FASS has recently undertaken a project to upgrade two under privileged schools. The Foundadtion Stone has kindly been laid by our Astronaut friends Mike Fincke. The project will be funded by contributions from individuals like you and me as well as from donations from willing organizations. Individuals may donate in their own names or in the names of their parents. While donating money, please specify to which school (Parijat Academy or Pragyalaya) you are donating. All individual donors names contributing Rs.5000 or more will be recorded at the building. Thanks to generosity of members, we have already received some funds in USA and India. However, we have a long way to go. We will keep you updated on the fund raising effort.
Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters wants to take the issue of education at the primary lavel as one of the most critical factors for the development of the North East. We are planning to focus more on this issue in our NEIIM-2010 in January 2010 in Guwahati. You may also offer your suggestions for the same.
Rajen Barua
FASS Houston
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PROPOSAL FOR UPGRADING TWO ASSAMESE MEDIUM SCHOOLS FOR THE UNDER PRIVILEGED:
GUEST HOUSE (ALOHI GHOR) / STUDENTS HOSTEL & HORTICULTURE FARM
IN (1) PARJAT ACEDMY (PAMOHI) AND (2) PRAGYALAYA (TITABAR)
Summary:
The proposal includes a brief summary of plans and budget estimates for upgrading two Assamese medium schools for the underprivileged students. It includes construction projects for 2 Guest Houses (Alohi Ghor), 1 Hostel and 1 Horticulture Farm in (1) Parijat Academy (Pamohi) near Guwahati and (2) Prajnalaya (Titabar) near Jorhat, at a total cost of 25 lakhs rupees ($50,000). The projects are planned to be financed with donations from businesses, organizations and individuals, and to be constructed with coordination, supervision and guidance from FASS members.
Background:
The North East India is one of the most under developed region of India. In spite of her rich natural resources, the per capita income of the region is as much as 40% below the Indian average in some places in Assam. About 36% of the population of Assam still lives in poverty compared to 26% of India average. The Human Development Index (HDI), a holistic indicator for the overall measure of education, health and income level in India, is one of the lowest in Assam compared to India average. Many children simply do not have access to primary education; others cannot afford it. Where educational facility is there, the quality is poor. The illiteracy rate in Assam is about 40 % which is far above the India average. Needless to say, our high sounding progress will not mean anything unless we can educate the masses at the primary level. The urgency of the situation is brought home acutely when we find that about 40% of the population of the North East India is below 14 years. The Vision 2020 plan speaks about Sarva Shiksha Abhijan (SSA) for Education for all to solve the problem. However, it remains to be seen how much success it will have in the North East India because of the multi cultural complexities of the region. For a solution to the educational problem in the North East India, we need more aggressive plans from all quarters. One key factor is to help and promote local educational entrepreneurships at the grass root level for advancement of Assamese medium schools.
Details of the proposal can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/fassproposal
Jayanta Barman
Vice President, FASS Guwahati
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