Educational development is one of the main indicators of development of villages. Usually, students in villages rely on bare minimum facilities of their public schools. After returning home from school, they face many difficulties like small houses with narrow, poorly lit rooms, uneducated parents who cannot extend academic support, and disturbance from TV etc.

These factors are enough to demotivate these students in their studies. This is the plight of the students in remote villages of Kotturu and Bhamini mandals in Srikakulam district. To address this situation, Grameena Vikas Sangham (GVS) has opened ‘Free Tuition Centers’ (Vidyarthi Vikasa Kendras) in the villages. To manage these centers, the public-school premises are selected as venue in their respective villages.

Few graduated local youths have been recruited as trainers. These trainers not only solve academic doubts and help students with their homework, but also make them play different indigenous games and teach yoga to improve their physical fitness. They also create awareness about health regulations and encourage the students to practice them. The students are also taught about the lives of inspirational leaders, scientists, stories of great men who promoted moral values. They also learn patriotic songs and chant shlokas, which contribute to their intellectual development. Through these programs, Free Tuition Center contribute to the holistic development of students.

Apart from this, training sessions are being conducted for trainers on a regular basis, to manage VVKs efficiently. The activities of these trainers are being reviewed monthly.

Results:

• 50 trainers run Vidyarthi Vikasa Kendras for 1500 students in 21 villages under the supervision of two zonal coordinators.
• TV watching time of children is reduced drastically, therefore 100% students do homework daily.
• End of the evil of child marriage as the village girls are pursuing higher studies.
• Celebrate festivals like Ugadi, Sankranti, Rakshabandhan, and Samoohika Deepaarchana in a traditional manner.