Aryaloka Computer Education, Young Indian Futures 2023-24 six-month residential course.

Every year Aryaloka Computer Education Centre brings 20 particularly disadvantaged, primarily young people (10 men/10 women) from some of the poorest states in India to Nagpur for a six-month residential course. The course was first run seven years ago. It was an initiative of the CEO and Founder of Aryaloka (Dharmachari Aryaketu) and English Dharmacharini Shakyajata (a long-time dharma teacher in India). Until 2017 Shakyajata taught English as well as dharma on the course. She has continued to provide moral support for the Director/Managers and to be the primary fundraiser for the course. Now she is not fundraising so here is the page we have created to raise funds to continue her wish to flow the spirit of compassion.

Students on the residential course live in a girls’ community and a boys’ community, and are responsible for budgeting a small monthly stipend, buying provisions, cooking and all aspects of their daily life. They learn to adjust and live together with people of different temperaments and habits in a very small living environment and strong friendships are formed. Day-today supervision and pastoral care for the girls is provided by the Manager of the Bhilgaon Aryaloka Centre (Sheetal Thool) and for the boys by the Manager of the Indora Aryaloka Centre (Dashan Thool).

The course is intensive and requires the development of excellent study skills and time management. Students gain proficiency in all aspects of the Microsoft Word suite (word, excel, power-point, internet) and achieve a highly regarded qualification (the Maharasthra State Certificate in Information Technology). They also learn tally accounting and achieve College of Computer Accounting qualifications. In addition, students learn hardware networking, photoshop, graphic design, desktop publishing and English language. The variety of skills they learn greatly increases their employment opportunities.

Personal development is an important component of the course. The programme includes twice-daily meditation and Buddhist dharma sessions. Students also learn about Dr Ambedkar and his commitment to achieving equality and justice for Dalit people. They learn about human rights and gender equality and personal safety. As the stories convey, all students have greatly increased their confidence and learned to obtain a level of mental calmness and clarity during their time at Aryaloka.

The small number of students and the residential nature of the course means that it is possible for the Director, Managers and teachers to provide individual attention and mentoring, resulting in a high level of student achievement. High-performing students are invited to join an internship programme at Aryaloka aimed at developing community leadership and future teachers for the organisation. Students are supported to find jobs or to start their own small computer businesses after they complete the course.

Total cost for activity :

Stipend - 1500 Rs. X 15 Students X 6 months = 135000 Rs.

Course fees - 15 students X 12000 = 180000 Rs.

Total : 315000 Rs. Approximate : 3150 GBP

What was the motivation for setting up the organisation Aryaloka Education Society?

The motivation for setting up the organisation was based on Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s vision (reflected in the Indian Constitution which he wrote) for a society free from all forms of discrimination and based on the principles of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Like Dr Ambedkar, the Founder of Aryaloka is himself from a Dalit background and was strongly motivated by Dr Ambedkar’s lifelong struggle to improve the rights and livelihoods of Dalit communities. He determined to use his own education and IT qualifications and skills to work for the improvement of disadvantaged communities.

In accordance with this, the aim of Aryaloka was (and remains) to provide young women and men from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly those from Dalit and Other Backward Castes (OBC), to attain high quality computer qualifications and skills which will enable them to obtain semi-skilled work and/or to access further education. The focus on computer skills helps disadvantaged youth to move from traditional low paid manual work (often based on caste) to modern more secure IT sector work. Computer skills are indispensable for modern living and even small businesses now require staff with computer and accounting skills. This will also help to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty resulting from un/underemployment, indebtedness and seasonal migration for work which is predominant in much of rural India. English language training, personal development and human rights (including gender equality) and personal mentoring helps to develop confidence, self esteem and leadership among students. A mix of caste and class within the training centres, with priority being given to women students (currently around 60% of students are women) assists the breakdown of discriminatory beliefs and practices.

What are the organisation’s areas of expertise?

• Provision of high quality computer and related training including for the Maharashtra Certificate in Computer Information Technology (MSCIT), the Central Government of India Course on Computer Concepts (CCC) and College of Computer Accounting (CCA). Students attain proficiency in a broad range of skills which will increase their employability. These include: MS-word, MS-excel, MS-powerpoint, internet. In addition most students will also study further courses including photoshop, desktop publishing, tally accounting and hardware networking.

• Personal attention and mentoring which results in high retention, achievement, job placement and/or further education rates. This is currently around 70% for all centres. The residential course for 20 (10 women/10 men) particularly deprived students from rural Chhatisgarh and Bihar has retention, achievement and job placement rates of around 80%.

• Provision of English language training (usually provided by English speaking volunteers)

• Support from staff and alumni in securing jobs and/or further education

• Provision of further training and internships for high performing students to become future Aryaloka teachers and to contribute to the expansion of Aryaloka in other states. (Presently the two Aryaloka centres in Raipur is managed and staffed by alumni).

What projects are you currently working on?

• Provision of training for a total of 700 students per year in 3 training centres in Nagpur. These centres have a range of students from different caste/class backgrounds with about 60% of students from disadvantaged, below poverty line (BPL) backgrounds. Those from poorer backgrounds are required to contribute by paying examination fees (to the Maharashtra State Board Technical Education) in order to ensure the course is appropriately valued and this contributes also to low drop-out rates. Students from better off backgrounds pay full fees. This contributes to organisational sustainability and ensures a continued demand for high quality IT education. In working together as classmates, caste and class discrimination is broken down.

• Provision of training for 180 students per year in Raipur Chhatisgarh. 80% of these students come from BPL families. The existing centre (and another under development in a different part of Raipur city) are situated to enable easy access for both students from slums and students from better off areas.

• A six month residential course held each year in Nagpur for 20 students (10 women/10 men) from particularly deprived backgrounds primarily from Chhatisgarh and Bihar and Jharkhand. This has been running for seven years. High performing students from this course often join Aryaloka internship programmes and subsequently become future leaders to manage or support similar centres (as is happening in Raipur and is anticipated in future centres). In this way Aryaloka is not only teaching IT and accounting skills for improved livelihoods but is also developing role models and leadership for young people in depressed communities.

Please list your significant achievements over the past five years

• Established a new centre in Raipur (2015) and achieved high levels of retention, achievement and job placement (around 70%)

• Carried out a community survey and needs assessment and commenced development of a second centre in another part of Raipur.

• Maintained three centres in Nagpur providing training in IT and accounting, with continuing high rates of retention, achievement and job placement and/or further education. (Rates of around 70% compare extremely favourably with skills including computer skills programmes run by the government for disadvantaged youth (eg a recent report in the Times of India indicated that just 36% of those trained under the Maharashtra Skill India Campaign found employment). Maharashtra is a highly developed state with significant employment opportunities so rates in poorer states such as Chhattisgarh and Bihar are likely to be significantly less.

• Maintained the 6 month residential course in Nagpur (established in 2011) for particularly deprived young women and men from rural backgrounds (primarily Chattisgarh and Bihar), with over 80% retention, achievement and job placement/further education success rates. This has significant impacts on students and their families and provides role models for other young people.

• Further developed/enhanced the additional components of the course including English language training, personal development (including assertiveness training and self defence for female students), human rights (including gender equality).

• Continued to provide personal attention and mentoring to students including (for those over 18) in job placements and /or further education.

What has been your priority focus and why

• Technical training in IT, accounting skills, English language and personal development leading to improved livelihoods for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The decision to focus on IT/accounting was made not only because of the personal qualifications and experience of the founder but also because of the opportunity it provides for disadvantaged youth to move out of traditional low paid manual labour (often determined by caste) to more highly paid modern sector employment using IT skills which are indispensable in the 21st century. Even small businesses in the rural sector now require this expertise. Employment in this sector will reduce the need for the next generation to undertake seasonal migration which impacts severely on the lives of children, leading to disrupted education and often neglect and abuse. This particularly impacts on Dalit and OBC.

• Addressing gender inequality

Women are additionally affected by gender discrimination and Aryaloka gives priority to female students (currently around 60%). The opportunity for women to obtain semi-skilled jobs, and sometimes further education, delays marriage and increases confidence in choosing husbands. Education and employment enables women to attain some financial independence, giving them opportunities to leave future relationships/family situations that may be abusive and to live independently. Personal development (including gender equality, human rights and assertiveness/self defence training) further contributes to the development of self esteem and confidence. Their training at Aryaloka (together with their male colleagues) challenges the traditional male dominated norms they have grown up with.

• Providing personal mentoring and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds (including staff and alumni support to attain jobs) to ensure high retention, high achievement and high employment rates.

Aryaloka believes students from Dalit/OBC disadvantaged backgrounds are entitled to the same high quality of education/training as students from higher castes and classes. Aryaloka has proven that with support these students are able to perform as well as or better than those from better off backgrounds. Aryaloka also encourages high performing students to take up internships/further training to enable them to become future Aryaloka teachers and role models/leaders within their communities.

Please share some key concerns related to your work which led you to develop this fundraising appeal / page.

1) This appeal mainly for raising funds for needy students those are attending courses at Aryaloka centres of Nagpur from different slums of Nagpur.

Budget for one student: MSCIT course - 4500 Rs. + Tally accounting course 4000 Rs. + English speaking and personal development. Total cost goes 8500 Rs. i.e. 85 GBP. If you donate 85 GBP will make difference in the life of one student.

2) Fundraising for six months residential course in Nagpur (first established in 2011) has enabled some particularly disadvantaged youth (10 men/10 women annually) from very poor rural backgrounds primarily in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha etc to attain computer qualifications and skills, there are considerable financial and accommodation constraints on this and only a small number (10 men and 10 women) of students can be supported to attend the course each year.

Budget for one students for 6 months : IT course fees - 100 GBP + Food and accommodation 100 GBP Total cost goes to 200 GBP.

What is the title of your project?

Aryaloka Computer Education: Education for Improved Livelihoods for Disadvantaged Youth.

What problem does the proposed project seek to address?

The project addresses low education/skill levels and high rates of un/underemployment among disadvantaged communities dependent on traditional, manual, low-paid work (often determined by caste). This often leads to indebtedness and seasonal migration which impacts negatively on families, particularly children, leading to disrupted education and/or neglect and abuse. The project seeks to break this intergenerational cycle of poverty and the associated caste and class discrimination.

The project also seeks to address issues of gender inequality and discrimination by prioritising selection of women students and supporting them to gain qualifications and jobs, challenging the male dominated societal norms.

What does your organisation plan to do to address the problem?

• Establish high quality computer centres (providing highly-reputed qualifications such as MSCIT and CCA) close to rural areas of extreme deprivation in Nagpur, Maharashtra state and other parts of states as well.

• Prioritise selection of BPL (Below Poverty Line) and female students.

• Provide well-trained and motivated teachers to deliver high-quality broad-based training to increase employability: IT training (including MS Word, MS Excel, MS powerpoint, internet, desktop publishing, photoshop), tally accounting, English language training, personal development and human rights (including gender equality) training.

• Provide personal attention and mentoring to ensure young people from disadvantaged backgrounds complete courses and attain good qualifications (as has been the case to date with 70-80% retention and achievement over all courses.)

• Provide support from staff and alumni to ensure students find jobs and/or progress to further education.

• Provide on-going mentoring and support through an alumni organisation and provide opportunities for high-performing students to undertake internships and further training to become future Aryaloka teachers.

What are other agencies including government doing to address the problem?

There are a number of technical courses, including computer courses, being run by government and private agencies. This includes the Skill India program run by Central Government of India (often delivered by NGOs). This course is only available to students from below the poverty line (BPL). Often courses are not high-quality and achievement levels and job placement levels are low. (eg as cited above, Skill India Program job placement rates in Maharashtra were recently reported as only 36%. The rate is likely to be lower in other poorer states). Because such courses are often not of a high-quality graduates from them are not highly regarded by employers. Most courses provided by private agencies are beyond the financial reach of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Aryaloka strongly believes that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are entitled to the same high quality of education and training as those from more privileged backgrounds.

What links do you have with other organisations active in this field?

Aryaloka works closely with:

• Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (http://www.mkcl.org). MKCL carries out independent quality assessments of all providers and has authorised Aryaloka to run MSCIT (Maharashtra State Certificate in Information Technology (http:/mscit.mkcl.org) at its centres. MKCL provides course materials (up-graded biennially) and teacher training. Teachers must upgrade their knowledge and renew their IT training qualification with MKCL annually. Exams are conducted under rigorous conditions by the Maharashtra State Board Technical Education. MKCL has expanded this highly-regarded course to other states including Bihar and (recently) Chhattisgarh.

• National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT: https://www.nielit.gov.in) which runs the Course on Computer Concepts for those who require Central Government computer qualifications.

• College of Computer Accounting (CCA) which runs highly-regarded Tally computer accounting programmes throughout India.