India
The education system in India faces significant challenges.
The student drop-out rate in many areas is high due to inadequate funding, a lack of parental support, inequitableaccess, gender disparities, poorly trained teachers delivering rote learning, and a curriculum that may not be relevant to the job market. Various evaluations of India’s most impoverished regions indicate that only slightly more than half of the children receive a basic level of education; insufficient to lift them out of systematic poverty.
Historically, the power of education to change the lives of the local population was limited.
However, the situation is improving.
Women’s Empowerment
Fine Arts
Fresh Water Resources
English Immersion
Mathematics
Kaleidoscope’s journey
KCF started supplementing the level of education in two key areas in 2017, with the establishment of the Namasya Charitable Trust. Through fundraising and recruitment, we secured a rented building in Bodh Gaya (located in the northeast of India) and constructed a school in Lakhanpur (in the far north). The children in these two areas come from many of the poorest families. The parents, many of whom work as farm laborers, are mostly illiterate and do not understand the needs of basic education.
But it wasn’t just the provision of schools that was restricting many children’s access to an effective education system.
Healthcare
In Lakhanpur our partnership with the voluntary Bharat-Tele-Doctors helped to remove one barrier to education, through the provision of invaluable information and advice for those suffering with poor health.
Water
Looking ahead, we are continuing our work to improve the health of the children and their families through various programs, including our relationship with the Emory School of Public Health and the WASH Clean Water Program.
Teachers: Finding the Very Best
Building schools is not enough to deliver our dream. With the objective of recruiting the very best, our in-country team search for, vet and interview potential teachers. Today we have an exemplary faculty who are committed to the achievement of our objectives. We nurture our relationship with every teacher.
Today
we provide a comprehensive school program for over 200 children. Our mission is to empower these students to break free from the cycle of systemic poverty by nurturing their talents in the arts, mathematics, English, technology, and life skills. Learning English alone opens up a vast array of career opportunities. Instead of relying solely on traditional rote learning methods, our dedicated teachers actively engage the students by incorporating problem-solving-based activities into their curriculum.
The recent surge in educational events, particularly science fairs conducted in English, serves as a clear indication of a positive shift toward providing a more effective and progressive learning environment.
Indian Spotlights
Nandlal Ravidas
School Administrator
Nandlal, a native Bihari, oversees both locations with a staff of 4 teachers.
Words from Nandlal
नंदलाल रविदास बोधगया और लखनपुर में केसीएफ स्कूलों की देखरेख करते हैं। उन्होंने कहा, “कैलिडोस्कोप चाइल्ड फाउंडेशन वंचित बच्चों को शिक्षा और जीवन कौशल प्रदान करके सशक्त बनाता है, जिससे समुदाय में सीखने और व्यक्तिगत विकास के लिए उत्साह बढ़ता है।”
In Translation
Nandlal Ravidas, oversees the KCF schools in Bodh Gaya and Lakhanpur. He commented, “ Kaleidoscope Child Foundation empowers underprivileged children with education and life skills, fostering a community-wide excitement for learning and personal growth.”
Meet Sareeta!
Growing up in Lakhanpur, Sareeta, the daughter of agricultural laborers, made history as the first girl in her family to receive an education. After a year in our educational pilot program, her remarkable proficiency in reading and writing in her native Hindi, coupled with her strong aptitude for mathematics, left us all astounded. We are committed to providing her with the educational opportunities she deserves and will continue to champion her aspirations.
