Nieuws vanuit Samuplan
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May 2015 to October 2015
Report of Samuplan by Bruno Savio
To our friends who are caring...
Dear Well Wishers and Donors! ‘Vanakkam’, bonjour and cordial greetings from Pondicherry!
“The dawn of the world may rises”, but the community of gypsy never rose. As we all know, the gypsy community people are mostly sellers of balloons, small toys, rag pickers, beggars etc. Children too follow the same as their tradition. But now it was really surprise to watch gypsy children’s’ who were dressed up in school uniforms and moving to schools by 11.30 am to get the mid-day meals.
Eight years back when Samugam foundation stepped in, the idea sparked to bring the people into mainstream. But the effort ends in failure. People remained the same, after some days we with the help of volunteers started teach them the basic hygienic daily activities like brushing, bathing, dressing, etc.
At the time Laura Sonck and Valerie Nys , students from Belgium jointly executed “SAMUPLAN” which is our dream project with the objective of educating gypsy community children.
During the month of April 2015, as a first step we started induced the children to go for the school by giving various games, small activities etc. It was completely supported by volunteers and the students from Pondicherry University. We organized “SUMMER CAMP” where children were enjoyed indoor and outdoor games for the first time.
More than 30 children were participated and more than 10 children were joined in SamuPlan. Various meetings were conducted with lot of entertainment to motivate them to have education. Exposure visit was organized to children along with their parents to aware of the value of education. It was difficult at the beginning, but when days pass on the community itself supported us. This was our strength to us to reach our goal. Totally 42 children were enrolled in four different schools to have regular curriculum. Samugam provides them free transportation from the village to the schools.
Detailed Report
Motivational Activities
During the month of March we gradually started regular schedule like tab classes, sports,
movies, story telling, drawings and paintings etc. Encouraged the children by giving big
and small gifts. After we began the regular classes in the school at 8.30 am. everyday with
the permission of Government. For the 1st time Gypsy Children were stepped out to school.
This helped to start regular schooling in the month of June.
Awareness on Health & Hygiene
Samugam team took effort on giving awareness on health and hygiene to the Gypsies.
This makes tremendous difference among the children of the targeted community.
Finally we made the entire movement successful, clean with smile…will continue
throughout the academic year. This was really appreciated by the Govt School Principle
which they can’t.
Long Awaited Summer Camp in mid May
Summer camp has been conducted at the end of the month April 2015.
More than 35 children from gypsy and tribal community were participated and enjoyed
funny games. This helps in merging both the community children together for sports
activities. Volunteers named Lieselot Biasino, Isabel Rigaux and Aline Gielis from Belgium
supported us in teaching craft works and for organizing games.
Inspite of Community disputes both the community children co operated well and enjoyed
the camp. Through this we motivated entire selected group of children and their parents.
Rented new Building for Crèche and species ground in the month of June
We have shifted our crèche to the middle of the community which was found comfort
for the children. With the help of community boys we painted the building.
Volunteers from Belgium have painted beautiful wall drawings which really attracted
our kids. The ground has been fenced where the children can play right in front of
the new crèche. It took a time to make participate all the Samuplan children.
It took 15 days to complete spacious ground.
Breakfast provided from early July
Samugam Foundation appointed a cook specially to give breakfast for the children
of gypsy which is not habit for them to cook in the morning. So we decided to feed
one serving so they go fresh to school. Mid-day meals will be provided by
school education.
Installed loudspeakers and evening tuition activities
The day starts with a breakfast and special prayer sung by their own children in the mike.
It makes the entire community happy. We kept 3 speakers which completely covers the
community and will give announcement which helps us to gather children to school,
organizing meetings, awareness tips, etc. Since the community has 67 houses it makes
us easy to bring their attention through speakers. The school bags were arranged in their
racks every evening. We conduct special tuition at home work to help the small children.
There will be a motivating session in regular basic just to keep us there sprit.
Regular meetings for motivation in Community Hall
Once in a month we organized the meeting with the parents in Samugam Community Hall
which was built and inaugurated by a team of our supporters from Belgium.
Such Meetings helps to build personal relationship through we ensure the cleanliness
and discipline. Teachers in Schools are happy to see the improvement in gypsy community
children which they could not. So they are supportive in giving special coaching for
SamuPlan children. Often our staffs visits the school to know the progress of the children.
Crèche activities
15 children were enrolled in the crèche this year. We gave awareness on clean and
hygiene activities like brushing, bathing, with the support of volunteers.
Now the parents were motivated to take brush and bath and kids were bathed and
brushed by our volunteers. Now they look good to see neatly dressed.
Basic Teachings with funny activities helped them early schoolings.
Saving scheme for Gypsy & Tribe children in month of September
To motivate the saving habit and to stop over eating and unwanted expenditure of the
children we decided to start a saving scheme which helps them to witness the light
of saving. Gifts will be distributed for the topper every month.
This encouraged them to keep saving.
September
Saving schemes for the children have been started to encourage them to learn and witness the light. After the sports day an entertainment program was planned. All the samuplan children have been taken to boat house which is 30 Kilo meters away from their place. They spent full day with an excitement by playing different games, swimming in the sea water and had delicious lunch. Celebration of birthday for gypsy children was not practice at all even they don’t remember their birthdays. We celebrated the birthdays of children by cutting cake.
Conclusion
Gypsy Children accompany with their parents wherever they go, they never attend the classes in to school. We know “Todays buds are tomorrows flower” the children are the future of this community. At a right time we protected them with creating backup support of education. It is a long term effort to change their lifestyle. Now to organize and give a financial support Self Help Groups (SHG) has been formed for the community women. Through this we could sustain and give the knowledge through entrepreneur activity. So the children will not follow the foot step of their parents like rag picking, begging at any cause. The growth of the project which creates positive impact among the children and their life needs your friend ship and financial support.
April is a month known for relaxing, recreation, refreshing and recharging for the children of SamuPlan. We started working with the children from the nearby school in the month of May 2015 which is the hottest month. Even though the children had been participated in 15 days summer camp. It was specially organized to motivate them and stay with the sprit to join regular schools. More than 10 different meetings were conducted by the director Mr. Bruno Savio. J to motivate the people to whom they very well listens his words meetings were conducted in Samugam Community Hall.
The month of June is called the ‘Month of Education’, the reopening of schools after a long summer holidays from June 12th onwards. Children were busy and active in preparing their school bags and uniforms in the end of May and the beginning of June. Was very much excited to step in a regular schoolings with blossomed faces was the Positive sign. Overall 35 children with 14 Female and 10 Male from gypsy and 6 male and 5 female from the tribe community were started their formal education. The day starts in our new crèche with nutritious breakfast and prayer, specially written for the Gypsy community, moral of the prayer is future out of education, Keep clean, Respect one another which sounds through loud speakers it covers the entire community the parents hear their children’s’ voice and get motivated and enjoyed.
June
Monsoon starts in July. For the years the crèche children of gypsy community did not have a practice of bathing, Samugam built bath tubs in front of every house in the community with the help of volunteer and staff teached kids how to take bath. But now we have motivated the parents also who will bath their children send them to crèche every day.
July
May
August
Every evening children who will return from the school will be allotted place for them to keep their school bags. In the evening games were organized, evening tuition and special coaching was conducted with the help of student volunteers because it is very important to have a back up to support to them to stay strong as they are at initial level of schooling. Sports day has been organized by samugam foundation on 1st August 2015. It was a refreshing event for the community children and tribes.
October
Children worked hard for fencing a new ground in front of the crèche. It took nearly 15 days during Quarterly holiday. We had enrolled 7 more children who were still refusing. Finally we motivated and enrolled at a high task to collect all the documents to admit them in respective class. It took 2 long months to complete all the formalities to bring out and create required documents. Now all the children of this community have all the basic documents which could be considered as a license to step out to the main stream. Now we have totally 42 children enrolled in the school.