Field trips are a highlight for the children. Photo: PENIEL
India: Between Inflation and Good Project Development
by Steffen Richter, 2008/02/28
For a while now humedica has supported the work of PENIEL SOCIAL INSTITUTE, to which a children’s home and two schools belong. This project is managed in Kolar Gold Fields (in the south-Indian state of Karnataka) and on the outskirts of the megacity Bangalore from Ulrike and Pastor Louis Paul Kern. Their progress report to humedica, only a few days old, holds a lot of exciting information about the projects specifically, as well as information about the second most populous country in the world in general.
The project maintains two school facilities, which, in Germany, one could compare to a primary school and a secondary school which goes up through the eighth grade. These are located in a rural region in India, giving the children in the surrounding villages the only opportunity to attend school; the schools in the city are normally too far away. The PENIEL SOCIAL INSTITUTE also includes a children’s home, at which orphans, abandoned and street children can find a new home.
The beginning of school and sport challenges
After the PENIEL schools reopened on January 2, big challenges face both student and teacher. The students in every grade are awaiting multiple crucial tests, comparable with our mid-term exams. In addition to their normal lessons, the teachers are also offering additional study guides to those interested, in order to help them better prepare for the tests.
Distractions from these educational challenges are provided in the form of sport days for the students. Two days of training are followed by a competition, wrapped up with a much anticipated awards ceremony for each of the different events. Unfortunately though, serious daily problems and recurring challenges are also part of the normal school day.
Bureaucracy and Everyday Problems
There's so much to explore when visiting a carnival. Photo: PENIEL
The life of the children outside of school is characterized with many problems. When poverty, unfortunately a normalcy in India, is come by due to tragic circumstances, difficulties triumph. In her report, project manager Ulrike Kern describes the situation of one student, whose father died in a traffic accident. The relatives of the family are now refusing to help the widow and her son and in splitting the property of the father. Distraught and in great mourning, the mother and son are waiting for help. A condition, which those responsible at PENIEL SOCIAL INSTITUTE are trying now to turn around. This support has collective and individual sides.
Not as dramatic, but just as much of a challenge, was another problem facing the team in India at the end of January. Once a year the, school educators are required to locate children in their region who are not yet attending school and register them. According to statistics, there are around 93,000 children between the ages of 7 and 14 in Karnataka. The teachers of PENIEL were accountable for polling 110 households. 35 different data must be recorded for each child. “Not an easy task, when the parents don’t cooperate,” remarked Ulrike Kern in her report. Nevertheless, it is important to invest in the children’s futures by giving them an education. India has one of the youngest populations worldwide. On average, every woman has three children.
In addition to a growing workforce problem in India, the inflation rate has also gone up. In the previous months the cost-of-living has increased significantly. Vegetables and fish, in particular, are almost impossible to be able to pay for. Exacerbating things is that poultry cannot be used as an alternative to meat, due to the large number of bird-flu cases.
Excursions and Perspectives
Time and again the PENIEL team tries to bring a little variety in the day-to-day lives of the schoolchildren and the children from the children’s home. Along with the sport days and the festivals for India’s national holiday, the children in the past weeks had a picnic, went on a field trip to Bangalore and visited a carnival which was in the area.
Humedica supports the work in India by donating 1,000 EURO a month. This covers a large part of the budget for both schools and children’s home as well as the expenses for the schoolbus. Assistance which we can offer, dear friends and supports, thanks to your support. Please continue your support, so that we can ensure the PENIEL SOCIAL INSTITUTE carries on with their work. Thank you.
The PENIEL staff and children would also like to express their deepest thanks for all your support and assistance.
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The ABC-students from the PENIEL school. Photo: humedica
