Samanta

THE PROBLEM
According to various statistics about India, only 18% males and 10% females earn a high school diploma. The estimated number of children who have never attended school is nearly 100 million, which is the largest concentration in the world.

The current education system has reached stagnation. The government efforts have failed due to bureaucracy and corruption. In rural India, significant percentage of teachers don’t even show up to school. Majority of the kids end up their study before 8th grade, and many of them fall for bad vices, such as alcoholism, gambling, or even prostitution.


THE SOLUTION
Samanta stands for 'universality'. Our mission is to provide a learning experience for the local youth through physical interaction with foreigner volunteers and tourists, as well as teach them in the evening at an informal school where education is made interactive and fun. We want to help kids broaden their perspective, foster creativity, and enjoy learning. One day, we hope to set up such schools in eco-tourist destinations all across rural india.

Samanta focuses on 4 aspects of learning:

1) Familiarizing kids with technology, and teach them problem solving techniques
2) Teaching arts & crafts to broaden their outlook and equip them with skills useful in the real world
3) Teaching them teamwork and leadership skills through sports and other workshops
4) Raising awareness and strengthening their moral values, so they are able to differentiate between good and bad choices

We setup various workshops (basic computer skills, film making, photography, dance), contests (sports, painting, making handicrafts) and social awareness classes (first aid, eating & drinking habits, keeping neighborhoods clean).

Our volunteers can come and teach any subjects in which they are comfortable. However, our goal is not to replace the existing schools, but to make kids enjoy the learning, and encourage them to attend their local schools.

Beyond education, Samanta will help boost rural economies, slow rural to urban migration, employ young graduates as teachers, provide volunteers with a platform to help, and showcase the beauty of the Indian countryside.


COMBINATION WITH ECOTOURISM
Ecotourism is the fastest growing segment within the tourist sector, with India becoming one of the most popular destinations. Most ecotourist destinations are in rural India where approximately 70% of the country’s population lives. This provides us with the source of revenue for running our school. Along with that, it provides a learning experience for the locals through personal interaction between tourists and volunteers.

By running as a socially conscious venture, we invest our profits right back into the local village through our school. The value is thus not only gained by businesses engaged in tourism, but spread out across the whole community.