Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way.......

Santa Brings Gifts For Children !

Merry Christmas To Everyone

Merry Christmas To Everyone !

Celebrated Merry Christmas & Organized Drawing Competition In School & Our Guest Santa Claus Bring Gits For Children!


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WHY DON’T YOU LET ME HELP YOU?

Today, we are analyzing the link between NGOs and Governmental schools in India.

First of all, it is useful for a better understanding of this article, review rapidly what are the NGOs. As we told previously, they are easily defined as nonprofit entities independent of governmental influence. Moreover, NGOs activities include, but are not limited to, environmental, social, advocacy and human rights work. They can work to promote social or political changes on a broad scale or very locally. As a matter of fact, NGOs play a critical role in developing society, improving communities, and promoting citizen participation.

Secondly, we must try to understand the scholastic Indian system, particularly the difference between the private or public schools and the governmental ones.

Doing that, we can consider three fundamental points:

1.      At infrastructural level, the differences are very visible: as a matter of fact, the construction of a public school is often new and well maintained, while that one of the governmental s is more critical, because it is marked out for a lack of basic services, such as electricity, water, sanitation items and facilities. In addition, this substantial diversity is more evident in village area.

2.      As far as it concerns the tuition fee, in a governmental schools there is no need to pay fees or taxes in order to attend, and also schools uniforms and materials (books, exercises book and pens) are freely provided by the government. On the other hand, broadly speaking, the private school are expensive for families.  So obviously, poorest people tend to send their children to governmental schools, and children form middle and upper classes use to attend the public ones.

3.      Finally, we have to point out the different possibilities for the students. The huge amount of money,invested in private schools, allows to students not only to live in a more positive and competitive environment, but also to have the chance to enjoy some extracurricular activities. By contrast, in governmental schools students often do not receive a brilliant education, and if they can do some extracurricular activities, these are only developed with the purpose to improve student's livelihood, making them more aware.

Having said that, the contest where local NGOs, and among those HEEALS, tend to work is clear. Normally, NGOs have also the permission from the designed authority for working with young students in governmental schools, because the benefits that they bring are remarkable. Although that, currently there are some principals that promote that cooperation and others who simply disagree.

For example, this morning we went in one governmental school with the intention to do our workshops, about both #STOPCHILDMARRIAGE and Menstrual Hygiene Management, but the principal of that school did not allow us to do them and also to leave sanitary pads and other stuffs for the students without a specific reason.

At this point the question is:WHY? The students were enthusiasm to see our team, and for sure they could appreciate the products of our work. However, we had to leave. The big deal is that only for the will of one person, who should think about the wealth of students, we could not help those young guys. Definitely, that is not fair and for the moment we can not do something. Anyway, it easy to change mood, returning to be positive and happy. We have only to think that the majority of the governmental schools, and their principals and teacher, are very grateful for the work of HEEALS and that one of other NGOs in general.

To end up, surely the Indian public system is very complicated and also sometimes unjust. Nevertheless, if the grassroots NGOs, like HEEALS, can work freely, they will improve the student’s condition, allowing to the youngest to grow properly.

 -Martina 

WASH & MH Coordinator 

AN EQUITABLE AND QUALITY EDUCATION FOR A BETTER WORLD.

A ‘Quality Education’ is the fourth goal of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030.  In order to respect the UN’s SDG, every Member is committed in developing and implementing development policies suited to achieving the established targets.One of this is “ by 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes.”

Education: the basis of society.

Education is what constitutes and gives form to the culture of society. Education is the development of all of human personality aspects, affective and behavioral, including natural attitudes. The knowledge about the surrounding world depends on the relation between the environmental stimuli and education. By improving education -aiming to have an equitable and quality education- the population can acquirethe ability to develop consciousness when it is stimulated by the surrounding world. Through the education, a conscious society can understand the way to behave, and obtain benefits from their experiences.Consequently to the comprehension of the good way of managing the external information, occurs the realization of the basic civil rights which lead to a better standard of life. In short, the society’s development is a result of an improvement of the society knowledge, that allows to better managing available resources. Therefore, education plays an important role for the society orientation. If it was accessible and equal to everyone without gender, race, religious or any economic status distinctions, it would generate a civilized society, able to live healthy and in peace, encouraging integration.Integration means “without any type of discrimination” and the education has to support the idea of equality with equal rights to maintain an integrated society. Consequently, an equal education is able to eliminate the barriers that separate categories: when people cross the door of the classroom, they leave behind not only the backpack, but alsoeverything that makes differences between classmates. In that moment, people are equal and sit near other classmates with the same purpose to learn.

A Quality Education.

Education from young age is very important, because children learn to develop and use their mental, moral and physical powers, which they acquire through various types of education. However, education requires perseverance not only in school environment, but also at home where a child receive knowledge from parents, family members and even also from acquaintances. For many families, receiving a good and quality education is the key of success, so it is very important reach a great level of knowledge that means to literally invest on prestigious schools career. However, unfortunately, there are places in the world where people can’t afford it, and the opportunity to increase their standard of living is very low. In India, even if significant progress has been made in education sector, there are still a lot of children who don’t have access to higher education.According to UN data the net enrolment ratio in primary education was at 100%, however, there are many children who cannotpursue their studies due to the necessity to work or to marriage. Since the 21,2% of the population living on less than $1,90, they cannot afford to send their children to good schools.A quality education lead to be surrounded by a lot of opportunities in a prosperity conditions, making it possible for each of us to contribute to a progressive, healthy society .

If a country doesn’t have participating, educated and informed citizens, it doesn’t grow. A quality education has an important role for the country’s development.

Equitable education.

Equitable means that everybody has the right to education without differences of economic status, gender, religion and race. In India, the society subdivision in caste is well known. Thus the Kshatriyas learnt the art of warfare, the Brahmins learnt the art and are responsible for teaching and maintaining sacred knowledge, the Vaishya caste learned commerce and other specific vocational courses. However, the Shudras, considered the lowest caste in the society, were deprived of education. Despite the still current subdivision in caste, in recent years, the country is committed to make universal at least primary education respecting the 2000, UN Millennium Declaration focusing on the country’s and international development.

It is said,“Educate a man, you educate one person, educate a woman you educate a complete family”. Traditionally, in many societies is the father who supports the family, but this kind of support is strictly economic, while the real milestone in a family is the mother figure. Usually, she has to care about the family and the children growth, handing down the family knowledge and education. For this reason, the girls education has to be an inalienable right. Unfortunately, the responsibility to take care of the family and the house lead girls to dropout, so their right to education is denied. However, it is know that gender equality in education sector is strictly correlated to the economic growth. If all women and girls, in India, were able to complete the cycle of primary education the maternal death rate would be drastically reduced. Every extra year of education, women’s earning increases and the number of child marriage would reduce, as well as the risk of contracting diseases. Not only the girls education is important for carrying on an healthy life with more opportunities, but also for the whole population’s well-being and country’s economic growth.

As an Ngo HEEALS, firmly believe in education as a resource for the development of the country. Its projects are orientated into the education sector with the purpose to show children that there are a lot of good opportunities, as they can cross their constraints of society and have a better standard of living. As an example, through the international WASH project -followed by many NGOs- kids can prevent many water related disease only understanding some rules to lead an healthy life.

Children are the future of the nation. We have to rise them with good education, so that they become responsible individuals in future with the possibility to live in a dignified and healthy way. They need to understand what is right and what is wrong for their personal development and the realization of their potential can be found through education. Education traces the path to make the most of what the little we have and turn into something better for us and for the community.Denying one access to education means to deny the basic right to be a human being, free to make own choice. Every child, male or female, poor or rich, black or white, Muslim or Hindu, must go to school as everyone has equal rights to education. The growth and development of any country depend on the quality of education its citizens receive from their childhood. Give literacy and education to population and it obtains the discrete power to judge and rationalize the events on natural surroundings as well as in the social context.

Elisa Stucchi-

WASH & MH coordinator 

WASH ,Child Marriage & Menstrual Hygiene Workshop In WS Gurgaon

WASH ,Child Marriage & Menstrual Hygiene Workshop & Distributed Sanitary pads ,WASH and MH Booklet and Posters In Gurgaon Schools !

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WASH ,Child Marriage & Menstrual Hygiene Workshop In SCC School Gurgaon

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Stop Child Marriage Workshop

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WASH ,Child Marriage & Menstrual Hygiene Workshop

WASH ,Child Marriage & Menstrual Hygiene Workshop & Distributed Sanitary pads ,WASH and MH Booklet and Posters In Gurgaon Schools !

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STOP Child Marriage Workshop In schools By HEEALS

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Stop Child Marriage & Menstrual Hygiene Workshop L.S School Gurgaon

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THE IMPORTANCE OF NGOs

Considering what we said in the previous articles, it results clear that for trying to defeat totally the child marriage phenomenon is necessary a joined action among international organizations, like for example United Nations or UNICEF, national governments and finally grassroots local organization, such as the NGO.

Firstly, it is better clarify what exctaly is an NGO.

Non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, were first called such in Article 71 in the Charter of the newly formed United Nations in 1945.

There is not a fixed or formal definition for them, but  they are easily defined as nonprofit entities independent of governmental influence. 

For getting the point, it is useful to report the definition of NGO, provided by the World Bank: “"The diversity of NGOs strains any simple definition. They include many groups and institutions that are entirely or largely independent of government and that have primarily humanitarian or cooperative rather than commercial objectives. They are private agencies in industrial countries that support international development; indeginous groups organized regionally or nationally; and member-groups in villages. NGOs include charitable and religious associations that mobilize private funds for development, distribute food and family planning services and promote community organization. They also include independent cooperatives, community associations, water-user societies, women's groups and pastoral associations. Citizen Groups that raise awareness and influence policy are also NGOs".

Then, it is possibile to briefly sum up that NGO activities include, but are not limited to, environmental, social, advocacy and human rights work. They can work to promote social or political changes on a broad scale or very locally. As a matter of fact, NGOs play a critical role in developing society, improving communities, and promoting citizen participation.

Secondly, we are going to examine the currently situation of NGOs in India.

Since 1947 (year of the Indipendence), India has become an independent democratic Country and has started her own growth itinerary at political, economic and social level. As a developing country, nowadays India is facing with a wide amount of challenges. Moreover, India has made rapid progress in the socio-economic sphere. In fact, millions of citizens have been brought out of poverty, life expectancy has shot up, literacy rate has almost tripled and people have better access to healthcare services. However, as much millions are still bereft of a decent life: even today, they must struggle to get basics such as health, shelter, education and nutritious food. So, the benefits of India’s economic progress have not been uniform in nature and there is rampant economic inequality.

Having said that, the NGOs’importance is blatant. Their main aim is to fill up the gaps left by the government by improving the lives of the most marginalized communities, undertaking a variety of activities and projects.

According to a survey of Save the Children, the following are the common causes of NGOs operating in India: child rights; poverty; social injustice; environment conservation; human rights; women empowerment; care of elderly people; wildlife conservation; animal rights; sanitation and hygiene; humanitarian relief, health and nutrition; literacy and education; refugee crisis and last but not least disease control. Furthermore, NGOs also promote massive campaigning activities to generate awareness on these issues.

This is where HEEALS comes into the picture.

HEEALS is a grassroots NGO based in Gurgaon, with the mandate of empowering local and rural communities to become sustainable in Health, Education, Environment and Livelihood Society sectors.

Younger and women are the major victims of social-economic issues, suffering health problems, economic disparity, sexual violence, harassment and much more. HEEALS is working in order to create spread awareness about health ,education environment ,sanitation, menstrual hygiene, toilets and unsafe drinking water, and its effect on children & female education and health. In particular, it targets those living in rural areas, urban slums, refugee camps and orphanages and it also wants to ensure that communities are equipped to tackle these issues, by providing toilets in the areas most at risk, and by providing things such as water purification tablets, water tanks, soap and sanitary towels for young girls.

But how HEEALS do that? Concretely through research & development engaging workshops, resources distribution and content creation.

Among all these projects, there is also the #stopchidmarriage campaign.

HEEALS is trying to defeat that practice mostly in two ways:

1.With a direct action in the schools & community, which involve workshops , short lessons and interactive games and activities, with the aim of live a stand in children’s minds.

2. With an indirect action through social media and events for sensitizing not only the public opinion in general but also parents.

HEEALS, for example,uses to help some rural village’s school in Uttar Pradesh.

In one of them, almost three years ago the most remarkable case of child marriage, that has involved a female student of around 13 years old, took place. She has been forced to get marriage by her own family. When HEEALS discover this fact, it started first to talk with the girl’s family and then, since there were not signals of change, it called also the designed authority, in order to stop the illegal marriage. Although those efforts, the student had to married her “husband” and she left her home-village and school. On the other hand, HEEALS has kept to fight for her and after several actions, it obtained that the girls returned back to her home for going to school until she will turn 18 years old.

To end up the article, I just present a short consideration.

Under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act of 2005, on March 2007 was set up the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights with the purpose to ensure that all laws, policies, programme, and administrative mechanisms are always in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In spite of this, in 2015 the Indian Government did not sign the resolution of UN against child marriage.

That for pointing up the huge incongruity that are afflicting the Indian public system today. Furthermore, people tend to do not have trust in institutions and in police. It is also well-know that some facts and events are regular obscure to public opinion.

In this context, defeating a problem such child marriage is truly complicated. Definitely joint action is a paramount, as well as NGOs, who prove bravery and a strong will every single day

-Martina 
WASH & MH coordinator