Bridge Programs

Bridge Programs are Samridhdhi’s flagship project. These are no-fee, tailor-made, need-based preparation schools for out-of-school children (OoSC).

In 2019-20, Samridhdhi Trust is running 3 Bridge + Montessori Projects in Bangalore and 2 in Delhi NCR.

The Need

Many out-of-school children aged 6-14 years belong to migrant labour communities and un-notified slums across Bangalore, Pune and Delhi NCR. Their families are often engaged in waste picking and waste segregation, construction labour, domestic work, begging, street vending, petty shops and other menial jobs. 

Being interstate migrants (speaking Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Oriya, Nepali, Telugu, etc.), the children do not relate to the local language and cannot integrate into government schools. Instead, the children take care of their younger siblings (babies and toddlers) while their parents are at work or manage household chores. Some are caught up in in rag picking, drug abuse, violence, illegal and harmful activities. 

They are afraid to travel even a couple of kilometres to reach school. Many have never been to a school.

Children in slums that Samridhdhdi Trust has Bridge Schools for
Out-of-school migrant children in hutments

Objective of Bridge Programs

Provide access to basic education to out-of-school children (up to 14 years of age) in a multilingual and multilevel structure that is irrespective of age groups.

Admit them in mainstream English medium private schools or Government Kannada / English medium schools in age-appropriate classes.

Dent the vicious circle of poverty through education and employment.

The Process

  1. Before an academic year begins, we conduct a survey of un-notified slums to identify out-of-school children.
  2. We set up Bridge Programs inside the slums or in unutilised spaces of nearby government schools.
  3. We enrol the children in Bridge Programs. The children are educated as per their learning capabilities as well as age-appropriate grade-specific requirements.
  4. The Bridge Schools run for 6 hours every day for one year.
  5. At the end of the year, the children are integrated into age-appropriate classes in regular formal private (English medium) and Government schools. (The parents are encouraged to pay half of the annual school fees of the children in private schools, while the other half is mobilized from Individual or corporate sponsors by Samridhdhi.)
  6. Before we start Bridge classes in the following year, we conduct several workshops for our facilitators to ensure quality sustenance.
Community Survey by Samridhdhi Trust, Bangalore
Community survey
Class in progress
Health and hygiene check
Approach followed in the Bridge Program

Outcome

Consolidated data for Bridge Schools 2010-19
Consolidated data for Bridge Schools 2010-19

Achievements

Identified 4000+ out of school children and enrolled them in Bridge Programs.

Formulated a curriculum through which 2-5 years syllabus is compressed and successfully delivered in 1 year.

Current Bridge Programs

Nallurahalli Bridge School | Samridhdhi Trust

Nallurahalli Bridge Project

(Launched in 2015)

Coordinator:  Mousumi Biswas
Enrollments:  175 (77 girls, 98 boys)
Age breakup:  37 (less than 5 years), 78 (5-10 years), 60 (10-14 years)
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/GxA5ghyUsUB2jGqD9
Funded by: Wipro Cares
Kasavanahalli Bridge School Samridhdhi Trust

Kasavanahalli Bridge Project

(Launched on 05-09-2015)

 
Coordinator: Komal S Garag
Enrollments: 161 (67 girls, 94 boys)
Age breakup: 47 (less than 5 years), 80 (5-10 years), 34 (10-14 years)
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/12YJ249zxHrQRabv7
Funded by: Quest Global Engineering Services, Bangalore
Dasarahalli Bridge School

Dasarahalli Bridge Project

(Launched on 01-06-2016)

 
Coordinator: Saral Douglas
Enrollments: 162 (83 girls, 79 boys)
Age breakup: 37 (less than 5 years), 82 (5-10 years), 43 (10-14 years)
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/i69nCTLoCFySNbWz8
Funded by: NOKIA
Indirapuram Bridge School Staff | Samridhdhi Trust

Indirapuram Bridge Project

(Launched on  28-04-2016)

 
Coordinator: Sudha
Enrollments: 132 (43 girls, 89 boys)
Age breakup: 26 (less than 5 years), 75 (5-10 years), 31 (10-14 years)
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/q2xGKFrFyBj7hR477
Funded by: NOKIA
Noida Bridge School | Samridhdhi Trust

Noida Bridge Project

(Launched on 01-09-2012)

 
Coordinator: Anshu
Enrollments: 60 (34 girls, 26 boys)
Age breakup: 27 (5-10 years), 33 (10-14 years)
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/nCUBQ9TpD66DKbNT8
Funded by: Unfunded