Bridge to a Promising future for keeping younger Adolescent girls safe, healthy and learning

Need Assessment- The current survey was done with a sample size of 30 schools going and dropout girls. For implementing the initiative, a need assessment will be done for a better understanding of the reasons for girls dropping out of school, to understand the thought process of the parents and to gauge the way girls are taught in school. The learnings from the survey will be used to develop the initiative and focus on the maximum number of re-enrollments in school and to increase the understanding of the importance of education. Awareness about menstrual Health and Hygiene will also be assessed simultaneously.

Focused Group Discussions with Girls/ Parents & Teachers:Post area identification and need assessment, FGDs in groups of not more than 10 can be planned. This will help us understand the grassroots level issues which the girls face. This will typically help us in deciding the approach for the training program for the girl, for counseling and motivation of the parents and to see where the teacher’s methodology needs to be improvised to make the learning environment more conducive for the girls.

Street Plays (for awareness):Street plays are a very effective activity which helps in reaching out to larger groups.

Puppetry:As we plan to engage community girls especially 10 to 13 years old, spreading a message through puppetry shows that addresses our key issues that can be worked out.

Educational Movie screenings followed by discussions within the community.

Mobile & Makeshiftt schools:In the areas where girls do not go the school due to lack of interest or due to societal pressure, a first step will be setting up a school in the nearby vicinity. After 2 months, they will be encouraged to re-enroll to the formal schools. The schools will act as a platform for mental as well as physical development of the girls. The training program will be focused on:

• Activity-based learning approach
• Workshops on Menstrual Health & Hygiene
• Parents and Students counseling
• Pre & Post Impact Assessment
• Life skills for girls
• Importance of activities
• Introduction to basic computers
• Motivational movie screening followed by discussion and introspection

This initiative will help us explore the issues of 10 to 13 year old girls and develop effective solutions to address the key issues.