Balia Gram Unnayan Samity

Project Brief: This project runs a pre-primary school for kids in the Balia District of West Bengal.
Project Type: Pre-Primary (description)
Primary Focus: children of dalits/tribals (description)

Secondary Focus: girls

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: UIUC
Status: current / ongoing
Project Steward: Priyasmita Ghosh
Project Partner(s): S Pal
Other Contacts: Monalisa Sen
Project Address: , Village Balia,P.O. Bahirkhand,Bahirkhand,
WEST BENGAL  712405
Tel: 03212 242283
Stewarding Chapter: UIUC
Aug 2023UIUCUSD 10536
Aug 2022UIUCUSD 1518
Jun 2022UIUCUSD 7333
Sep 2021UIUCUSD 8882
Jun 2020UIUCUSD 12087
Sep 2019UIUCUSD 15118
Jun 2018UIUCUSD 22461
Oct 2017UIUCUSD 22926
Jun 2016UIUCUSD 19700
Nov 2015UIUCUSD 15029
Sep 2015UIUCUSD 7703
Jan 2015UIUCUSD 6505
Jul 2014UIUCUSD 7866
Sep 2013UIUCUSD 10179
Apr 2013UIUCUSD 8827
Dec 2012UIUCUSD 6000
Sep 2012UIUCUSD 5000
Mar 2012UIUCUSD 4980
Nov 2011UIUCUSD 2000
Sep 2011UIUCUSD 5400
Feb 2011UIUCUSD 1200
Feb 2011UIUCUSD 4000
Oct 2010UIUCUSD 4600
Feb 2010KnoxvilleUSD 3650
Aug 2009Work an HourUSD 1750
Aug 2009UIUCUSD 4225
Mar 2009Work an HourUSD 10130
Mar 2009Work an HourINR 37000
Jan 2009KnoxvilleUSD 2250
Oct 2008UIUCUSD 1666
Jul 2008UIUCUSD 1667
May 2008KnoxvilleUSD 2215
Jan 2008Silicon ValleyUSD 1385
Oct 2007UIUCUSD 3300
Oct 2007UIUCUSD 1500
Aug 2007UIUCUSD 1250
Mar 2007UIUCUSD 1250

Total = $246894.6

Balia Gram Unnayan Samity (BGUS) is an NGO working in the Hoogly district of West Bengal for the social and educational upliftment of the villagers. Asha is funding their pre-primary schools and coaching centers that benefit children from 10 villages within the range of this project. These efforts are largely aimed at improving the quality of education and preventing early drop out amongst children in these poor communities, by instilling school going habits in children (through pre primary schools) and providing additional support to the students attending Government schools (through the coaching programs). BGUS also runs a book bank that lends text and reference books to students. In addition to this, BGUS supports other development activities in the region related to healthcare, farming practices, professional training etc.

Project Scope for Asha:

+ Seven pre-primary schools in ten villages for 303 children (Age: 3-6)
- Learning & teaching material
- Teachers salary
- Nutrition
+ Coaching program for ~ 260 children (Age: 6-12)
- Learning & teaching material
- Teachers salary
+ Book bank for ~ 400 students (Age: 15+)

Significance:

The children need a friendly and accessible introduction to education and schooling in a rural area that has a 30% literacy rate and where there hasn't been a tradition of school-going. The schooling provides an introduction to reading and familiarity with numbers and instills a love of learning. Without pre-primary education and preparation, a number of children find the step up to government primary schools an insurmountable barrier - a large proportion of these children are of illiterate parents who are unable to prepare them for primary school.
In addition,the coaching program helps students from economically weaker sections of society to cope up with the school work and compete with students from affluent families who can afford private tuitions or have educated parents to help them with their school work.
BGUS also operates a book bank that lends text books to students for the academic year. This program is very popular and benefits students even outside the project area of BGUS
Pre-primary education, coaching centres, book bank
The organization was founded on Feb 28, 1979. Their main education related activity has been sponsoring the education of poor village kids - They have helped over 1000 children in the last 10 years. They have also set up a book bank and a library.

Please refer to the ppt file for more details.

BGUS has also been active in other non educational activities, like soil testing, pisciculture, poultry training etc. For this, they have partnered with academic
institutions like IIT Kharagpur and Kalyani Univeristy.

In the past, BGUS has been funded by Christain Children Funds. Their budget for the year 2003-2004 was over 80 lakhs.

Previous stewards' contact info.:
Soumyadeb Mitra (Asha-UIUC) soumyadeb@gmail.com
Debapriya Mazumdar (Asha-UIUC) debapriya.mazumdar@gmail.com
The funding was for pre-primary school, coaching centres and book bank.
Jul 2023 BGUS Site Visit 2023-2024
Jul 2023 BGUS Budget 2023-2024
Jun 2023 Annual Plan & Budget for the Year 2023-2024_ ( ( April 01,2023 to March 3
Jun 2023 BGUS Metrics
Jun 2022 BGUS FY22-23 Budget.pdf
Sep 2021 Site Report BGUS 2021
Aug 2021 Revised Budget BGUS 2021-2022
Apr 2020 Budget BGUS 2020-2021
Apr 2019 Budget BGUS 2019-2020
Aug 2018 Site Report BGUS 2019
Aug 2018 BGUS Site Visit Report 2018
Apr 2018 BGUS_2018-2019_budget
Apr 2018 Budget Proposal_2018-2019
Apr 2018 Approval Poll for 2018-19
Jan 2018 Progress Discussion 2018
Apr 2017 BGUS_Budget_2017-18
Jan 2017 Site_Visit_Report_2017
Jun 2016 Site Visit Report 2016
Jun 2016 Site Visit Report 2016 (updated)
May 2016 BGUS_Budget_2016-17
May 2016 Approval Poll for 2016-17
Jan 2016 Site visit report (Jan 2016)
Jan 2016 BGUS_presentation
Dec 2015 Correction to approved budget
Nov 2015 revised budget 2015-16 (with coversheet)
Nov 2015 Approval poll for 2015 2nd installment
Mar 2015 BGUS budget 2015-16
Jan 2015 Site visit report 2015
Apr 2014 BGUS budget proposal 2014-15
May 2013 BGUS 2013-14 budget
Jan 2013 Site Visit 2013
Jan 2013 BGUS reconstruction budget 2013
Dec 2012 Half Yearly report 2012-13
Oct 2012 six monthly report 2012-13
Jul 2012 WAH Banner 2012
May 2012 BudgetProposal_2012-13
May 2012 WAHProposal2012
May 2012 WAH_Budget(2012-13)
Nov 2011 ReconstructionNarayanpurSchool
Oct 2011 HalfYrlyReport_Oct2011
Jul 2011 SiteVisit2011
Jul 2011 Budget2011
May 2011 AnnualReportMay2010_Apr2011
Dec 2010 QED_Proposal2010
Oct 2010 Half Yearly Report 2010
Oct 2010 Site Visit Oct2010
Aug 2010 Proposal Budget 2010-11
May 2010 AnnualReportMay2009_Apr2010
Feb 2010 Conference call Feb 2010
Nov 2009 Half yearly report
Nov 2009 Half Yearly Report Coaching+Pre primary+book bank
Oct 2009 BGUS Oct09 Site Visit Report
Sep 2009 Instructor training schedule
Jun 2009 Asha UIUC contract-09-10-Book bank Coaching center
Jun 2009 Revised budget- PrePrimary schools-2009-1010
Jun 2009 Annual Report May 2008- Apr 2009
Jun 2009 Conference Call Minutes
May 2009 WAH 2008 Budget-Revised
Apr 2009 Proposal-Book bank-Coaching 2009-2010
Apr 2009 Proposal and Plan- PrePrimary Schools 2009-10
Apr 2009 School wise budget-2009-2010
Nov 2008 Half yearly report - Coaching & Book Bank
Nov 2008 Half yearly report - Pre primary schools
Oct 2008 Site Visit Report
Jul 2008 Coaching Program Summary & Instructors
Jul 2008 Book Bank Update
Jun 2008 Contract-Asha UIUC
May 2008 Program Summary May 07-Apr 08
May 2008 Contract-Asha Knoxville
Apr 2008 WAH proposal
Apr 2008 BGUS-WAH proposal details
Apr 2008 Annual Report Apr07-Mar08
Apr 2008 Funds Utilization Oct06-Apr08
Mar 2008 budget-partial
Mar 2008 Renewal Proposal 2007-08
Mar 2008 Self Sustenance Plan
Feb 2008 Site Visit Report
Jan 2008 BGUS Budget Oct 07-08
Nov 2007 Meeting Minutes for Fall 07 Review
Oct 2007 Book Bank Contract
Oct 2007 Conf Call Minutes Oct 29 07
Oct 2007 Nonsalary Budget
Sep 2007 Contract
Sep 2007 Teacher Payroll
Sep 2007 Expense Report
Jul 2007 BGUS Conference Call Minutes
Jul 2007 Pre-Primary Oct 06-Mar 07 Report
Jul 2007 Finances Oct06-Mar07
May 2007 Site visit (UIUC)
May 2007 Half Yearly Report (Oct 06 to Mar 07)
May 2007 Budget 2007
May 2007 Detailed proposal, organizational profile
May 2007 Survey: Effectiveness of preprimary educ.
Apr 2007 Minutes - Conf. call with Asha-UC
Nov 2006 Site Visit Report
Nov 2006 Contract
Jul 2006 Presentation
Jun 2006 Proposal Budget
Jun 2006 QA (Conference Call)