Today, the school in Chakjafar Mafi village looks totally different from what it was just three years earlier…….how did this transformation happen??!!!!
Gram Panchayat Chakjafar Mafi is located in Pahadi block of Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh. The distance of the Gram Panchayat is 10 km from the district headquarter. The panchayat has a population of around 4000 people. The Panchayat has one primary school in which 116 children are enrolled.
Prajayatna had organized a Gram Panchayat meeting in Chakjafar in October 2016 in which a total of 36 people, including Pradhan, had participated. This was followed up with meetings with the School Management Committees (SMC). A number of school issues were discussed in these meetings. The attention of the Pradhan was drawn to the fact that the classrooms of the school needed immediate repair. Their floor was broken and water dripped from the roof in the rains due to seepage. There was no facility for drinking water for the children and the toilets were also in a pitiable condition. The school had space but was in need of beautification. The community was of the opinion that because such prevailing conditions the atmosphere of the school was conducive for good and proper learning of the children. Besides these, there were two children – Rani and Hansraj – with disabilities enrolled in the school. Plans were made for getting the certificate made for Hansraj who did not have a disability certificate.
The Pradhan was requested by the community to pay attention to these things and improve the condition of the school so that the children could study in a proper manner. Based on these discussions an action plan was made for getting these things done and a proposal was submitted to the Pradhan in writing.
The Pradhan then got the toilets of the school repaired and drinking water facility made available in the school. Parents of Hansraj had also taken him to the certification camp after being informed by Prajayatna and had got his certificate made.
The issue of attendance of children which was an issue has been steadily increasing as it was found that the children were interested in the classroom processes of Prajayatna as it gave them an opportunity to learn by doing things and in a participative manner. This has been instrumental in keeping the children in school with more regularity. The SMC and teachers have also made sure by following up with the children through home visits, etc.
The last and most recent meeting in the school by Prajayatna in this academic year, it was seen that the Pradhan had got almost all the work, as planned in the earlier meetings in the school. The school is far more beautiful and well-kept than it was in 2016. Today it is equipped with almost all the basic and important facilities. While drinking water and toilet facilities had been done earlier, now the school is equipped with CCTV cameras and solar plates. The floor and roof of the school have been repaired, the school has been painted with bright and beautiful colours and beautification of its campus has also been done.
The Pradhan, SMC members, teachers of the school and the community members have played an important role in this positive change that has come about in the school. The Pradhan said that he had wanted to get all this work completed as soon as possible but even he did not have enough funds for the same and hence it took some time to get them done.