Parichay Foundation has been running a Residential Tribal School at Manibandha village under Begunia Block, Khurdha district since 2010.
Spread across 15 acres, the school has students from Classes I to VIII. The total student strength is 254 and there are nine teachers and four staff members. In the school, free education, uniform, books and meals are provided to the children, all belonging to Scheduled Tribe and Below Poverty Line.
Parichay also organises extra-curricular activities from time to time at the school to encourage the students for continuing with their education.
Recently, Supreme Task, an International NGO has also joined hands with Parichay to run the ‘SMASH HUNGER’ project in providing nutritious food free of cost for a year to all the students of the school at Begunia.
VOCATIONAL COMPUTER TRAINING PROJECT
Parichay understands the importance of computer training for the youth today to get placed in decent jobs. And, that is the reason, the foundation is running two computer centres at Patia and Salia Sahi for young girls and ladies. The ‘PRABHA’ Computer Training Project provides free PGDCA and DCA courses to underprivileged girls to empower them.
While 160 girls are getting free training at the Patia centre, 40 girls have been enrolled in the Salia Sahi centre for this financial year.
MISCELLANEOUS
Besides these ongoing projects, Parichay keeps organising various activities from time to time in many areas in and around Bhubaneswar to empower girls and women. From organising health camps and counselling sessions to providing food/uniform/study materials in different schools to distributing cycles and sewing machines among underprivileged women, Parichay keeps making a humble attempt to bring about some positive changes in the lives of underprivileged girls and women.