The following list presents the programmes which were dealt
by Sakshi in October 2008.
Click on the title of one programme to view details about
it.
Sakshi – Dr. Deborah Rose Health Project
The
Library Programme
Early
Childhood Care and Development centers
Non
Formal Education Centers
Remedial
Centers
Vocational
Training Centres
Computer
Centres
An
English Centre
To
fight truancy and dropping out in the Sakshi centres
Advocating
improvement of education in India
Sakshi
– Water Centric Programme
Sakshi – Dr.
Deborah Rose Health Project
 This
programme has existed since August 2006. Promoting and ensuring
improvement in the health of women and children from marginalized
Delhi slums are the general goals of this project. You will find
here the intervention areas of it.
Two learning centres for children who are out of school due to health
problems were opened; one health check is done each month in these
centres.
Then, all the children studying in the Sakshi centres are checked
by five MBBS doctors every month. Medicines are also distributed
to the children and their parents.
One mother workshop is organized each month with a Resource Person
from Jamia Millia Islamia University (Department of Home Science)
and RAK Nursing Collage, Government of India. The concerned women
benefit from lectures about making nutrient food, from family planning,
and prevention about HIV/AIDS.
A daily family planning centre is also led by a social worker for
women, boys and girls in Jasola, New Delhi.
Finally, two health camps are organized each year (2 days each)
with a medical team.
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The
Library Programme
 Since
September 2006, Sakshi has established libraries in Municipal Corporation
Delhi (MCD) Schools thanks to the support of “Room to Read”, an
NGO from San Francisco, US.
This programme is supposed to improve the pupils’ reading and writing
skills, offering to the children books, posters, games and craft
materials.
In each library, a Sakshi facilitator is specially trained to interact
with the children. He holds sessions in storytelling, arts, crafts
and role play. A pupil from a covered school goes to the library
during around 6 hours a week.
102 “Sakshi”-“Room to Read” libraries are currently functioning
in Delhi (Central and West Zone). Around 90,000 MCD School pupils
(45,000 boys and 35,000 girls) benefit from this programme.
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Early Childhood Care and Development
Centres
 In
October 2007, an Early Childhood Care and Development Centre (or
ECCD Centre) was launched by Sakshi in New Delhi. This centre is
sponsored by “HPS Foundation” (New Delhi).
The main goal of this programme is to prepare 3 to 6 years old children
for primary school into an environment where learning is encouraged
and attending school is desirable and normal.
An ECCD centre is also a way to replace the older siblings and allows
them to go to school freely. As a matter of fact the older siblings
from disfavoured areas often drop out of school to look after their
brothers and sisters. Sakshi has to deal with a complex challenge:
to convince the parents that early education is essential and that
they must send regularly their children to the ECCD centre. Sakshi
organizes home visits and meeting between teachers and parents to
spread awareness about necessity of education.
In October 2008, 24 kids were benefiting of this programme in New
Delhi.
.......................................................................................................................................
Non Formal Education Centres
 Two
Non Formal Education Centres (or NFE Centres) were opened in October
2007 by Sakshi in New Delhi slums. These centres are sponsored by
“HPS Foundation” (New Delhi).
The Sakshi teachers provide learning based alternative education
and promotion of life skills for out of school children who would
otherwise not have access to an education.
At the end of the school year (May), the children are assessed and
helped to get admission into regular government schools. As a matter
of fact, Sakshi does not attempt to create a system that runs parallel
to the formal system already in place. During the year are prepared
to be mainstreamed in formal schools.
Sakshi has to deal with a complex challenge: to convince the parents
that education is essential and that they have to allow their children
to go to school. Sakshi organizes home visits and meeting between
teachers and parents to spread awareness about necessity of education.
59 children are currently registered in the two NFE centres.
.........................................................................................................................................
Remedial Centres
 Eight
Remedial Centres are currently functioning in New Delhi slums. Three
of them were established in October 2007 being sponsored by “HPS
Foundation” (New Delhi). The five other centres were opened in July
2008 thanks to the support of the NGO “India Sponsor Foundation”
(New Delhi).
These centres work with children who attend regular formal schools
but need help in keeping up with the syllabus taught in the school.
They function to strengthen the child's understanding of school
subjects and to provide an encouraging and supportive environment.
Thus they act as a strong factor to prevent the child from dropping
out of school. Remedial centres were also initiated seeing the stipulation
teaching of MCD Schools. Each child cannot be given personal interest
due to the huge strength of students in one class; there are sometimes
more than 30 pupils, face to one teacher in primary schools. Then,
Sakshi wants to teach them to be concentrated and autonomous to
increase their ability to work efficiently at school.
In October 2008, 245 children were registered in these eight Remedial
Centres and came in regularly after school.
..........................................................................................................................................
Vocational Training Centres
 Two
Vocational Training Centres are currently functioning in New Delhi
slums. The first one was opened in October 2007 thanks to “HPS Foundation”
(New Delhi); the second one in January 2008 thanks to “PPAP” (New
Delhi).
These centres are pragmatically dedicated to underprivileged teenage
girls and women, to teach them basic life skills (dress making,
computing, hand and machine embroidery...). This knowledge is supposed
to help them to increase their future earning capacities. These
centres are expected to favour economic development of the covered
slums, transmitting new skills to the community. Sakshi team considers
this kind of action will free it from the vicious cycle of poverty.
In October 2008, 42 teenage girls and young women were registered
in these centres.
..........................................................................................................................................
Computer Centres
 Two
computer centres are currently functioning in New Delhi slums. The
first one was established in October 2007 and is sponsored by “HPS
Foundation” (New Delhi). The other one has been functioning since
January 2008 thanks to “PPAP” (New Delhi).
The beneficiaries of this programme receive lectures of computing.
These centres were created because computer skills are more and
more essential to get a well-paid and recognized job. These centres
are expected to favour economic development of the covered slums,
transmitting new skills to the community. Sakshi also helps the
registered pupils to get a job at the end of the year of formation.
In October 2008, 66 teenagers and young adults were benefiting from
this programme.
........................................................................................................................................
An English Centre
 An
English Centre was created in May 2008 being supported by “HPS Foundation”
(New Delhi).
Speaking English is more and more requested to be integrated in
a competitive employment world. That is why this centre was established.
It is mainly dedicated to female students.
In October 2008, English lectures were given to 24 girls.
...........................................................................................................................................
To fight truancy and dropping
out in the Sakshi centres
 One
of Sakshi’s main goals is spreading awareness about necessity of
education in the slums where it is intervening. Going to schools
is not necessarily an obvious component of life for inhabitants
of New Delhi slums. Sakshi always tries to convince the parents
to send their children to school and to the Sakshi centres, and
the pupils to come regularly.
Sakshi volunteers and Sakshi teachers often go to meet parents whom
the children do not come at all in the centres, or do not come regularly.
These home visits are efficient: they have allowed increasing the
number of regular pupils.
Discussion between the teacher and the students, and awareness classes
about the importance of education are also organized.
...........................................................................................................................................
Advocating improvement
of education in India
Sakshi has organized reflexion workshops about education: 
- “Workshop on value based education to identify learning resource
material and define teaching, and learning strategies used for
value based education”. 1st to 4th April 2008. Indian Social Institute,
New Delhi. View Report
- “Life skill promotion as an integral of universal elementary
education”.
Lok Kala Manch, New Delhi. 13th to 14th March 2007.
- “Value bas learning centred approach for a holistic development
of school children”. 5th to 8th September 2005. India International
Centre, New Delhi.
- “Life skill promotion amongst out of school children”. 27th
to 28th April 2005. India Social Institute, New Delhi. Supported
by Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of Delhi.
............................................................................................................................................
Sakshi – Water Centric Programme
 “Water
Centric” is a “bridge” organization between geographic areas that
are in most urgent need of improved water, sanitation and hygiene,
and the international agencies, foundations, technical experts,
and individuals committed to changing the situation.
“Water Centric” chose to collaborate with Sakshi to act in ten New
Delhi primary schools, because Sakshi has built many links with
local schools and used to lead a similar project (Parivartan) from
1998 to 2002. This local action is integrated in “Water, Sanitation
& Hygiene Education (or watsan)”, a “Water Centric” Programme. “Water
Centric” and Sakshi will work together from 2008 to 2011.
According to Government of India and to UNICEF, only half of Indian
primary schools have safe drinking water, and only 1 in 10 has sanitary
facilities. Then, where toilets do exit, they are so poorly maintained
or so few in number that most children do not use them. Many girls
are often absent or drop out of school because of this lack of toilet
facilities.
The general objectives of this three years programme is educating
and mobilizing children to act as catalytic agents to spread the
message of sanitation from schools to their parents and their communities.
Ten Municipal Corporation Delhi Schools are covered by this project.
First, facilities for drinking water supply and toilets facilities
are being installed or improved. Secondly, Sakshi and “Water Centric”
want to promote students co-curricular and extra-curricular activities
to sustain interest in sanitary facilities.
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