BFI(Bridges to the Future Intivatives) for dropout students project

BFI(Bridges to the Future Intivatives) for dropout students project. In this project I worked one year during 2004-05 and I also got BFI certificate for educated children who are going to school.

Press Releases
INTERNATIONAL LITERACY INSTITUTE
23 November 2004
Progress Update on Bridges to the Future Initiative (BFI) in India
In its effort to leverage the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve literacy and life skills in poor and disadvantaged communities, the BFI has established a collaborative partnership with key governmental and non-governmental organizations in Andhra Pradesh, India. The development process included signing an MOU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GOAP) Ministry of Education, and additional partnerships between the ILI and UPIASI, IIIT-Hyderabad and the Azim Premji Foundation. Principle co-sponsors of the BFI include: the GOAP, Unicef, J.P.MorganChase, World Bank, Spencer Foundation, and the University of Pennsylvania.

As a consequence of on-going discussions and planning between the various partners, the BFI was launched in A.P. state in October 2003. During the 2003-4 school year, prototype multimedia was produced, pilot testing was undertaken, and preliminary research showed that children were strongly motivated by the BFI programme.

In November 2004, the BFI was expanded to 13 sites in the Hyderabad/RangaReddy region of A.P. state, with more than 250 participating youth. Further, the project was reaffirmed as a priority by the newly elected government of A.P. state. In addition, the ILI has expanded its partnership with the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Hyderabad, through its new Center for Information Technology in Education (CITE). ILI and CITE are working together to create a comprehensive multi-media curriculum, with a focus on out-of-school youth, aged 10-22 years of age. Two major strands of software have been produced to date: (1) innovative and interactive multimedia material in Telugu that supports the rapid learning of basic reading, writing and math skills; (2) cross-sectoral content in health/sanitation that weaves literacy support into the health arena. Further work on the health strand is expected to focus on HIV/AIDS information, financial literacy, and other high-impact social information.
The BFI teacher-training program will focus on providing improved teaching quality and help transfer ICT skills among teachers who will be able to serve as facilitators at the CLTCs. Teacher/Facilitator Training for CLTC sites has been carried out by ILI in collaboration with GOAP, IIIT and TeraSoft-Hyderabad. Further development of this work is expected to be undertaken within the partnership between ILI and the Azim Premji Foundation.

Both formative and summative evaluation and analysis is currently underway with the BFI in India, building on a preliminary report on the population of youth that have been attracted to the BFI programme. The evaluation now underway will compare the 250 BFI learners at entry and exit for the BFI programme, and contrast these groups with about an equal number of youth participating in more traditional (non-ICT based) programmes for literacy improvement. Funding is now sought to complete this evaluation process, to build up the strand of health-related strand of multimedia materials, and the BFI teacher training component.

Prakasham Travel Guide

photo by: Krishna Reddy Thumu Besides being famous for its fine Cashew Nuts, this small town is home to a treasure of telugu literature. If your search for a telugu book has been unsuccessful so far, chances are that you will find it in Vetapalem Saraswata Niketanam. And, thats no exaggaration. Inspite of its wealth of telugu literary collection, and over 80 years of collossal service to the telugu cause, it remains largely undiscovered even among litterati. One still hears questions like, Where is this Vetapalem ? Vetapalem is in Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh in India on Tenali-Madras railway line, close to the eastern sea coast. A few trains stop in Vetapalem. It takes half an hour to reach Vetapalem by a city bus from Chirala. Interesting thing about this library is that since its founding in the pre-independence era in 1918, it has remained a private, family-maintained library. A rare institution of its kind in Andhra Pradesh and perhaps in India. It is one of the foremost research oriented libraries of Andhra Pradesh. This library founded by Late V.V.Shreshti in 1918 had the rare privilege and good fortune of its foundation stone being laid by The Father of the Nation MAHATMA GANDHI in 1929. In 1935, Babu Rajendra Prasad visited the Library and blessed it. The buildings were opened by Seth Jamnalal Bajaj and Shri Tanguturi Prakasam. It has been the fountain of inspiration to the youth during the freedom struggle. Successive Chief Ministers and great scholars visited the library and paid encomia. Today, the Library has a huge collection of books, newspapers (some dating back to 1909), periodicals - some 70,000 volumes on its racks - most of them, rare items. Research scholars from India and abroad (USA, Japan, Australia) stayed here and utilized the library resources in their research projects. The library has played an active role in the lives of people around. It has been th ecenter of many movements in education and social welfare. The library is open to all and the staff is friendly. As with any library, it has growing pains. The library grew from a small one storey building to the current two storeys. The papers keep coming every day and so do the new books. Cataloguing them, arranging them, retrieving them needs a lot of additional help. The library also needs help in preserving the age-old paper material from disintegrating. The library has plans to revamp to gear upto the magnitude of the challenge.

Ongole History

The history of Prakasam (Ongole) district, goes back to the rule of the Mauryas.There is no doubt about the rule of later Satavahanas over this area, for an inscription of Gautamiputra Satakarni, dated in his 27 th regional year was noticed at Chinaganjam, in Chirala taluk of this district. A good nuber of Roman Gold coins were recovered from Darsi area. Next, it was under the rule of the Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas and Kakathiyas. During the Kakathiya rule, Motupathi served as sea port. It was visited by the Italian traveller marco Polo.It also served as a busy port during the Reddy period. This district was under the rule of the Vijayanagara and Ganapathi of Orissa for a considerable period durinmg the 15th and 16th century A D.
The Saluvas ruled over the Podili area in the 15 th century AD with their capital at Podili. A few inscriptions and the kaifayat of Podili form the sources of their history. The rule of the Saluvas of Podili ended with Elugu Rayudu. Their territory was appropriated among the Gajapatis and the Rajas of Vijayanagara.
There are two inscriptions at Cumbum is Bestavaripeta taluk, dated AD 1706 and AD 1729. The first one refers to the death of one Khaja Mohammed Sherieff who was the Qiladar of Cumbum fort during the reign of Aurangazeb. The second refers to one Mohammed Sahin, son of Mohammed Khayum governor of Cumbum during the time of Mohammed Shah.
Under the Mughal rule it formed a part of the Golkonda province, one of the six provinces into which the Deccan subah was sub-divided.
The next dynasty to rule over the district was the Asaf Jahis. During Nizam-Ul-Mulk , the Deccan Subah comprised five Nawabs , one of which was Kurnool. Nellore and Guntur Districts from which certain taluks were taken away to constitute the present Prakasam district were under the Nawabs of Arcot and Rajahmundry. In 1801 AD the English acquired complete authority over the three districts from which the present Prakasam district was carved out.
The people of this district contributed their due share to the growth of the Indian National Congress.
The non-co-operation movement in 1920 shows the district setting with political turmoil. After the all India congress committee meeting was over, Gandhiji traveled some of the coastal districts and spread the message of nationalism. The boycott of courts by lawyers met with, a slightly better response in favour of civil disobedience and no tax campaign. Among those who suspended their practicing professions and who dedicated themselves to the cause of the country’s freedom were some of the top ranking lawyers, with late Sri T. Prakasam leading them all.
Three more events , namely formation of Andhra State in 1953, formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and the constitution of Prakasam district in 1970 are the important in the history of the district

Pongal Celebrations

My Mrs. Anju and I celebrated Pongal festival in Ravindra Bharathi. This is located in Hyderabad near AP Assembly and Birla Temple. We reached here on 14-1-08 at 10.00AM that time there started "Jandhyalaya Hasyotsavam" programme at 10.00AM "Nadaswaram", at 11AM camedy and mimicry pogramme till 2 'O' clock, after we went to Birla Mindir there spent upto 4 'O' clock after again went to Ravindra Bharathi again started cultural programmes like Kacheri, Natika, and Sanmanam to Brahmandam we are very happy first time we have seeen camedy artist Brahmanadam, Tanikella Bharani, AVS, Gundu Hanmanta Rao, Siva Reddy, Kota Srinivasa Rao and guest Ministers also came. This programme ended at 11PM.

Prakasam Map

This is our District Map. In this map my village is Ayyalurivari palli, C.S. Puram(Mandal), Prakasam(District)

Andhrapradesh Map

1. Adilabad
9. East Godavari
17. Kurnoorl
2.Nizamabad
10.
Khammam
18
Prakasam
3
Karimnagar
11
West Godavari
19
Anantapur
4
Medak
12
Krishna
20
Cuddapah
5
Warangal
13
Nalgonda
21
Nellore
6
Srikakulam
14
Rangareddi
22
Chittoor
7
Vizianagaram
15
Mahbubnagar


8
Vishakhapatnam
16
Guntur

Pongal Festival

My Mrs. Anju and I celebrated Pongal festival in Ravindra Bharathi on 14-01-08. This day Cinema director Jandhyala birthday thats why cinema artists AVS, Pradeep conducted programme "Jandhyala Hasyotsavam". we enjoyed very much here camedy and mimicri artists told jokes we laughed very much this programme started at 10AM and ended at 2PM after we went to Birla Mandir here we prayed god "Lord Venkateswara" there we spent upto 3.45PM againg we went to Ravindra Bharathi here againg started programmes Pata Kacheri and Sanmanam to Brahmanadam he got Jandhyalaya and he also got Ghinnese record because he acted 740 films in one language and one more also got Jandhyala award Gundu Hanumanta Rao this vacassion Tanikella Bharani, Kota Srinivasrao, Shiva Reddy, Yandmuri Veerendra nath, and minister also came. totally we enjoyed vey much and we reached home at 10.30PM.