Literacy is an essential part of life and its the life blood in terms of ones economic growth. Literacy is a fundamental right of every citizen of India, but not many in the interiors consider this as a boon because they don’t know its value. Some turn a blind eye to education while some consider this as a burden. Crores of adults may never get a chance to study, but SST isn’t giving this a defeat.
The adult literacy program is providing education to non-literates using well trained adult literacy teachers. It helps men and women folk to break free from the chains of illiteracy. The classes are being conducted during the evening hours when men women return home after the day’s work.
Training is provided in different vernacular languages in different places for animators and Project managers to run the literacy classes for 12 months. Equipment such as blackboards, notebooks, slates, gaslights, charts & visual aids were provided for the Neo-literates. The Teachers and Project Managers are provided with honoraria for rendering their services.
Besides literacy the Awareness programs are being initiated for learners to give up their addictions like smoking, alcohol, tobacco and gambling. This has improved their family relations and standard of living. Learners are also taught to maintain cleanliness and personal hygiene. The importance of taking nutritious food and using clean drinking water is explained very precisely as this can help reduce many common illneses. Awareness about HIV and other deadly diseases are also being promoted in order to be aware of sexual transmitted diseases that has affected many lives and shattered families.
Social awareness is also provided to learners to put a complete stop on child marriages and child labor. They are instructed to encourage their children to go to school instead of employing them to manual jobs that fetches them nothing attractive.
Besides these useful instructions, social, moral and ethical values, rights and duties of a citizen are instilled in them to bring holistic transformation that leads to a well dignified life. Learners are also counselled about superstitions, dowry etc., which is a widespread social problem and are encouraged to refrain from such practices.
Apart from the above social activities, learners are encouraged to plant medicinal and fruit sapplings. Each learner is given a few medicinal and fruit plants at the time of the inauguration. They are also encouraged to grow kitchen garden for their own benefit and have organic and leafy vegetables in order to save money. Learners are also encouraged to dig pits for harvesting rain water and this also helps them to raise the ground water levels in their area.
Its rightly said, children are the leaders of our future! But sadly, there are thousands of children who are deprivied of eduation in our country. They innocently get dragged into different addictions at a very tender age and many end up being school dropouts due to family pressure or lack of interest in studies. The ASC program is aimed at guiding such children and help them in their educational pursuits while molding their character and inculcating in them ethical, moral and spiritual values.
These children later tend to become better citizens who can build a bright future for themselves and the country as well. Adequate sports equipment’s are provided to take part in extra-curricular activities besides their regular studies.