Despite the fact that education is identified as a fundamental right in the Indian Constitution, a large portion of the population remains illiterate. NBJK strives to avail this basic right to the children of Jharkhand and Bihar by advocating for the proper implementation of the education infrastructure and services, running bridge centers for children who are working or have dropped out of school, providing sponsorship for children from impoverished families and deprived sections of society, and by strengthening the capacity of partner NGOs for implementing education projects.
 

	Primary, Middle, and High Schools
	Residential Schools and Hostels
	Sponsor a Child’s Education
	Remedial Coaching Centers
	Lord Buddha Home for Children
	Gopal Bal Vidyalaya
	JP Academy for Slum Children
	Spandan

NBJK believes that education is a crucial component of inclusive development and has established a number of primary, middle, and high schools in urban slums and in some of the most remote rural villages in both Jharkhand and Bihar. These schools are supplied with modern equipment, computers, and laboratories. There are currently 2700 students enrolled in the following seven schools:

• Amoli Apurva Primary School, Bahera, Chouparan

• Amoli Apurva Primary School, Prajapat Nagar, Mangarh

• Amoli Apurva High School, Mangarh

• Birsa High School, Deokuli

• Chandrakala Devi Daga High School, Kewalia

• Roshani Druv High School, Churchu

• Surekha Prakash Bhai Public School, Bahera, Chouparan

The result of these schools has been very good. The students are excelling in their studies and passing at very high rates. Since the onset of this program, a total of 3000 students have passed through these schools.

Umesh Kumar, who belongs to the scheduled caste, was living with his widowed mother in an interior village in the Chouparan block of Hazaribag. His family was dependent on agriculture and labor. With the assistance of the head master, Umesh was admitted into the Amoli Apurva High School in class VI. He was a very intelligent, hardworking student and was able to pass his Matriculation Board Examination with impressive results. Interested in continuing his education, but with no funds to do so, Umesh began working as a teacher for junior boys. The money he earned from this allowed him to pursue his studies. Umesh is currently a history student working towards a masters degree at the Vinoba Bhave University in Hazaribag. Umesh attributes his success to his beginning at Amoli Apurva High School.
 

In order to address the issue of the distance of schools from villages and to reduce the parents’ financial burden, NBJK is operating three hostels for young girls in Khunti. These hostels are equipped with basic amenities and one also provides the girls with additional coaching classes. There are currently 150 girls residing in the hostels, 50 in each. This endeavor has resulted in an increase in girl students’ school attendance rates. NBJK has also established three residential bridge camp schools for girls of scheduled castes and tribes. There are two currently operating in Chouparan and one in Khunti, housing roughly 115 girls.

 These bridge camp schools have been successful in mainstreaming these girls into the formal schooling system and reducing the dropout rate among this population. Assessment tests have also revealed that many of the girls have been able to gradually increase their academic level. Since 2005, 695 girls have been provided with education and housing at the NBJK residential bridge camp schools.

Anima Nag, a young tribal girl, began her education in the Oxfam Bridge Camp School in the year 2000. Her family of seven was very poor and lived in Angana, a forest village in Chouparan. The family was supported by what they earned from selling the forest wood they collected. After Anima completed her education at the bridge camp school, she was mainstreamed into the government schooling system and successfully passed the Matriculation Board Examination with impressive results. Anima has continued her education privately and has recently been appointed by NBJK as a teacher in a bridge camp school. She is now able to support her family members on the income she earns.
 

NBJK currently runs Bal Shiksha, a child sponsorship project designed to provide quality education to children living in four of the most underprivileged districts of Jharkhand. There is a particular focus on adolescent girls who have dropped out of school or who have never been to school due to a lack of funds. It is only through education that these children will have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to break the cycle of poverty. With the assistance of donors, this program has been successful in reaching the most marginalized and mainstreaming them into the formal schooling system. To date, 600 young girls have been sponsored.

Daneshwari Kumari is 16 years old and lives in the village of Birhu in the Chatra district. She is the daughter of late Ritu Ganjhu and late Jaswa Devi. Daneshwari was in class VI when her parents died. Following their death, she went to reside with her uncle, Deoki Ganjhu. He was unable to provide for Daneshwari’s education and she was forced to discontinue her studies.
NGO staff was made aware of Daneshwari’s situation by the head master of her former school. The staff met with the uncle but he refused to allow Daneshwari to return to school under the program. Other villagers assisted NGO staff in speaking with and convincing the uncle, who eventually agreed. Daneshwari returned to her studies and is now in class VIII.
 

NBJK, with the support of Axis Bank Foundation, has implemented 100 Remedial Coaching Centers (RCCs) in three blocks in the district of Hazaribag in the state of Jharkhand. There are 33 centers in the Sadar block, 30 centers in the Churchu block, and 37 centers located in the Chouparan block. The aim of the RCCs is to improve the performance of impoverished children in schools and to reduce the dropout rate among this population. The students are selected through a process that involves discussions with the teachers of various schools to determine which students are struggling and would benefit from the program.

A preference is given to girls, children with disabilities, and those from tribal populations and scheduled castes. Each center enrolls 40-45 students for standard VIII, IX, and X. The students are grouped according to their class, with 10 to 15 students per class. Each group meets for one hour, Monday through Saturday, either before or after their formal schooling. There is one tutor assigned to each center that provides the students with coaching in Mathematics, Science, and English. These are the subjects that most students have difficulties with. In order to instill a sense of ownership, the students are required to provide a nominal monthly fee, usually about ten rupees.
Under this program, there is also one special educator working in each block that is responsible for working with children with disabilities in classes I to X. The special educators make home visits, providing therapy when necessary. They also assist families in obtaining disability certificates and in gaining access to the government benefits they are entitled to. Aids and appliances are also distributed to those in need. Since the implementation of this program, 191 children with disabilities have been provided with a wide-range of aids and appliances, including tricycles, crutches, and hearing aids.
This program was initiated in November 2007 and has since seen great improvement among the beneficiary population. Most students are completing the program and examination scores have increased significantly. There is also an increased awareness of the importance of education among the community in the blocks where the program is operating, resulting in an increase in enrollment in government schools and a decrease in dropout rates. Participating girls have also become increasingly excited about their studies and are demonstrating an eagerness for furthering their education, even in the field of science. The instances of early marriage have decreased and some girls have even continued their studies following marriage.

Sintu is a 13 year-old boy in class VIII that resides in the Selhara village in Chouparan. Sintu stopped going to school as a result of his neck being bent towards his right shoulder. Not only did his classmates tease him, this problem also interfered with Sintu’s ability to read and write. NBJK staff successfully persuaded him to join a Remedial Coaching Center that was running in the off hours of the government middle school in Selhara.
Discussions were also held with the children in Sintu’s class in order to sensitize them to the issue. Sintu has also been prescribed a cervical collar by a doctor and receives physiotherapy from one of the program’s special educators. He has shown great improvement and is now a regular student.
 

The Lord Buddha Home for Children (LBHC) was established in 2004 as a result of an initiative of the Dutch foundation, Stichting Kinderhulp Bodghaya. The LBHC is an orphanage in the village of Silounja, near Bodghaya. The goal of this home is to create an equal standard of living for poor and orphaned children by providing them with proper care in a loving environment and by providing them with a quality education in an English medium, CBSE recognized school. In addition to shelter and education, the children are also provided with all of their food and clothing requirements.

There are currently 47 children at the LBHC and there is one housemother to serve as the primary caregiver for every ten children. The daily routine is well organized and consists of education, health, sports, and entertainment. The LBHC also provides the children with daily sessions with a home tutor and weekly visits from a doctor.

Sumant Kumar, 10 years old, came to the Lord Buddha Home for Children (LBHC) as a young child, following the early death of his parents. Sumant’s mother passed away due to a chronic illness and his father was killed by a bite from a snake. Sumant’s uncle became the immediate guardian of him and his adolescent sister, treating them as domestic servants.
When he came to LBHC, Sumant found a very different life, one with love and inspiration. Sumant excels at school, achieving a 96% on the annual school examinations and ranking 3rd in his class. He is also very athletic, enjoying sports and dancing. Sumant is also developed into a very kind and helpful young man. He offers assistance to the housemothers and looks out for his juniors. Sumant acknowledges the differences and claims that LBHC has transformed his life.
 

The Gopal Bal Vidyalaya educational institution was created in 2006, with the financial support of Mr. Sunil Walia. It is located in the very poor and uneducated Velwatand hamlet in the village of Silounja (Gaya). This school provides the children of this deprived community with a quality education up to Standard II and prepares them to be mainstreamed into the government schooling system. Since the establishment of this center, many students have been successfully mainstreamed into the government middle school in Bodhgaya. There has also been a significant shift in the attitudes of the villagers concerning education.

NBJK, with the assistance of The Association for India Development, has implemented a program to provide education to the children in the slum areas of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Many of the children in living in these areas have dropped out of the formal education system to earn additional income for their families. With the aim of providing an education for these children and sensitizing impoverished communities to the importance of education, nine primary education centers have been developed in the Patna slum areas. Since the program’s initiation, parents have begun to prioritize education for their children and many have been mainstreamed into nearby government or private schools to further their studies.

With the support of the Hans Foundation, Spandan was implemented by NBJK in 2005. This program provides education to children with Cerebral Palsy and Mental Retardation in 46 villages in the Sadar block of Hazaribag. Spandan also provides aids and appliances, family counseling, physiotherapy sessions, and training on activities of daily living and functional reading/writing. The ultimate goal of this program is to assist these children in becoming more independent in their daily lives and mainstreaming them into society. Many of the children have made great improvements in their capabilities as a direct result of this program.

Saniya Praween II is 5 years old and suffers from comorbid delayed development and a moderate level of mental retardation. Her family resides in Pelawal village in the district of Hazaribag and is supported by her father’s work as a tailor. Prior to the intervention of the Spandan program, Shaniya’s condition was very poor. She was unable to stand on her own and did not have a disability certificate. Thus, she was not receiving any government benefits. Once enrolled in the program, a special educator from NBJK assisted Shaniya in getting certified.

She is also receiving physiotherapy and is working on her activities of daily living twice a week with this special educator. Her mother has been provided with training in physiotherapy, ADL, and social interaction so that she is also able to work with Shaniya. These efforts have resulted in great improvements. Shaniya is now able to stand on her own and is even able to take a few steps without support. Her family is very pleased with and grateful for this progress.