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SPARROWS PROJECT
• Started in 1999
in October for the daughters of underprivileged women, especially
those in prostitution
• to prevent second generation trafficking
and prostitution
• 100% success rate
AAWC believes that our Sparrows are equally entitled
to opportunities other daughters enjoy. We want them to grow up
in a healthy atmosphere and be somebody… anybody - a doctor,
a teacher, a worker… anything but a prostitute.
Here are some of the activities we run with them
1. Cultural activities and peer education
We believe in a holistic and comprehensive approach and so our peer
education deals with everything. We gauge their knowledge and interests
by encouraging them to question and answer us during lively interactive
sessions. Accordingly, our professional staff of psychologists and
teachers counsel and educate them.
Every year, Sparrows are divided into four groups
with four leaders and sub leaders. In turn, each group is put in
charge of different activities like organising competitions, festival
celebrations etc. Groups are also responsible for every day issues
of personal hygiene (clean clothes, nails, hair, etc), maintaining
discipline and tidying up after classes and meals.
Introduced less than a year ago, we can already see
an attitude shift. The girls have developed a better sense of belonging.
They've even become more confident, organised, disciplined and responsible.
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2. Membership
of Resource Centre and Identity Card, First Aid and locker space
Since we started our Sparrows programme, we have distributed 165
pink IDs. For more information, please refer to activities
for Women. But additionally, we give the girls a locker to put their
books, bobbles, etc
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3.
Micro-savings
AAWC tries to inculcate the habit of savings, while
discouraging the habit of borrowing from early childhood itself.
Whatever little change they can save is encouraged enthusiastically.
Like the women, we help them manage their savings.
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4. Admissions
in Schools, Colleges
This is done as per mother tongue or specific choice. During admissions,
we also take care of administrative work like getting names corrected
at the Gazette office, submitting birth certificates, affidavits*,
etc. We also provide them with free uniforms, books, notebooks and
medicines.
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5. After School
tuitions
To help the girls improve their academic performance, evening tuitions
are given in different languages. This includes help with homework,
tuitions in English and computers and special lectures for students
writing Board exams.
Periodically, curricular as well as extra-curricular
competitions are organised.
35 out of the 65 Sparrows are very regular for evening
tuitions. The others come often to attend other activities like
vocational training and avail of other services.
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6. Nutrition
Daily snacks are given before morning classes and evening tuitions
and a complete meal in the afternoon, if they are at the centre.
We try to ensure that no child leaves our centre with an empty
stomach.
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7. Non- formal
education
Through the day, creative activities run for the school going, as
well as the drop outs. Different job skill training programmes and
life skills sessions are arranged for overall development.
Basic training in tailoring and embroidery, Art &
Craft, beauty care, Mehendi, dance, candle, perfume chalk,
phenyl, liquid soap and Agarbatti making, cooking and karate
is provided at the centre.
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8. Job Placement
Assistance
To address competitive markets, a few older girls are sent for special
training to other institutes including CAPS, Nirmala Niketan Paraprofessional
Course of Social Sciences, Sophia
Women's Polytechnic and many more. We then assist them with
job placements. Also, while recruiting staff, we give our beneficiaries
first preference.
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9. Alternative
strategies
This is a crucial time in the girl's life and we try to intervene
strongly. She has to have other ways of earning a living. So, apart
from helping her get a job, we also financially support small business
start-ups by providing petty loans to her and her family.
In some cases, girls looking for emotional stability
through marriage, are helped to settle into a new life. Considering
how unique each individual and her problem is, sometimes we have
to dig a little deep for the unapparent solution to surface. <
Case
Study >
* Affidavit: A
written declaration (on stamp paper to signify that it is recognised
as legal) made under oath; a written statement sworn to be true
before someone legally authorised to administer an oath
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Based on various factors
and circumstances, we pool in our resources and act quickly to prevent
the girl from getting into prostitution somehow… anyhow.
They are slowly getting used
to their new found wings and learning to fly.
Direct queries to counsellor@apneaap.info
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