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Greetings all,
92% of all Startups fail within 3 years of their inception, a staggeringly large percentage of failure;
however CACR completes 3 years in June 2016. It gives us great pleasure to note that we
have not only survived but done so with great credibility, improving our performance each year,
impacting the MCGM School system not only with our ongoing projects, but by also adding more,
all within the framework of the MCGM Education system.
A deep bow of gratitude to all our members, volunteers and interns who participated whole
heartedly in each and every project. Many more colleges stepped forward to support CACR this
year and we are extremely pleased to note that our youth today are a sensitized citizenry, aware
about the importance of ensuring good quality education and healthcare for the disadvantaged.
CACRs positive and result oriented efforts have also improved the confidence of our donors and
we thank them for their continued support and look forward to scaling up the impact of all our
projects during the coming years.
CACR continues to look at and plug the systemic gaps in the MCGM School system, ready
to hand hold the establishment to make it function effectively and ensure that this change is
sustainable.
Thank you all once again and do continue to shower us with your good wishes and support and
we will do our best to ensure better municipal schools for our children.
Citizens Association for Child Rights - CACR
CACR is a not-for-profit organization, registered under Section 8 of the IT Act and has approval
for tax benefits to donors under Section 80 G of the IT Act. CACR is Mumbai centric, working
towards improving access to education for children belonging to economically-challenged
backgrounds. The focus of CACRs work is to ensure that basic education and health care
remain accessible to all, ensuring that disadvantaged children are protected from further
vulnerabilities. CACR works to ensure that Mumbais Municipal Schools function effectively,
providing opportunities for children to learn, grow and realize their full potential. A dedicated team
of professionals, volunteers and like-minded citizen volunteers closely monitor, visit and work in
many of these Schools, to improve the system of education and health care for underprivileged
children, improve accountability in the system.
CACR GOALS
1. Ensure increased student enrolment in MCGM Schools (MS)
2. Work towards reducing student dropout rates in MS
3. Extend basic civic rights to marginalized communities
4. Improve processes for ensuring right to health care
5. Demand rehabilitation of children who are presently employed by businesses, in violation of
the Child Labour Act.
6. To ensure that basic educational facilities to handicapped and special children are available.
Projects Undertaken:
1. Computer Literacy Programme - CLP:
"Digital India is a vision of our respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi under the National
Projects Undertaken:
1. Computer Literacy Programme - CLP:
"Digital India is a vision of our respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi under the National
Digital Literacy Mission. It is also a reality for many Indians, but only a dream for most, it is a
dream which CACR is striving to help fulfill for these disadvantaged also.
Most of the teachers had completed MSCIT several years ago and were vaguely familiar with the
basic computer skills, having lost touch due to lack of facilities to practice at their place of work.
They were generally found to be quick and keen learners and were grateful for the opportunity
to reinforce what they had learnt earlier. It is estimated that over 325 teachers underwent
training across the 12 URCs, covering all the Municipal Wards. Their learning was upgraded,
refreshed to develop further skills to impart this knowledge to their students as also in areas such
preparing their time tables, schedules, tabulations, reports, correspondence, animated Power
Point presentations etc. Their earlier learning was
reinforced through keyboard familiarity, text typing,
editing, saving and opening a document, making
a spreadsheet, inserting photos in a document,
creating charts, through extremely simple but highly
effective measures.
Apart from the Basics, there was also a session on
the effective use of emails, which should help the
teachers to compile and share their administrative
reports with their superiors with greater accuracy and speed, helping save their precious time
and effort, which today they expend doing this manually. Those successfully completing the TTT
programme were issued CACR Certificates.
One quote from a MCGM teacher:
My name is Hiteshi. The new computer training programme in MG. Bhole Marathi medium
school computer lab is of very high standard. We have learnt a lot more here than the previous
programme of MSCIT. There is a lot of personal attention and every doubt was cleared. We
learnt a lot of keyboard shortcuts which we didnt know earlier. A lot of useful commands were
shown by Yogesh Sir. We have learnt the table format in excel which is very useful for us in our
office work as well as teach the children how to calculate the marks and take out average. We
will surely implement this. Thank you....
Each year, at each meeting with the MCGM Education officials CACR has stressed the
importance of incorporating classes for computer education in the curriculum and the schools
time table, thereby effectively formalizing this important and essential arm of empowerment of
the MCGM school child.
We are extremely proud to announce that at last the MCGM Education Department has
incorporated Computer Education in their time tables.
Apart from implementing the CLP programme in municipal schools, CACR was also actively
involved in advocating with the MCGM Education Department and has successfully facilitated
the sanctioning of Rs.17 crores in the Education Budget for setting up 200 new computer labs
in municipal schools, drawing closer to the ideal of a computer lab in every Municipal School
building.
CACR continues its follow up with the MCGM Education department to ensure that every
Municipal School Building has a Computer Lab. Besides, the existing Computer Labs had quite
a few non functional computers with old software and operating systems which was making it
difficult for everyone to operate. CACR members have followed up this issue with the MCGM IT
Department and have activated the regular maintenance of these computers. This process has a
long way to go but has begun.
Our project on Computer Literacy Programme for children in MCGM schools, impacting 2100
children in municipal schools, supplemented with the Teacher Training Programme, gave us an
unique opportunity to reach out to 325 MCGM teachers across Mumbai; and is now one of the
most important projects in the Education Department. This effort will go a long way in bridging
the Digital Divide, we hope that it will arrest the rapid decrease in enrolment in municipal schools
and in fact help in improving it in the near future.
CACR Master Trainers
Aditya Chinamalla
Aman Grover
Ayesha Khan
Aditya Pappu
Akshay Shaligram
Bindita Joshi
Chhaya Angadi
Deyasini Choudhury
Himanshu Singh
Himesh Tulsiani
Ishan Mehta
Kosha Raval
Mansi Jain
Mihir Kulkarni
Mohindru Mirchandani
Narinder Madan
Niranjani Pandey
Purnima Mehta
Rohit Bharadwaj
Rushi Vajani
Vinita Menon
Yogesh Kolhatkar
What Aman had to say: ''Im working with Hitachi Metals in Mumbai as a Senior Engineer
Sales and Marketing. I love motivating and mentoring teenagers in my free time. The idea
behind this is to keep them informed of the hurdles they are going to face in next 5-7 years so
they can be better prepared to face new challenges. Working with CACR on weekends gave
me an opportunity to assess the real issues faced by children studying in Municipal Schools.
Throughout my association with CACR, I taught basic computer skills to Municipal School
teachers, who in turn passed this knowledge to their students. Im sure this initiative by CACR
will benefit millions in coming time.''
What Himanshu had to say: ''I am a computer engineering student under the Mumbai University.
I am currently studying in the third year of my bachelors degree. I am ever ready for a cricket
and a chess match I enjoy the company of kids. I believe in giving freedom, gaining responsibility
& respect, thinking for others and finally putting efforts beyond the box to get a social satisfaction
that is must for every socially responsible citizen.
It was a really great experience working with CACR. With the constant guidance of Mr. Nitin
Wadhwani I was able to develop many new qualities like public speaking, managing time and
especially the MCGM TEACHERS. Overall I would like to conclude this experience as an
opportunity to interact with new people and to take on challenges that included some fun also as
I was lucky enough to get very sincere batch of teachers who always attended the sessions and
supported us and our initiative.''
3. Health Check Up in Municipal Schools:
All children in Municipal schools are entitled to regular
and extensive health checkups once every 2 years as a
part of the School Health Programme.
Besides, free treatment for minor or major illnesses is
to be provided to children in municipal dispensaries and
school clinics across Mumbai under the Government
approved Accident Insurance policy as well as the
Jeevandayee Bima Yojana.
partner Gyanodayas project, a community engagement initiative for children in Class V to VII.
One of the important aspects of this programme is to help children read and comprehend their
English text books and encourage them to write a paragraph in English from their lessons done
in the class each time.
This programme is conducted with help of volunteers twice a week for about 45 minutes each
and the emphasis is on giving the students an opportunity to speak English and improve
comprehension.
Singing nursery rhymes and action songs etc. make the programme fun and exciting and
children look forward to these interactions.
There has been a marked improvement in the performance of the participating students who are
now confident enough to read and write in English.
An estimated 100 plus children benefited from this programme.
c. Project Saarthi:
CACR had initiated this project with Enactus HR in 2015 with the aim of enhancing English
language skills of primary students.
Enactus HR had partnered LeapForWord (LFW), a NGO working in the English teaching space
for past 6/7 years and had successfully impacted over 4500 children in municipal and Zilla
Parishad schools.
This project was implemented in Nityanand MPS in K/E Ward with the help of 2 Saarthis and 109
children benefitted from this programme during the year 2015-16 from classes 1 to 8.
The assessment showed a marked improvement on completion of the programme and children
were able to:
A) Read Sentences and Paragraphs made up of 3/4 letter words.
B) Read complex breakable words from 2nd and 4th grade English text books
C) Comprehend substantial number of words from their respective text books.
Target student group: 1st to 8th grade students.
5. Dance:
In continuation with the initiatives taken during the earlier year, CACR helped in organizing the
training of Classical Dance in 3 municipal schools in K/E ward through well known Nalanda
Nrityakala Mahavidyalaya and 1 municipal school by Nateshwar Nrityakala Mandir during the
year.
b. Nehru Planetarium:
CACR organized and sponsored educational trips for 500 plus MCGM School children to the
Nehru Planetarium, Museum and Science Centre
etc. during the year. Later MCGM acknowledged
these efforts of CACR and has since included such
trips as a part of their curriculum and sent more than
17,000 children to the Planetarium. CACR will now
be focusing on improving and fine tuning this project
during the academic year 2016-17, as there are many
other such opportunities for educational trips for the
children.
c. Kala Ghoda Art Festival Workshop on 6th and 7th Feb 2016:
CACR organized and sponsored the participation of 130 children this year, from the Nityanand
MPS, Dixit Road MPS, H P Keluskar, Chakala, and Adarsh Nagar Municipal Schools in the Kala
Ghoda Art Festival workshops at the Prince of Wales
Museum garden, listed below and conducted by renowned
artists.
i. EXCHANGE IT! PRESENTS 'BOOK SWAP FOR KIDS! Was about developing the childs reading habits Children
could trade their book for another here exchange it for
another also enjoy innovative craft activities along with it.
a Municipal school child, on the very first day of this academic year in the schools. The MCGM
problem was their skewered tendering schedules. Once our gentle but constant suggestions for
a change in these were accepted by the authorities, all fell in place. But we still need to be very
vigilant, for the coming years.
c. CACR is the only NGO wherein some of the active SMC members have highlighted their
concerns with the School Infrastructure Cell (SIC) of the MCGM Education Department..
In 205-16, after organizing joint visits with the officials of the School Infrastructure Cell to various
schools, CACR members managed to get the following municipal school buildings taken up for
major and minor repairs:
Apart from advocating for these budgets to be
sanctioned, CACR members were also actively
involved in the supervision of the work in progress to
ensure that the amount spent is well utilized and good
material was used.
SMC member Meena Kaura reports that the budget
sanctioned for Major Repairs to Gazdar Bandh
Municipal School was Rs.1 Crore of which 95 lakhs was utilized.
Further, the SIC is at present conducting a survey of additional work in the school and another
Rs.65 to 70 lakhs is expected to be sanctioned soon.
The Guzdar Scheme Residents Trust members are monitoring the work in the school along with
Meena.
Petit Municipal School: Due to the timely follow up of member Mani Patel, the contractor was
pulled up as some of the quality of work was not up to the mark resulting in leakages, etc. Since
the repair work completed was still under the MCGMs guarantee period, the contractor was
called back and asked to re do the work wherever required.
This is a first instance that we are aware of, of any contractor being pulled up and made to redo
work in a Municipal School during a guarantee period.
Khar Danda: The survey is complete and major repairs will be taken up once the budgets/
estimates are finalized.
We need more such active citizen and community participation during the coming years to
strengthen the School Management Committees in Municipal Schools, which will go a long
distance in improving the functioning and quality of education received by children as well as
enhance the accountability of the system.
11. Mid-Day Meals:
During the past years, our members have functioned as very productive and proactive SMC
members in various Municipal Schools. One of their duties as responsible and active SMC
members has been to check on the vital and a programme with far reaching consequences, the
midday meals provided for the school children on a daily basis for quality and quantity.
Their observation over a long period of time is that the mid-day meal given to the school students
is of execrably poor quality. We have made multiple efforts, meeting the Self Help Groups (SHG)
in common meetings, individual meetings, visits to their kitchens, maintaining photographic
nutritional values to be provided to the school children through the meal, and the claims of the
SHG about the low quality food grain provided by the FCI, we prepared and video graphed this
preparation for one child following the GR Guidelines for Std 1 to 5, to the word, in the presence
and guidance of Ms. Shubhangini Joshi, a noted Nutritional Expert and Ex In charge Principal
& Head, Dept. Food Technology, P.V. Polytechnic, S.N.D.T. Women's University and author of
the book - Nutrition and Dietetics. We sourced the rice from one of the SHGs we interact closely
with.
Through this exercise we wanted to:
1. To understand and implement the cooking of one of the meals as per the GR on the Midday
meals for school children on a micro level.
2. To understand and verify the claims of the SHG regarding the problems faced by them during
the cooking of this one meal.
3. To check the weights prescribed in the GR.
We then sent the meal we cooked to the Ramkrishna Bajaj CFBP Consumer Education &
Testing Centre of the SNDT University to check its nutritional values. Scan and attach report
Our conclusions regarding the meal even cooked as per the GR:
1. The dal to rice proportion is far below adequate nutritional levels for proteins.
2. Total quantity of Khichadi cooked was more than 600gm much beyond the quantity prescribed
in the GR (270gm). Reducing the water content to make it weigh less makes the Khichadi too dry
and unappetizing, this is a common complaint from the children. That is, the total quantity of the
meal cooked as per the GR is much more than can be consumed by a child in the age group of
Std 1 to 5.
3. The raw rice contains impurities, but is not of poor quality and can be cleaned through
thorough sieving and washing.
4. There needs to be wider variety in the Khichadi types.
5. To increase the Protein values of the meal, sprouted beans, drumsticks, etc should be added.
6. Include food items like Missal Pav, Bhel made with sprouts etc. to increase a childs interest in
the meals provided to her.
Keeping our findings in mind we have recommended to the authorities that the MCGM GR needs
to be amended to: Reduce the quantity of rice per child in the age group of Std 1 to 5 from 100
gms to much less than 75 gms and increase the Dal from 20 gms to around 30 gms and reduce
the quantity of rice per child in the age group of Std 6 to 8 from 150 gms to around 75 gms and
increase the Dal from 30 gms to40 gms, immediately to ensure that the MCGM School Child is
provided a nutritious meal. Besides include some variety in the food items as well as sprouted
beans, drumsticks etc to further increase accessible proteins in both categories.
CACR is convinced that this amendment in the GR needs to be implemented on an urgent
basis, besides the Government needs to expedite the execution of the order of the Honble
Bombay High Court to implement the Centralized Kitchens, wherein there will be accountability,
accountability which is completely missing in the present system and will benefit the
disadvantaged Mumbai children for whom this scheme was drafted in the first place.
CACR will continue to advocate for the expeditious implementation of the above Court Order.
mistresses of four MCGM schools in the Mumbai suburbs agreed to give them two hours with the
students to celebrate this day.
The volunteer members brainstormed for a week over the kind of activities that could be
conducted and which where fun and educational for the children, then began organizing
materials for the event. Chocolates and paper were purchased in bulk to minimize costs. CACR
arranged to provide crayons for all the children.
All the volunteers were split into four groups that went to the four schools listed below:
1. Nityananda School (Vile Parle)
2. Dixit School (Vile Parle)
3. Tank Lane School (Santa Cruz)
4. Petit School (Bandra)
The volunteers interacted with the students, teaching
them to draw and recognize flags of different
countries, got them to speak a few sentences in
French, German and Spanish, sing a song in German
and finally held a quiz to test what they had learned.
The winners were given chocolates and crayon
boxes. The children were also shown a power point
presentation on the importance of literacy and the
Right to Education Act in India. Through this project
they reached out to over 400 students from standard
3 to 9 to spread the message of literacy.
With the help of our enthusiastic volunteers we were able to make this project a huge success.
Both the children and the volunteers had a blast.
CACR has also has dedicated support from various committed students organizations and
colleges.
Enactus H.R.
NSS Ruia
NMIMS Students Body,
SoRT team of VESIT, etc.
K J Somaiya Engineering College
Vivekanand Education Society's Institute of Technology
Thadomal Shahani Engineering College
H R College
K C College
Ruia College
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
St.Francis Institute of Engineering
Thakur College
Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering
Caroline DSouza
Dr. Wagle is an IIT Bombay 1969 batch (EE) alumni. Post PhD in Computer Science at U of
Nebraska-Lincoln, US he was Asst Prof, Computer Science, IIT, Chicago, before returning to
India. He has worked in TIFR Computer Group, headed the Communication Group in CMC
and has been Director C-DOT, MD Aspect Development and Senior Architect at Mphasis. His
computer science and computer industry career spans 40 years. Since retirement Dr Wagle
changed his career from computers to social work. He has been associated with CACR for over
3 years now and likes the CACR policy of energizing the MCGM education system to do its own
work. He also believes that primary school students must get a rounded education that includes
for example visits to planetarium, participation in running races and training in dancing.
Dr Wagle also manages the Nachiket Bal Wachanalaya, Amravati an NGO which runs 20+ library
branches in the rural areas of Amravati district for underprivileged students. He has recently set
up Engineers for Service (efors.in) NGO with his IITB69 class mates to carry out technology
projects that can help rural communities. He is a member of MCGM's Technical Advisory
Committee that over sees initiatives aiming to bring transparency in the MCGM vis a vis the
citizen. Dr Wagle is also passionate about expanding the Marathi Wikipedia.
Indrani Malkani has involved her trust V Citizens Action Network (VCAN) in the particular
matters of Revision of Electoral Rolls, and Voter Registration/Deletion to positively impact voter
turnout. As Trustee, VCAN, and Founder Trustee & Hon Secretary of Malabar Hill Residents
Association, she is associated with many non-profit organizations, citizens groups, and NGOs
who value her experience and guidance.
CACR Directors:
Project Director Dr. Richa Singh is a dentist, amateur painter, and voracious
reader. She has completed her graduate degree (BDS) in Dental Surgery from
Mumbai and obtained a professional diploma in financial management from
Thadomal Shahani Trust, Mumbai. She also holds a certificate in Management
Principles as well as CSR and Value creation from Audencia Nantes School of
management. Richa is passionate about the causes of education and healthcare
and has volunteered with NGOs such as AGNI and CRY. She has been part of the CACR team
from the genesis of the organization and has played an active role to build and expand its impact
and reach.
Nitin R. Wadhwani the Founder Director is a Science graduate from Mumbai
with a Diploma in Radio Electronics. He is a Director of a company, which is
in the business of distribution of Electronic Components, specializing in the
field of Power Electronics. He is also a promoter of a joint venture - Indo Italian
manufacturing company - which manufactures transformers for export and
domestic markets. On the social work front, Nitin has been volunteering to
improve the quality of education in Municipal Schools of Mumbai since 2008,
before founding CACR in 2013. He believes in networking with like-minded citizens, institutions
and NGOs in the field of education and health to strengthen and supplement the system.
Vidya Vaidya Director is an Artist and Social Activist. She is an Alumnus of the
Sir J.J. School of Fine Art, Mumbai and has held a number of art exhibitions
in Mumbai and other cities. She is fully involved in community work for almost
25 years now and deeply associated with advocacy groups to protect Public
Spaces and Child Rights. She is the Trustee of the H (W) Ward Federation,
Hon. Secretary of the Gen. A. K. Vaidya Nagar Rahivasi Sangh of Bandra
Reclamation and a member Trustee of BRAVO and Celebrate Bandra Trust
which has organized the popular Celebrate Bandra Festival in Bandra since 2003. She is also
associated with the RTI groups of Mumbai and is one of the founder-members of Mumbai 227,
which attempted to create a common platform for independent candidates at the 2012 Municipal
elections.
She says:
''To implement these projects and programmes in Municipal Schools, we need a vigilant
citizens group who will meet the MCGM Education Departments to share their observations
and suggestions and follow up with the concerned officials and authorities in improving the
functioning and quality of education. CACR believes that it is every childs right to learn in a safe,
clean and encouraging environment and is given equal opportunities in life. CACR invites you to
join us in ensuring that every child has access to free and quality education and in advocating for
better standards in education implementation and monitoring in MCGM Schools. These rights,
when fulfilled can effectively build a strong and prosperous nation with happy, healthy and able
citizens. Of course there is a lot to do and more to learn, but we have begun.''
Join Team CACR.
www.ngocacr.com
www.cacr6.blogspot.in
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Credits
Inputs from: Nitin Wadhwani, Vidya Vaidya, Deyasini Choudhury and Mohindru Mirchandani.
Published by CACR