1
Awareness Raising
Though the Right to Education quota is intended for the underprivileged, it is this group that has the least awareness of the program. The first step in sensitizing this group is to go in their community and spread the word. KarmaCorps does this in two ways: the first is through fliers. Every year around admissions season, our team posts Tamil fliers in housing boards, slums, and hut areas. These posters invite families to approach our table set up at a neighborhood landmark during specific dates with all of their documents. We have done this in three neighborhoods: Chetpet, Shastiri Nagar/Kilpauk, and Aynavaram. Each neighborhood was selected for its density of housing boards and number of schools.
​
​
​
The second way we raise awareness is by directly approaching families. We walk around the neighborhood and ask them, "do you have any 3 to 4-year-olds?" If they say yes, we ask them to bring their paperwork to our table. If they don't, we ask if they know of anyone who does, and we leave our number. When they ask our purpose, we explain that a government scheme is available for all families who earn under two lakhs and belong to a disadvantaged community. We state that (unaided nonminority) private schools must set aside 25% of their seats, and the government randomly selects the candidates for admissions. Those chosen get 10 years of free schooling.
​
During this time, we also urge families to get the necessary paperwork. Many of the poorest families do not have documentation, and need time to apply for their community and income certificate. In some cases, we have accompanied parents to the revenue department, explaining to the authorities that the parents do not have a ration card on account of being transient.
​
​
As a result of these efforts, 100 to 200 families in each neighborhood approach our table. Though not all of them have the correct documents to apply, our outreach efforts affect approximately 500 deserving families across three neighborhoods every year.
