Focused Group Discussion at Gandhinagar, May 19, 2010

Focused Group Discussion

Area: Gandhi Nagar, Near Hiranandani Meadows, Thane (W)

Date & Time: May 19, 2010 - 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Volunteers: Krishna, Sharmishtha, Ekta, Ratna, Divya, Santaji, Ashutosh

Facilitator: Santaji

Observer: Krishna, Ratna

Recorder: Ashutosh

Volunteers gathered all the kids in and around the mentioned area.

• Kajal, a very bright young girl, studying in 3^rd standard at Vasant Vihar Marathi School, was not able to accompany all the children initially because she was cooking rice, daal and sabji at home. After cooking, she gathered 5-6 kids residing nearby and came along with them to the FGD venue.
• Lack of hygiene was observed.

Activities prior to FGD

• Initially, kids were asked to sing, after many efforts to make them open up, a girl started murmuring some song, but others were mum.
• Santaji then started a very simple but beautiful song with children with actions.
• Once volunteers started singing along, all children followed the song.
• Now some children started opening up, and sung a song. 

Recordings during FGD

• All the volunteers introduced themselves to the kids.
• Kids were asked to repeat the names of the volunteers.
• Introduction of all the children present was conducted.
• Other kids were asked to repeat the name of each of the individual to get them know each other.
• Details of the name of the children will be shared in separate document.
• After the introduction, volunteers distributed the paintings sheets to the children. Crayon chalks were shared with all the kids.
• Paintings were in form of kites and balloons. Kids were asked to fill the colors in.
• During the activity, one girl named Piyasa, started staring at the volunteers (especially Ekta, as she asked her to paint). It was a complete cold look, no feelings or emotions were visible on the face. Sharmishtha eased her by speaking in Bengali, her mother tongue. After sometime Piyasa was kind of comfortable with repeated conversions in her native language.
• Kids started getting involved in the painting. By looking at the children’s activity, other dwellers gathered around.
• Another very young boy (must be around 2 years old). Ratna asked him to paint. With the help of his mother, he started scribbling on the paper with chalks.
• Some of the other kids were very neat and tidy in painting. Some couldn’t manage to be.
• Nandini and Monika were very good at painting.
• After finishing the painting, kids were asked to write their names on the paper-sheet.
• There were some children who never attended the school, couldn’t write their name.
• When some volunteers were clicking photographs, kids were really amazed with camera.
• Volunteers helped the kids, who were not able to write, showed them how to write. They were asked to write their names by looking at the name written by volunteers.
• Satish, a young boy, was very shy and reluctant to write it even after Ratna’s efforts.
• Around 12 children were going to school out of 26.
• Nandini who is really interested in studying, couldn’t go to school as she had no birth certificate.
• Kids were asked what do they want to be in future, the common replies were doctor, teacher. One girl said she would like to be in Police.
• Teachers beat students if they commit some mistake. But hardly anybody was out of school due to this reason.
• Nandini, who is interested in studying, helps her parents to run Vada-Paav dukaan. Does the household work along with her 3 siblings. Her parents are also ready to send her to school.
• Monika, another girl, who studied up to 3^rd standard at her native, refused to join the school here. She insisted that she will go to school at her native only – due to language barrier.
• Nothing except books and notebooks, is given to the students going to nearby Municipal schools.
• A girl, who is studying in 2^nd standard, said, when asked about reasons for absenteeism, if mother is not feeling well, she has to stay back at home to cook and other household work and to take care of her siblings.
• When asked about teacher’s involvement in communities, children said, teachers never come to their settlements.
• When asked about parents’ meeting teacher, they meet rarely.
• After the discussion, kids performed dance on some songs.
• At the end, some candies were distributed to all the children. 

Observations:

• Kids were asking us, when are visiting them again.
• Parents are also building some hopes and expectations from the volunteers.
• Not sure about the kids, but we can be once again very clear about our purpose and goal with the elders.
• Enrollment drive can be successful here, but very few eligible children were out of school. Few are really young. Will have to enroll them in Anganwaadi.
• Nandini, Kajal, Monika, Salim are some of the bright kids.
• Kajal has a natural leadership qualities.