Financial Enterprise
Karan A Young Entrepreneur
The Innovation project was initiated in Pusaner village in Nandgaon block of Amravati district in Maharashtra. The Self Help Group leaders with the help of partner organization ‘Apeksha Homeo Society’ had started conducting regular sessions on Aflatoun. They organized sessions on the savings component of the program. One of the students named Karan Dipak Khadse had joined the Aflatoun group and started coming for the sessions. He is from a low socio-economic background and his parents worked hard to make ends meet. During the entrepreneurship program, the leaders explained to the children about small enterprises and its importance.
With the components of saving and financial entrepreneurship, karan gathered reusable material from his school and nearby areas and tried to make some craft work on his own. He made an artificial peacock with cardboard covers of used notebooks, bamboo sticks and color papers. The peacock was so pretty that he decided to sell it in the weekly market. He made around 62 peacock pieces and sold off them at Rs. 20 each. He took guidance from the Aflatoun teacher in the village. He sold them for Rs. 1240/- out of which his investment was of Rs. 340/- In this way he gained Rs. 900 out of this entrepreneurship activity. He was very happy and excited with his small profitable venture. He thanked the Aflatoun group which helped him to recognize and implement his creative skills.
Rights and Responsibility
Vidyamandir Kolik School under Panhala block, Kolhapur district is up to 7th Std where our partner NGO ‘Sangali Mission Society’ started the Aflatoun program in August 2014. Sangali Mission Society facilitator often visited the school and supported the teacher Mr. Chaugule in facilitating sessions of Aflatoun syllabus. An Aflatoun club has been formed and they conduct meetings twice a month and discuss various topics that are of importance to them.
Mr. Dattatray Chaugule, Aflatoun teacher in their school, facilitated a session on Child Right and Responsibilities in December, 2014. The children were excited to know about United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). They discussed about their understanding on the topic. They felt a need of spreading awareness about Child Rights and Responsibilities in their village as well, so that many children will become aware of this important subject. They shared the idea with their teacher and he suggested that the children should conduct an activity by using active learning methodology. Aflatoun club members decided to prepare a theme for a dramatic presentation:
- A poor family – mother, father and five children in a village
- The parents are laborers and get meager earning to feed their children
- The family is not able to fulfill basic needs of the children
- The children become vulnerable to difficult situations
- One day one super woman comes to see the kids
- Made them aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Around 10 Aflatoun club members did the rehearsal for 3 weeks after their regular sessions of school. Finally they presented the drama in School fair in January 2015 in the front of students, teachers and villagers. Ravina Kamble who was in grade 7, played a role of super woman.
Savings and Spendings
Aamhi Amachya Aarogyasathi an NGO in Gadhchiroli district is our partner organization, who is implementing the Aflatoun program. This story is about Jitendra who comes from a low socio-economic background, his father owns a small bidi shop and his mother is a housewife. He was very keen to own a bicycle but his family could not afford to buy it for him. But thanks to the Aflatoun program, Jitendra’s dream came true when he was able to purchase a bicycle from the money that he saved in the Aflatoun bank. Jitendra has very proudly put a sticker on the bicycle which says, ‘Jitendra devidas Dhote, Aflatoun saving bank, Shivani village’!!!
Social Enterprise
Our partner Aamhi Amchya Aarogyasathi (AAAS) started the Aflatoun program 5 years back in Zila Parishad, Nandali School, Kurkheda block, Gadchiroli district. This is a story of Jayashree Madavi who became an Aflatoun member when she was in grade 5 and is currently in grade 7.
Mr. Meshram is an Aflatoun teacher for the school, who used to conduct sessions of the Aflatoun syllabus with the help of AAAS facilitator. Many schools in Gadchiroli have addressed issues of the ill-effects of tobacco last year and Aflatoun club has become instrumental in spreading awareness among children.
Aflatoun club members encouraged local tobacco venders to stop selling tobacco, especially near the premises of schools. The club members also organized awareness rallies in the villages on this issue.
Jayashree’s mother Manora is a laborer and she works in the fields to help run the house. She used to spend Rs. 40/- on tobacco daily. She was addicted to Kharra, which is one of the dangerous tobaccos, and is sold at a higher price compared to other tobacco products. One day Jayashree sat with her mother and explained to her the ill effects of consuming tobacco. She requested the teacher and other members, to come to her home to show the photos and videos of tobacco impact. Jayashree took this task as her mission for her mother and kept motivating her for four months. Her mother was impressed by her daughter’s efforts and stopped taking tobacco.
Social Enterprise
Mahesh had to undergo an eye operation but he had no money for reaching the hospital although the operation was totally free of cost. Jayant the President of Aflatoun Club along with Aflatoun children helped Mahesh by collecting donations and giving it to him. Around Rs.1500/- were collected for him by the Aflatoun children. Mahesh could finally approach the Govt. hospital in time and his operation was successful.
