Past Projects

National Environment Awareness Campaign 2008-09

Theme-Climate Change
Flourishing business of the Real estate sector are encroaching every green plot of our city by destroying and changing the greeneries of the city and bringing curse to the speedy lives of the city dwellers for the sake of reducing settlement hazards of the habitants of this city. IPER has taken up the project of National Environment Awareness Campaign 2008-09 in view of removing these risks from its neighbouring areas.

Objectives

• To create green belts in and around the slums to refresh cities and offset global warming
• To aware the community on preservation of natural sources
• To help the people to identify their own role in protection of the environment
• To inspire the communities to launch and participate in various environmental protection programme
• To aware the people on man made disasters and on green house effect as day to day activities of the people are responsible for long- term environmental damage
• To make the people aware about the basics of keeping environment clean to remain healthy

Environment Awareness Programme

1. Drama Performance One awareness programme was organized on 29th January 2008 through dance and drama before an audience in the courtyard of IPER. 2. Free Drawing Competition A free drawing competition was organized on 9thFebruary 2009 at Durgabala Dutta Girls’ Primary School. The students of class IV joined the competition enthusiastically. 3. A Biodiversity Inventory A biodiversity inventory was done by IPER at in a local slum. The diversity of the flora and fauna of the area was identified. The variation of life, the various species of plants and animals existed in this area were recorded and photographed. 4. Workshop on Mapping of Plants A workshop was organized at a local youth club for mapping of plants, the women and club members as well as people from the community participated in the programme enthusiastically.

National Tobacco Control Programme

IPER observes World No-Tobacco Day on 31st May in different ways. In 2008-09 a Three-day Awareness Programme was held in collaboration with ‘Coalition for Tobacco Free Kolkata’ [CTFK] and supported by National Tobacco Control Programme. In 2009-2010 awareness in two departments of the Government of West Bengal was held along with a rally o observe the Day.

Shishu Patha Nilay ~ IPER Drop-in Centre - A Resting Resort for Destitute Children

IPER is running a drop-in centre at Kasba under Bijan Setu over Ballygunge Station for the use of the children who are working and spending time on the street in the station area, working as helpers to the vendors or themselves hawking vegetables.

From mid-noon to afternoon these children have nothing to do and also no place to rest. The Drop-in Centre provides them with this much-needed facility along with some means of education, recreation and protection.

IPER School on Wheels

IPER has procured a Bus which function as School-on-Wheels for children who are unable to reach any of the centres that IPER is running in different localities. The bus is equipped with a board, facility for projection, a small rack for storing books and sitting on the floor of the bus. The Bus goes to different places according to a fixed schedule and can accommodate at least 18 children in a batch.

Work with Gender  

IPER is in the process of developing a Gender Policy for its work especially with women and young girls. Gender is a cross-cutting issue and the implementation of the Gender Policy will obviously require the commitment, participation and contribution of every member of the staff of IPER. Our commitment to integrate gender perspective in all our activities should also be reflected in the work plans and budgeting as well as in technical cooperation that we undertake. The policy would refer to issues like gender analysis, gender equality, gender equity and gender mainstreaming.

ACCESS TO EDUCATION-A RIGHT FOR ALL CHILDREN

Project activities:A Project for demonstrating a strategy of empowering the stakeholder groups to ensure UEE for the Vulnerable Children.

1)Baseline Survey of 7 KMC Wards for Out-Of-School Children [OOSC]; 2) Providing education to the out of school children through 20 Community Learning Centers (CLCs); 3) Improving Quality Management of 40 primary schools Teachers’ Training and through Hands-on-Training in the schools; 4) Residential and Day training programmes of Teachers of CLCs; 5) Trying to reach out to hard-to-reach–children through School-On Wheels; 6) Running Mobile Visual Teaching Unit; 7) Forming 8 Community Resource Centers; 8) Awareness on education; 9) Developing teaching–learning materials; 10) Developing teacher’s teaching manuals on Language and Mathematics.

Objective:
Based on the principle that ‘Every Child has the Right to Education’ the Project aimed at demonstrating a strategy of empowering the stakeholder groups to ensure UEE for the Vulnerable Children living in the city but outside the periphery of its basic facilities Beneficiaries: Direct: Out-Of-School children - 1200+; Indirect: 7000+Stakeholder Groups: 1) Teachers, 2)Community members, 3)Families, 4) Policy makers & implementers like DPSCs, SSA, & Education Department officials) Location:  7 Wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation viz. 65, 67, 81, 83, 84, 93 & 94

Duration: January 2005 to September 2007

Funded by: US-AID through Reach India & American Research Institute

Significant achievements:

1. School Teachers trained-257;
2. Community members-283;
3. Awareness and sensitization programmes with families, policy makers, President WBPSC, DI, SI, Member Mayor in Council in Municipality, Officials of the Municipality;
4. Awareness programmes-219; Mothers’ Meetings-466;
5. Gross enrollment of OOS children-1862;
6. More than 80% children made 80% improvement in the formal schools;
7. No children repeated classes in Formal Schools after mainstreaming;
8. More than 60% participation by community people;
 9. Collaboration with 53 formal schools

PROGRESSIVE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG WOMEN IN DIFFICULTIES

Project activities: 1) Imparting vocational training to develop income generation skills; 2) Providing adult literacy and life skills; 3) Training on marketing skills; 4) Formation of self help groups; 5) Holding Awareness camps on various social issues; 6) Legal camps and counseling for abused and victimized women to aware them on their rights. Objective: Bringing about an improvement in the lives of the women who have been deprived for decades.  Beneficiaries: Direct: 110 women (core group) and young girls of 16 above age. Indirect: 300+ [each women in the core group made aware minimum 3 women]

Location: Ward nos. 93, 95 and 96 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Duration: April 2005 - March 2008
Funding agency: NIWANO Peace Foundation (Japan)
Significant achievements:
Trained more than 110 women in 4 crafts cutting tailoring, fabric and glass painting, embroidery, jute and handicraft products. Legal awareness was done in the different communities with significant response, a group was formed as trainers for the community, a self-help group too was formed.

COMBATING CHILD ABUSE & TRAFFICKING THROUGH EDUCATION & PROTECTION

Project activities: 1) Academic classes; 2) Classes on creativity; 3) Counseling; 4) Create awareness in the community for protection of children; 5) Empower children from being abused; 6) Holding Public Awareness campaigns on child abuse, child rights, protection; 7) Construction of a Child Protection Centre [CPC] for at least 25 children. Objective:The main goal of the project is to make available to the child his/her basic right to protection from abuse and exploitation through proper education and guidance. Beneficiaries: 200 children Location: KMC Wards 93, 94 and 95 Duration: January – December 2007  Funding agency: GOAL India, Ireland Significant achievements: 1) CPC constructed; 2) 200 children have been mainstreamed & remedial education given, community has been made aware on child abuse and trafficking.

PSYCHO-SOMATIC AND SOCIAL INTERVENTION FOR THE HIGH-RISK CHILDREN OF KOLKATA
Project activities: 

1) Health check-up of 1000+ vulnerable children;
2) Detection of anemia in children and its treatment;
3) Treatment of the sick;
4) Mental health assessment and counseling where required;
5) Health awareness and education in the slums.
Objective: To ensure healthy atmosphere in the community and good physical, mental and social health amongst the target group of children.
Beneficiaries: 1000+ high-risk children
Location: Kolkata Municipal Corporation Wards 65, 67, 81, 83, 84, 93 & 94
Duration: July 2006- June 2009
Funded by: Netherlands Fund for International Child Health & SIMAVI
Significant achievements: Treatment carried out with 350+ children suffering from anemia with improvement of 50% children. Presently working with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Health Department in specific slums.

SLUM IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME UNDER KOLKATA ENVIRONMENT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME
Project activities: 

1) Improvement of the living conditions of the people living in the slums;
2) Linking the people with other available services in the state;
3) Facilitating required services like vocational training, adult literacy, health care in the slums;
4) Awareness in the community on cleanliness and sanitation;
5) Formation of User Groups and Self-Help Groups in the slums.
Objective: To ensure clean and healthy atmosphere in the slums. Train the slum dwellers in developing ownership of keeping the community toilets, common passage clean. 
Beneficiaries: Slum dwellers in 7 KMC Wards
Location: Kolkata Municipal Corporation Wards 74, 83, 88, 89, 90, 91, 98 and 97
Duration: October 2005 - April 2008
Funding agency: Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project under Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Significant achievements:12 Self-Help Groups formed with women in the slums formed, more than 300+ User Groups formed for the Toilets, 4 Vocational Trainings with women and functional literacy. Two sessions of eye check-up, people with disability linked with organisations working with the disabled. Exposure visits were held with the slum dwellers for vocational training

Instructional/training Material for NFE & School Teachers 

Project activities: 

1. Identification of values in NFE system, 2. Identification of values in school system, 3. Developing behavioral description in NFE and school system,  4. Developing behavioural description for teaching values, 5. Teaching competencies with learning principles, 6. Developing material for as instructional materials, 7. Training programme for NFE and School teachers, 8. Two-days training programme for teachers of selected schools and 9. Publications of Teaching learning materials and manual for the use of the developed materials on value education. Objective:

1. To develop values in school students
2. To identify values by the teachers and the children in a participatory method
3. To identify teaching competencies and methods for teaching values by the teachers both in the formal and non-formal schools
4. To develop and design required materials for teaching different values
5. To introduce learning materials that can be used for teaching of values
6. To organize training for the teachers of formal schools at the primary and upper primary levels

• Three Books in Bengali each consisting of ten stories. The first book is meant for Classes I & II, the second for Classes III to V and the third for Classes VI to VII. These books will contain a guide to the teachers for using the same in the classroom set-ups.
• 5 sets of Value Cards with ten pictures depicting ideal situations based on values.
• 5 Sets of Visual presentations on in CDs in Power Point format on different values combined together.
• One Audio cassette with six rhymes on ideal behaviors to be practiced by children.
• Training of Teachers from 15 formal schools.