Community Learning Centers: increasing access to learning through community-based education.
UniCoN supports five community learning centres which increase access to formal and informal education for women and children through a range of programs, including the ‘After-School Program’, ‘Digi ACT’, and ‘Pathways for Women’.
A. After School Support – Promoting healthy child development in marginalized communities.
Our ‘After-School Project” aims to provide learning support and community engagement for children living in rural areas and slum communities. These children have limited access to out-of-school learning; their parents are often unable to provide after school care due to work commitments and may not have the literacy skills to support and share in their children’s learning.
The project provides after-school learning support with homework, English skills, basic health and self-care skills and facilitates healthy leisure alternatives.
By engaging children in community life, UniCoN is also able to support holistic child development through arts, music, dance, sports, and other extracurricular activities.
Currently, UniCoN has five Community Learning Centres in four slum communities, which support 275 children age 3-15 years.
Our vision is to resource another seven communities and we are looking forward to working with new donors to make this vision a reality.
B. Digi ACT: Digital Access, Cybersecurity and Training – educating communities about digital literacy to ensure safe, secure online practices.
The Digi ACT program aims to educate communities about digital literacy, proper use of digital devices, and cyber security- increasing digital access, and addressing grassroots issues such as poverty and educational inequality through “digital hubs”.
The program targets vulnerable youth, particularly within Dalit communities.
Through equipping our CLCs’ with internet access, we have empowered children, young people and mothers to navigate the digital world, supporting them to access online education, employment opportunities, and facilitating global connection.
It seeks to reduce vulnerabilities through establishing a network of informed community leaders who can further empower their communities, fostering equitable and sustainable development through improved digital literacy skills.
We ensure the projects’ longevity through ongoing monitoring and evaluation measures: integral parts of UniCoNs’ commitment to sustainable support.
C. Pathways for Women: Recovery and Healing from Economic Trauma
The ‘Pathways for Women’ program aims to empower young mothers and enhance their economic independence through equipping them with the essential skills and vocational training needed to foster sustainable livelihoods within their communities.
Our approach is founded on holistic, trauma-informed principles- we believe that economic empowerment not only enhances women’s agency but provides a pathway for intergeneration healing and recovery for women, children, and families.
To achieve this, we enrolled 27 mothers who had previously dropped out of education in a two-month skill-building program in eco-friendly bag production. By imparting these sustainable skills, we were able to improve both women’s’ economic prospects, and enhance the overall well-being of the community.
