We found a singer in Romanch

Romanch Kumar, a student from Pendrawan Upper primary School in Komna block, Nuapada district (Odisha) is elated and proud to be known as a good singer. Romanch’s teachers, friends and classmates appreciate his talent and also wonder as to why he never shared with them his interest in singing. They are surprised to see a new Romanch– from a shy and nervous boy to an optimistic and confident person. Romanch, student of standard 6, himself finds it astonishing and gives the entire credit to Aflatoun.
“I am proud of the Aflatoun movement. I could have never achieved all this without Aflatoun”, he says.
Pendrawan Upper Primary School in Nuapada district of Odisha has total number of 352 students (175 boys and 177 girls). With the help of MelJol’s partner NGO ASHA (Association for Social and Health Advancement), implementation of Aflatoun programme in this school started on August 11, 2010. Since then, about 118 students have started regular savings. Today, the total amount saved by school children is Rs. 21,150 which has been deposited in Pendrawan post office.
Aflatoun programme has also brought radical change in the life of school children. Besides understanding the importance of saving money and other resources, children have also started giving due importance to personal hygiene, clean surroundings, regular attendance in school and making sure they do not waste food and water.
Teachers are very happy with the progress. They support Aflatoun programme and enthusiastically coordinate related activities in school.
Satyanad Bemal, a teacher in Pendrawan Upper Primary School feels that the programme has made children aware of their rights and responsibilities. “Aflatoun programme has made children more responsible towards studies. They regularly save money which is a good practice and participate in various Aflatoun activities. I appreciate and thank Aflatoun team”, says Bemal.

Small steps for a brighter tomorrow – Aflatouns’ initiative to create‘Oxygen Bank’

We all know Aflatouns practice savings and they mostly save money; but these children are a lot smarter and responsible than we think. Children in Zilla Parishad School, Manikkhabh (Igatpuri), had several discussions and debates over global warming, pollution, deforestation, etc. They knew well that a lot (of damage) has been done and the world has already started witnessing the consequences. Therefore, these little enthusiasts decided to do their bit to nurture and protect Mother Nature from the predictable dangers. After discussing the issue with their school teacher Dipak Bhadane, little Aflatouns in Manikkhabh came up with an innovative approach and that was to create an oxygen bank!
“Yes, just like we save money in our Aflatoun bank so that we do not suffer from a dearth of cash when in need; similarly we want to create an oxygen pool to protect ourselves and our world from any environmental crisis.” said the children.
Teacher divided children into seven groups and each group was given a sapling. The group was named after the particular plant species it received.
Each group planted their saplings and watered it. Children have decided that each group will take care of its plant, water and nurture it regularly. Whenever children in the current group pass out of the school, they will responsibly handover the plant to their juniors so that no plant/tree is left unattended.
To save water, children decided to use the remaining water left in their water bottles at the end of day before they leave school. Now onwards, they will use it to water the plants before leaving for home.
A SMALL STEP BUT WHAT A GREAT CAUSE!

Children in Umarshevadi are waiting for you!

Eyes sparkling with the dreams of tomorrow, bright smiles spread on innocent faces and a series of chuckles you hear when you catch these little ones trying to get a glimpse of you. Children of Umarshevadi village (Akola district of Maharshtra), are like all other kids you could think of. They laugh, they play and they also study but not in the government school many other village children go to.

Situated in remote locality, residents of Umarshevadi have many challenges to face. The village is situated 8 kilometers from Hiwarkhed (Town place) of Telhara Block and approximately 28 kilometers from Akot. This is a tribal dominated area with Kondu, Gonda and Rathya tribes as the main inhabitants. They rely on farming which is the main occupation in this area and are entirely dependent on weather conditions.
Children in Umarshevadi face serious problem of schooling as there is no formal school setup in the village. Lack of public or private transport facility does not allow them to go to other villages to attend school. The nearest village is Zari Bazar which has Zila Parishad primary school and that too is about 3-4 kilometers from Umarshevadi. Umarshevadi is situated in the lap of Satpuda which is a famous forest region and refuge for several wild animals like bears, tigers and hyenas. In past, there have been cases of animals attacking children and now parents are reluctant to send their kids to the school in the neighbouring village.

MelJol, in collaboration with Save the Children India, began working with the children of Umarshevadi to overcome the barriers of learning environment. Since there is no formal school in the village, MelJol team started a special 'Rimzim' school, where children are taught by an education volunteer for 2 hours every day. This is a small room where children gather and study together in the evening hours from 5 pm to 7 pm. In the absence of both natural light and electricity in the evening, learning becomes more of a challenge than a fun activity.
Meet children from Rimzim school

Therefore, MelJol, has resolved to improve the condition of the classroom and convert it into a more colourful and vibrant place for the kids.

Present condition of the classroom

The idea has been inspired the resource rooms created by MelJol and Save the Children in the municipal schools of Mumbai.

Resource centre in Gilder Lane Municipal School, Mumbai

As a first step, we have started an initiative to provide power saving lamps for Rimzim school so that children can make full use of the classes without facing any obstruction. These lamps are low cost, work on battery and consume less power that increases its usage time.


MelJol needs your support to achieve the aim. Your help can bring a change in the lives of these children. Education is one of the greatest investments for a child and a small act of kindness will help us fulfill this dream for the children of Umarshevadi.
If you wish to send us a donation, write to us at Dylan@meljol.net and we shall get back to you.

Tax benefit – 80G for Indian Taxpayers

We will send
•An e-mail confirming receipt of your payment
•A feedback report on the utilization of money
•A receipt for the amount you donated which can be used for availing tax benefits

The school with an ATM machine

We have our own bank!!! This is what children of Zilla Parishad Primary School, Vinayaknagar have to say. Situated in the remote location of block Trimbakeshwar (district Nashik), the Z.P. school Vinayaknagar does not have an easy connectivity with towns and cities. Most of the school children have not even seen a real bank. However, they own passbooks and ATM cards! Children fill formats to deposit and withdraw money from their accounts. What more, they can get demand drafts made and even apply for loans. All this in the Aflatoun Bank!

On the basis of Aflatoun programme’s approach, school teacher, Mr. Sharad Totre decided to create a virtual banking experience for children. Taking Aflatoun’s initiative forward, he got customized cheque books, requisition slips/forms and ATM cards made. The ATM machine model has also been designed with the objective to make children understand its working mechanism.

All the transactions and records are maintained by the members of Aflatoun Club who were elected by the school children. Elections were conducted quite methodically in which candidates filled application forms, chose symbols and rest of the school children voted for their favourite representative. The elected members were given different portfolios like education, recreations, health & cleanliness, sports, etc. This initiative was presented in the annual exhibition organized by the Department of Science and Technology and won the best project at district level.

At present, the total saving in Vinayaknagar Aflatoun bank is Rs. 8,708. Children are using money for personal needs and well as for collective purpose. They withdrew Rs 10,000 for planning school picnic to Aurangabad and nearby places. Mr. Totre feels that Aflatoun programme has not only motivated children towards savings, but has also groomed them as responsible beings, which is highly appreciated by their parents. Earlier, children’s parents and guardians did not approve of children depositing money in schools and were skeptical of its misuse by the school teachers.

However, this perception changed when Shrinath Vitthal Mahale, a student of class one, required medical help for his fractured arm and applied for a loan of Rs 500. He used this money for the medical expenses which was a great help to his father. With enthusiastic teachers like Mr. Totre, Aflatoun is set to achieve greater heights.

Ashram School, Kamkeda (Block: Komna, Orissa)

This best practice comes from the Ashram School in Kamkeda, which is in the Komna Block, Orissa. The Ashram school is residential but also has day scholars. The school has classes from 1st to 5th standards. The total number of students is 364 out of which 247 are boys and 117 are girls. There is a dominant population is the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes students. The total strength of schedule tribe students is 322. The school is extremely remote and is a great distance away from any of the major villages. The parents of the students are mainly employed in cultivation during the monsoon season. During the months of November-December a number of the families migrate to neighboring Andhra Pradesh for bonded labour work.
The Aflatoun Program was started here on the 16th of December 2008. Prior to this, the Headmaster of the Ashram attended the teachers training workshop helped by ASHA Orissa, our partner NGO in Orissa, where he was introduced to the objectives and purpose of the Program. Presently the totally number of student savers is 122 and the total savings is Rs 3037/-.
Other than the savings, another definite plus point, as stated by teachers, has been a reduction in the student’s guthka (Chewing tobacco) and bhang (addictive substance) consumption.

Case Study: Neha Ravindra Patil

Neha Ravindra Patil is a Std 5 student of the Asdol School in Shalala, which is Dhule district, Maharashtra. Prior to the implementation of the Aflatoun Programme in her school, Neha was very shy and an introvert by nature. The Aflatoun Programme, where through fun games, activities, songs and workbooks, children are encouraged to take an active role in the learning process, brought about a significant change in her nature. Her self-confidence increased, she was willing to express herself more often and her communication skills developed. This resulted in Neha taking greater initiative in the school programmes. Neha also saved money in her schools Aflatoun Bank. She used the money saved (Rs 120/-) to learn to repair her brothers old bicycle. She eventually repaired her brother’s bicycle and now uses it on a daily basis to commute.

CASE STUDY: MOHUABAT UPS, NUAPADA, ORISSA

The Mohuabhat UPS consists of 287 students out of which there are 156 boys and 131 girls. Classes range from 1st to 7th standard. Most of the parents of the Mohuabhat UPS are daily wage labourers who work under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA). They also find employment in private construction companies and as agricultural labourers. Some parents also work as rickshaw pullers in the area. Major socio-economic concerns of the regions are poverty, alcoholism, and gambling (gachha) even among the children.
The Aflatoun Program was started in this school on the 19th of November 2008. The Program started with an initiation session including the children, teachers and school staff, and the representatives from ASHA Orissa. During the sessions the students were introduced to the Aflatoun character and song. The school was given passbooks, Aflatoun saving box with lock and key and two registers; one for each student’s savings record and one for session’s record. On the day of initiation the students were introduced to the concept and importance of saving. At the end of the session children who wanted to be part of the Aflatoun savings Program were given a passbook and they began saving right away. A total of Rs 366 was collected by 43 boys (Rs 213) and 37 girls (Rs 153). The school staff conducts a savings session every Tuesday and encourages more students to participate every time. By the second visit of the ASHA Staff on 12th January 2009, the participation strength of the student savers increased to 85 students with a total deposit of Rs 2200.
On 13th January 2009, student elections were held among the students. Five students were elected to the posts of President, Vice President, two Joint secretaries, and a treasurer. Out of the five representatives there are two girls and three boys. The students were aware of the roles and responsibilities of the elected executive members of the Aflatoun Club. It was also decided during this meeting to open an account in the nearby Post office. The school opened a joint account with signatures of the Headmaster as introducer and President and one of the joint secretaries of the Aflatoun Club as account holders. They deposited Rs 2000/- of the total savings in the Post Office account.
The Aflatoun club took on the responsibility of conducting the Saraswati puja. They collected Rs 10/- from students of classes 1 to 3 and Rs 15/- from students of classes 4 to 7. They completed the entire budgeting and planning of the event with guidance from the teachers. They purchased all that was needed for the event in the local market.
On 26th January 2009 (Republic Day in India), students from the Aflatoun club presented a Kathi Dance on the Odiya Aflatoun song with their own choreography and tune. The Sarpanch, village education committee and parents attended this event. Presently the total number of student savers is 99 and the total savings is Rs 2730. The rate of saving is higher in the girls but they are also spending more than the boys as per the withdrawal and deposit data.