A Project

Report On

THE KADAM STEP-UP PROGRAMME WITH HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE INDIA

(HPPI)

Submitted by:

Faozia Quraishi (16B)

Subject: Social Awareness Program (SAP)

Under the guidance of

Dinesh Raghav, Humana People to People India (HPPI)

Master In Business Administration

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade,

Delhi Batch: 2021-2023

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 Work Summary

In partnership with corporate and public partners, HPPI is executing the Kadam Step Up
Programme to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for Out-of-School Children (OOSC)
and support them in enrolling in formal schools in age-appropriate grades. Kadam was first
introduced in 2014, but in July 2016, it was significantly expanded with the goal of returning
30,000 OOSC to school in three years.

Kadam is a one-year programme designed to help Out-of-School Children get the knowledge and
skills they need to transition into conventional educational systems. The programme integrates
cognitive and thematic learning in a step-by-step structure that allows each child, regardless of age,
to start at their current level.

Background of the Work – The Kadam Step-Up Programme

The Kadam Step-Up Program is based on successful teaching methods, engaging pedagogy, and
focused content. The curriculum encourages speedy learning by using a condensed course. The
following are some of the program's focal points:
• Caters to the needs of primary school students 
• Creates a learning environment in the classroom where children learn progressively – step by step
• Involves children learning via their own experiences, applying past learning to unfamiliar
circumstances, and performing assigned activities 
• Prepares instructors to take on the role of facilitator and co-constructor of education.

The Kadam Step Up Programme was inspired by the Academy of Working Children (AWC), which
was established in Behror in 2005. There are currently three AWCs serving children's slums in Jaipur
and Gurgaon. The academies also offer regular computer classes for community women and
teenagers, as well as evening extracurricular programmes for kids who need extra help in the
classroom. To help them better integrate with this educational aim, they also involve the community
in health, sports, and cultural events. AWC has assisted 13,500 dropouts and out-of-school children
since its founding, and it now supports roughly 800 students each year.
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In India, the pandemic has prompted the closure of 1.5 million schools, affecting 247 million
children enrolled in primary and secondary schools. This could have a significant impact on the
children's core skills, which are critical for their early development. Thousands of students are on the
verge of dropping out due to a lack of access to remote education.

Out-of-school children are addressed through HPPI's Kadam programme, which ensures that
children continue to learn at their own speed wherever they are. Thematic Learning integrates a
child's cognitive development through progressive increases in subject-based abilities with the
parallel development of social skills through hands-on experiences. The Kadam curriculum
strengthens children's core learning skills by focusing on competencies in four subject areas: English,
Hindi, Mathematics, and Environmental Science, and is organised around ten steps and eleven
themes.

The modular nature of the programme allows for a great deal of flexibility in the use of several
inherent elements/tools that can be employed as needed in a range of educational settings. Currently,
the Kadam programme is being implemented in government primary schools' Special Training
Centres (STCs) to help out-of-school children (either those who have dropped out or those who have
never attended school) develop academic and social skills, as well as to bolster foundational learning
skills of in-school primary grade students to help them reach their age-appropriate learning level.

Some of the key achievements of HPPI in the field of education for the year 2020-2021 are:
• 15,520 children were enrolled in formal schools after completing the Kadam Programme
• 23,963 primary school students reached through the Kadam+ programme
• 2,340 women participated in Functional Literacy programmes
• 950 in-service teachers trained in efficient class management skills
• 3,215 Necessary Teacher Training Programme (NeTT) students under training

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Brief Profile of the NGO

Humana People to People India’s (HPPI) mission is to unite with people in India in order to
create development in the broadest sense through the implementation of the projects that aim at
transferring knowledge, skills and capacity to individuals and communities who need assistance
to come out of poverty and other dehumanizing conditions.

HPPI is a development organization registered as a not-for-profit company under section 25 of

the Companies Act, 1956 as of 21st May 1998. It is a non-political, non-religious organization
working for the holistic development of the under-privileged and marginalized people in rural
and urban India through social development and poverty alleviation interventions by
coordinated, strategic approaches focusing on education, life skills, improved livelihoods, health
and sanitation, the empowerment of women and environment protection. So far, HPPI has
implemented more than 160 projects all over the country in partnership with different
international and national private and public partners.

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HPPI is currently implementing more than 70 projects in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, West Bengal,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi, reaching out to around two
million people annually. HPPI works with more than 70 partners, which include government
sectors, private corporations and international funding agencies.

Work / Assignments Allocated

1. To study and understand the working of the Kadam Step-Up Programme and how the
programme can be improved
2. To find out how gaps in education be filled for dropouts and children who do not attend
school
3. To create content on important topics on a regular basis and lead sessions for a group of HPPI
volunteers
4. To analyze the data of different students from the districts of Palwal and Rewari and make
recommendations

A snapshot of the Kadam Brochure

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Process Followed To Complete The Assignments & The Results / Impact Created

Activities Conducted

1. Session on “Right to Education” (28th Jan’ 2022)

The "Right to Education" is a significant and important act that transformed the Indian education
system, yet most people are still unaware of its benefits. The statute defines "obligatory
education" as the government's commitment to offer free elementary education and to enforce
compulsory admission, attendance, and completion of elementary school. It outlines the roles and
responsibilities of appropriate governments, local governments, and parents in providing free and
compulsory education, as well as the establishment of curriculum that is consistent with the
Constitution's ideals and promotes the child's holistic development.
A comprehensive PowerPoint presentation was prepared on Right to Education and a session was
taken for a group of volunteers at HPPI who are finally responsible for onboarding and teaching
students.

2. Session on “New Education Policy” (31’st Jan’2022)

The Indian government unveiled the New Education Policy (NEP), which is supposed to
overhaul the Indian educational sector. The National Education Policy of 2020 (NEP-2020),
which will follow the 1986 National Policy on Education, is a comprehensive framework that
includes all stages of education in the country, from primary to higher education. The NEP-20202
has established a target of reaching a 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GEER) in school education
by 2030, because the purpose of any educational system is to benefit children so that no child is
denied the opportunity to study and grow regardless of their birth circumstances or background.
According to the Policy, bridging social gaps in school education access, participation, and
learning outcomes will remain a significant emphasis of all education sector development
programmes.

The National Education Policy (NEP) would alter the country's education sector because it
focuses on making education more accessible, egalitarian, and inclusive, but only if it is

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 implemented at all levels. As a result, most components of the policy should be known to the
various stakeholders.

3. Session on “Using technology to improve education” (2nd Feb’ 2022)

Students benefit from technology because it gives them with fast access to knowledge, rapid
learning, and engaging ways to apply what they've learned. Using technology both inside and
outside the classroom, students can master 21st-century technical skills essential for future
professions. The use of technology in education can help to facilitate collaboration. Throughout
the lesson, teachers can communicate with students, but students can also speak with one another.
Through online classes and learning activities, students work together to solve problems. In
collaborative tasks, students can share their thoughts and ideas and encourage one another.
Simultaneously, technology enables the students to have one-on-one conversations with teachers.
Students can ask questions about the classroom and receive further assistance with challenging
material.   Students can submit their homework from home, and teachers can access and view
completed assignments using their own devices. Teachers can foster intellectual imagination and
open mindedness by providing engaging and educational information, which has been connected
to academic success in studies.

Hence this session was seen as significant and conducted.

4. Session on “Importance of climate change awareness in school” (7th Feb’2022)

Global warming is the most important issue of our generation. We have arrived at a critical point
in our planet's history. From food sources to transportation infrastructure, from what we wear to
where we vacation, climate change has an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. In order to
plan for the future, we must first understand how the environment is changing. Scientists have
assessed the likely repercussions of increasing the planet's average temperature by various
degrees during the last few decades. Based on this research, governments have come to the
conclusion that a 2°C rise is unacceptable. Scientists have determined how much more carbon
dioxide may be released before the global warming limit is breached. This is referred to as the
carbon budget, and it is quite modest.

Changes in the way electricity is generated from renewable sources, changes in the way food is
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 produced, changes in our diets to reduce carbon emissions, and changes in the way we build
buildings and design cities might all be part of this revolution. It will take a concerted effort from
all of us to achieve net-zero emissions. This point was brought forward in the session conducted
too.

5. Shared resources on “Parental Involvement in Education” (4th Feb’2022)

A child's education starts at home. Families are their first teachers and have a significant
influence on the development of their personalities. A combination of home and school education
shapes a student's actual learning. Parents must support them in their educational endeavours and
provide genuine encouragement. Parental encouragement has been found to play a vital influence
in a child's achievement, and this role extends outside the home to include participation in school
events. Parents play the most significant role in sending their children to school in remote areas.
As a result, I gave the volunteers with useful tools for persuading and encouraging diverse
parents to send their children to school.

Therefore, the relevant resources were shared with the volunteers so as to help them in their
efforts to convince parents to get more involved with their children’s education.

6. Analysis of HPPI reports (10’th Feb’2022)

There was a lot of data about students from the districts of Palwal and Rewari. The data was
analysed and respective insights were shared.

Results / Impact Created

Indian states to boost efforts to provide graduating teachers with the skills and knowledge needed in
today's primary schools.
The educational scene has been radically altered because of COVID-19, with a major surge in e-
learning HPPI's teacher training programmes have worked with state-run teacher training institutes in
several methodologies, in which teaching and learning are conducted entirely on digital platforms. In
India, this change presents a particularly challenging issue. Through technology-enabled classrooms,
which assist students and instructors in the teaching and learning process in primary grades, I was
able to communicate the relevance of technology in enhancing children's learning. These
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interventions let teachers create digital lesson plans and conduct student assessments with the use of
current technology.
The volunteers were taught about the many techniques and methods for achieving a child's overall
development. This is crucial, as the new education policy emphasizes its importance as well. Aside
from that, awareness about important concerns such as climate change, which the volunteers must
teach the kids was also inculcated in them. Children will have a stronger impact on society and the
environment as they incorporate these behaviours into their daily routines. It will also result in
children taking the lead in environmental protection activities.
Apart from the volunteers learning various aspects, I also learned a lot through this programme.
Education is the remedy to all of these problems, thus as more children enroll in school, the country's
problems of child labour, poverty, and unemployment will reduce. One child who completes his or
her education can have a big impact on society in the long term. This will definitely stay with me for
a long time, even after all my education, I still learned something new.

Key Takeaways

 At a time when COVID has disrupted the education of thousands of children, the Kadam
step-up programme has been their hope throughout.
 The initiative helped me understand how the whole social system processes work and how
we as management students can aid in structured communication as well as education to
many volunteers and children effectively and properly.

Practical Implication To the NGO / Society

The primary objective of the Social Awareness Program was to allow us to gain an in-depth
understanding of the social sector while exhibiting our skills as potential future managers. As I
reflected upon my stint with HPPI, I realized that the organization helped me to do exactly that.
I got the chance to work on assignments that made me understand how the whole social system
processes work and realize how structured and sustainable the processes can become with the right
direction. As I moved ahead in the process, it inspired me and helped me enhance my critical skills

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such as : Process Analysis, Understanding organizational structure and Presentation.
As I came to an end of this immensely gratifying experience, I realized that Management students
can have a critical role to play in the social sector, specifically in terms of the rich quantitative skills
that they can bring to the table.

Acknowledgement
I would like to take this opportunity to to thank Mr. Dinesh Raghav, the Project Leader at HPPI, for
his unwavering support and counsel throughout the programme. Mr. Raghav has made all of the
project's resources available to me. He also acted as a go-between for me and the HPPI volunteer
group, making sure that everything is running properly. I would also like to express my gratitude to
Dr. Arunima Rana, the Programme Director of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Delhi, for
allowing me to participate in the social awareness campaign which helped me hone my own skills as
well as contribute to society in a small yet fulfilling manner.

THANK YOU

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