Page 17 - GDG Annual Report 2019

Hundreds of community-based children benefit from J514N’s tuition classes.

Projects: INDIAN SUBCONTINENT Beneficiaries:
1.25 Million

STEM in Action

Through its child-centred approach project J537N Heartland
Centre for Learning and Children’s Rights has successfully
developed a democratic school culture at its Kathmandu
model school, yielding strong educational outcomes for
disadvantaged students.
In December 2018, Kelley Chisholm monitored the project
and witnessed the strong STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) education program. This
year a major STEM student exhibition was held, attended by
over 2,000 community members, where a grade 12 student
team demonstrated their prototype ‘Smart Stick’ - a coded,
technology-operated cane for the visually impaired. When
moved, the stick makes audible sounds as risks are detected,
increasing independence for visually impaired individuals.
Fifteen of these prototypes have been developed for a local
disability organisation. This is STEM in action, changing society.
The key to J537N’s child-centred, violence-free education is its
consistent teacher training program, delivered in-house over
the past ten years. This June the team began training other
Global Development Group partners to strengthen these
standards at J962N Zenith School, a great example of GDG Students at J537N have many opportunities to engage
in hands-on STEM projects. Keeping a Child in School
partners supporting one another.
Locally-Driven Innovation Illiteracy, sickness and poverty: just a few of the reasons many Seven nights a week, the project provides a night crèche for up
parents aren’t in a position to promote and reinforce their to 20 children while their mothers work.
children’s education and they often fail to thrive at school.
In January 2019, a Global Development Group monitoring
In Bangladesh, project J877N Spark* Bangladesh Three of our Indian subcontinent projects working in rural
backs locally-driven change by training impact-focused and impoverished communities are closing the gap for such team of David Robertson and Lauren Palma attended project
entrepreneurs. Local business leaders seeking to solve their children to ensure they have the best opportunity to succeed. J696N Child Action Lanka’s Colours & Awards Night in
community’s problems attend an intensive 7-day Accelerator Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event was an opportunity to celebrate
J514N Shalom Community Development Projects works eight years of partnership, eleven years of operations and
program run by ygap and receive ongoing strategic business
with rural villages in south India providing after-school tuition the outstanding achievements of children in their programs.
support and grants. To date, 127,335 lives have been impacted
classes. 385 students attend and many are now at the top of The evening was attended by parents, children, community
by these businesses.
their class. This year all thirty-seven grade ten students passed leaders and government officials alike, and included dance
In October 2018 a monitoring team of Jordan Brayley and MV their final examinations. presentations by children from Child Action Lanka’s 13
Thomas met with entrepreneur Sarwar Hossain, CEO of Biofil educational and day care centres spread across the nation.
Similarly, J905N Empowering Initiatives for Women and
Bangladesh. Hossain attended the Spark* Accelerator in 2017,
Children works in Miraj, India in partnership with Homes of
which he says taught him to assess impact beyond monetary Image: Adam Dickens 2017
Hope International to provide education assistance to the
profit. Biofil has designed innovative toilets that use earthworms
children of sex workers. By empowering the mother and child
to compost waste, making them a safe, hygienic alternative in
through education assistance, child protection awareness
regions without sewerage systems. Biofil has supplied 5,000
Innovative composting toilets are installed in the largest toilets to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. and vocational training, the family is able to break the cycle of
refugee camp in the world. abuse common among children of sex workers in this region.

Children at J696N’s centres are supported
throughout their education.

16 Annual Report 2019 Global Development Group