India
School Grants for the Poorest
In Sarnath, a town in the province of Uttar Pradesh, there is the Buddha Smile School, intended for the poorest children. When they finish primary school, there is no money for their secondary education. The children are Dalits, or casteless people according to the old caste system of India. The families come from the poorest communities and earn some money by, for example, collecting garbage, sweeping the streets or begging. Most parents have not been to school themselves and cannot, for example, pay for school uniforms, transportation or teaching materials for their children. Children sometimes have to work at a very young age to contribute to the costs. Children receive a hot meal at school, which is often the only proper meal of the day. Children who obtain a secondary school diploma after primary school have, unlike their parents, a better chance of a better paid job and therefore a different future .
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Contribution from Globewise
Globewise mainly supports girls with a scholarship for secondary school. Every morning, the secondary school students gather at their old primary school and they are given a packed lunch. A few times a week, they also receive study guidance from their former teachers after school, who help them with their studies. The school management maintains contact with the secondary schools and monitors the progress of the students. The scholarship is used to pay for tuition fees, teaching materials, examination fees, uniforms, meals and any excursions.
Teacher Salaries
Overlooking the Ganges River in Varanasi, there is a primary school for children without caste from the neighbouring slums. The Little Stars School is a primary school for children of children without caste (and therefore) poor parents. The school is the only school in the area that educates children from these poor families up to class 12, comparable to educating them for HAVO. A dozen girls can no longer live at home due to circumstances and also live at the school and are cared for by the headmistress. The school has a solid and enthusiastic teaching staff. However, teachers can earn more if they teach at government schools. The primary school does not have the money to offer teachers a higher salary. In order to prevent teacher turnover and thus safeguard the continuity of the teachers and the quality of the lessons, it provides a supplement to the teachers' salaries. Children who receive a good education have a better chance of a good follow-up education and thus a chance of a better-paid job.
Contribution from Globewise
Globewise supports teachers with a contribution to supplement their low salary. With the support of Globewise, teachers receive a supplement to their salary. As a result, the children at the Little Stars School receive a solid education in Hindi.
