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Location: G. Madugula Mandal, Vishakapatnam District Andhra Pradesh.
No roads reach the villages with the 10 schools -- one has to walk several hours to reach there.
Background: The Kondh tribals used to practice shifting agriculture and therefore moved from hill to hill. As a result the villages did not have land pattas (land registered in their name) nor were they in voter records, nor shown in maps. It is in this context that AID partnered with Prajachetana and Nisarga Trust. The Kondh village people started settling down and with AID support, Nisarga and Praja Chetana helped address various development issues such as credit to women's groups to counter money lenders from exploiting them. A few years later schools started in 10 villages (1 teacher per school, with AID-Bay Area support) when villagers themselves identified land and built schools with thatched roofs. In some of these villages government schools had also started, but teachers were often skipping classes and there was a huge drop-out rate. Though Kondh villages did not have formally educated people (in 7 of the 10 villages, the literacy rate was zero before our schools started), youth from other tribal villages who were educated were given the opportunity to become teachers. This idea worked well as being tribal, these youth had no problem adapting to life in Kondh villages and settling down there.
While initial support for development activities of Kondh villages came from AID College Park and AID-Bay Area, other non-profit organizations began to fully support the schools while AID focused on women's cooperatives in these villages and land rights. However AID was informed recently (in Aug. 2007) that the support to schools from other groups was irregular and teachers had problems continuing. The schools closed this summer and haven't restarted as there was no support.
Therefore AID-Maryland Chapter has decided to extend support. We request you to help in whatever manner you can, to get the Kondh schools restared. Please click Donate link below to help. All donations to AID are tax-deductible in USA. (After clicking, in the "optional preference" please choose "College Park, Maryland" so that your donation goes to Kondh Schools). $45 helps a Kondh child seek education for a year. $900 supports the entire school of 20 children for a year.
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Need: $9000 for restarting 10 schools.
Update (Aug 31): So far $1750 have been raised since we put up the appeal. This means we can restart one school! Only $50 more needed for restarting the second school and $7250 more for all 10 schools. We thank those who are donating and making this possible.
Details of the schools:
List of the children in the schools:
| S No |
Teachers |
Villages |
Class I |
Class II |
Class III |
Total |
| M |
F |
M |
F |
M |
F |
M |
F |
| 1 |
T Eswara Rao |
Nittamamidi |
5 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
11 |
| 2 |
T Sankara Rao |
Seetabanda |
5 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
8 |
| 3 |
L Rama Krishna |
Dabbagaruvu |
7 |
7 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
15 |
7 |
| 4 |
G Daya Rao |
Jerrai |
8 |
10 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
11 |
| 5 |
L Balayya Dora |
Vedurupalli |
11 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
7 |
| 6 |
G Simhachalam |
Chilakalamamidi |
9 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
10 |
| 7 |
S Pothu Raju |
Boddumamidi |
9 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
10 |
| 8 |
S Chittachari |
Neyyalabanda |
6 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
10 |
| 9 |
K Dasu Babu |
Pedaporlu |
6 |
7 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
5 |
| 10 |
S Balayya Dora |
Ganugurolu |
9 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
14 |
7 |
| |
Total |
75 |
76 |
34 |
11 |
9 |
1 |
118 |
88 |
Other than school activities:
Our teachers always are at the service of the needy people in the villages. Therefore apart form the school works, they also help the villagers for going to voting, availing loans, availing government schemes etc.
Regular parents meeting are conducted in the villages with the help of the chairman, vice chairman and the coordinator. All the parents meet and discuss about the problems, progress and the further steps to be taken for the improvement of the school systems for the bright future of their children.
Meetings with the community:
1.Teachers have worked hard for conducting the meeting in Vedurupalli on 29-4-2006. About 400 tribal people from 10 villages where the schools are established. In this meeting the problems in the villages and also the management of the Kondu Cooperative Society were in detail discussed.
2. All the teachers participated in the Kondu Tribal meeting held on 9-7-2006 in Goppulapalem village of Jalam Palli Panchayat, V Madugula Mandal) and in this meeting the topics of management of the schools, Kondu Cooperative Society, Panchayat elections were in detail discussed.
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