Child Activity and Education

This programme helps women secure quality education and nutrition for their children, alongside livelihoods and social entitlements.

Learning centres today

MASS runs its Dalit children's education programme independently in Raibag, Chikodi, Athani and Hukkeri taluks, raising funds from the local community and factories. It covers 2,174 children through 70 learning centres.

Special tuition prepares 5th-grade students for the entrance exams of government residential schools, Navodaya and Morarji Desai, which offer promising students from poor families a free, high-quality education. So far, 1,173 students have been trained and 262 have secured admission.

Five children are enrolled in CWC sponsorship, receiving Rs. 1,000 per month. One HIV-positive child and one woman receive pensions.

The Every Child years

From 2006, with funding from Every Child, UK, MASS ran an education programme for Dalit children in Raibag taluka. It operated 47 learning centres covering 2,000 children, with qualified teachers, tuition in Maths, Science and English, and sports and cultural activities.

A special residential course trained 694 students for the residential school exam, and 302 secured admission. 34 children were enrolled in CWC sponsorship at Rs. 1,000 per month. Every Child left India in September 2015 and transferred its assets to a global alliance.

Funding for higher education

• MASS gave more than 6.79 lakh as interest-free educational loans to children of members, and 248 children received loans repeatedly.
• 41 children received higher education funds from PRERANA.
• Grants from US-based Indian individuals, "Kannadigara Okkuta" in the UK, and the local community gave 180 children Rs. 4.34 lakh in total.

Figures are as reported on MASS's website in January 2020, the latest published date for this material.