Writing
the future with a Talking Pen
*
Bibin S. Nath
Maniyamma, an octogenarian tribal woman of Palakkayam colony in Chaliyargrama
panchayat used to struggle with books and slates in her endeavour to become a neo-literate.
But a ‘talking pen’ which reproduces the sound of a written text made matters
easy for her and so many other indigenous people of the area. They moved the
electronic pen across the alphabets and words of songs to hear and learn them
simultaneously with ease. Below the roofs of Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Malappuram
an NGO under the sponsorship of Union HRD Ministry, 320 Scheduled tribes
including Maniyamma made their way into the world of letters and education.
Here they not just learn letters but garner valuable lessons in health,
sanitation, de-addiction, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. It is this
talking pen and other such innovative efforts in literacy and skill development
programmes which helped Jan Shikshan Sansthan(JSS), Malappuram to bag the
covetous UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, 2016.
The Confucius Prize for Literacy is an international prize awarded by
UNESCO every year in recognition of excellence and inspiring experiences in the
field of literacy throughout the world. Union Minister of State for HRD Upendra
Kushwaha along with JSS Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Abdul Wahab and JSS
Director V. Ummerkoya received the award from UNESCO Director General Irina
Bokova at a function held in Paris last month in conjunction with a global
education meeting on ‘Reading the Past, Writing the Future’. This is the fourth
time an organisation in India got bestowed with Confucius prize. This is not
the first time that awards come in the way of JSS Malappuram. The organisation
has to its credit various awards including national Sakshar Bharat Award by the
Government of India (2014).
Vocational
training to offer a level playing field
Though Kerala has one of the highest literacy rates in the country, this
success story has not always reached traditionally disadvantaged groups such as
women, ethnic minorities, ‘scheduled tribes’ and migrants, who often live in
financially under-developed and marginalized communities. It is here that NGOs
like JSS makes a change. JSS Malappuram provides non-formal education to the
illiterate and training in different vocational skills for neo-literate adults.
The organization also helps beneficiaries to find work or to start an
enterprise individually or as a group and has trained around 53,000 people
including 41,000 women.
Talking pen developed by State Resource Centre-Kerala is part of JSS’s Vidya
Programme - a comprehensive development project for Scheduled Tribes of the
district. Advanced technological tools including mobile computer lab, LCD
projectors are also used for literacy programme. Instructions are offered in
Hindi, English, Malayalam and other regional languages, including the tribal
language Paniya. Textbooks are written in the community’s local language and
are also available in Braille. Braille Literacy Materials are developed by JSS
in collaboration with State Resource Centre- Kerala and Kerala State Literacy
Mission. Under this programme 341 visually-challenged beneficiaries have got
Braille Literacy along with a vocational training.
Ullasam
to Unnathi: Tailor made projects for sustainable development
JSS Malappuram boasts of a set of vocational training courses which aims at
sustainable and participatory development of marginalized communities. One
among such projects is ‘Ullasam’ (Job with pleasure)- a novel venture which
offers five days of job along with a day of yoga and meditation. Around 250
beneficiaries have been exclusively selected from widows, unmarried women of 40
plus year and divorcees. Under the scheme, non-woven cloth bag, baby bed,
shoppers, mosquito cover etc are manufactured. Beneficiaries of the scheme are
now earning Rs.5000-10,000 per month through the programme. Yoga and meditation
exercises provided with the scheme helped in stress reduction. ‘Sparsham’ is
another innovative project for the development of differently abled
beneficiaries.
‘Insight’
is a special programme for the visually challenged group initiated by JSS
Malappuram in collaboration with the Kerala Federation of Blind. A project
named ‘Dalam’ (petal) was started by JSS in order to bring self sufficiency in
vegetable production among rural population. Members of JSS family cultivated
vegetable farms in their house yards and started distributing vegetable plants in
grow-bags under the scheme.
‘Relief’ is another programme implemented by the JSS with
the support of Pain & Palliative Society for enhancing the capacity of
patients who are suffering from paraplegia and acute diseases. The patients are
provided skill training along with some soft skills and plays to motivate them.
Comprehensive Responsible Development through Education and Skill Training
(CRDEST) is a special programme designed by JSS for the benefit of tribal
youths with the collaboration of various Government agencies. Through this
project hundred tribal youths are identified from various tribal settlements.
One week residential coaching in various subjects along with soft skills is
provided as part of the scheme. The tribal youth trained under CRDEST programme
are working as facilitators, trainers and motivators in tribal settlements.
‘Unnathi’ (rise) is the latest mega skill development programme adopted by JSS
for empowerment of women in coastal areas. Thousand beneficiaries identified
for the project in the first phase will undergo six month training in
embroidery and apparel making. After training they will be provided with sewing
machines.
JSS Malappuram is also conducting literacy and skill development programmes in
Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana(SAGY) villages of Malappuram district. It has
conducted total enrolment campaigns of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BhimaYojana and
Pradhan MantriJan DhanYojana in SAGY villages. Basic computer course were also
conducted for 1,500 villagers in association with National Digital Literacy
Mission. Classes in new trends in the likes of Fashion Technology for
marginalized women and mobile phone technology for Schedules Tribes were also
conducted in SAGY village. Financial literacy classes are being conducted for
the socio economic upliftment of deprived women of SAGY villages.
JSS
Malappuram, a C category JSS is being provided with an annual lump sum grant of
Rs. 30 lakh in two installments by the Union Human Resource Development
Ministry. This grant powers the various activities of this institution. If the
government can bring various government and non-government agencies under one
umbrella, the benefits to the targeted population will many fold, opined
Director of JSS.
Tribal woman learning alphabets using
Talking Pen as a part of ‘Vidya’ Programme conducted by Jan Shikshan Sansthan,
Malappuram.
A skill development class in progress at
Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Malappuram.
Another view from the skill development
class at Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Malappuram.
A literacy class for tribal women progressing
at Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Malappuram.
Union Minister of State for HRD Upendra Kushwaha,
JSS Chairman and Rajyasabha MP Abdul Wahab and JSS Director V. Ummer Koya
receiving the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, 2016 from UNESCO Director
General Irina Bokova at a function held in Paris.
*
Information Assistant, Press Information Bureau, Cochin
***