Access to education is a critical component to ensure the development of communities. Quality childhood education is not just critical for children; they are central to the health of the communities where they live. It is education that leads to the road to the betterment of a community and the nation at large. This is exactly why Ability Aids will be focussing on education as a key to drive change in the community.

Manu, a boy studying in Grade 7, was forced to drop out of school and earn a living because his father is suffering from cancer and his mother was unable to work as she had to care for his younger brother who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. With aged grandparents to take care of, he had no choice but to start earning a living as the family was living in utter destitution.

This is just one such story …. there are countless such painful stories. Their struggle resonates with many in the community of Poonthura.

Ability Aids has come forward to support the education of students such as Manu.

The aim of this project is to ensure that there is a healthy and well educated young generation in this village by the year 2020.

The project aims to help the community of Poonthura by providing quality education to the children of this village and improving the standard of life of the residents. Ability Aids envisages that these students will tomorrow become the change agents for the entire village and become responsible, contributory participants in nation building.

Implementation of the project

A survey called the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) shows that more than half the students in Grade 5 are unable to read a Grade 2 textbook and are unable to do even basic math. The reasons are multifarious – fewer committed teachers, lack of proper textbooks and learning materials, skewed teacher – student ratio etc. As a consequence of this a very low number of students actually clear their secondary education. Hence, the dropout rate at this level is very high and the children are stuck in the same vicious cycle of poverty.

The project will be implemented in the first stage for students studying in Grade 5, Grade 6 and Grade 7. It will later be extended to the whole school.

Drawing a parallel from the success we have achieved in a similar village in a place called Aryanad where in the ten years since the project has first been implemented we can see huge changes in the children and community we are confident that we will be able to bring about a dramatic change in this community.

WHO-prescribed lifeskill classes

English classes

Special academic coaching

Night study facilities

Counseling and guidance

Nutritious food

Health interventions

Annual summer camps