merds.org.in One To One Scholarship /BENG Scholarship Scheme : Dindigul Muthamil Education & Rural Development Society

Organization : Muthamil Education and Rural Development Society
Scholarship Name : One To One Scholarship /BENG Scholarship Scheme
Location : Dindigul, Tamil Nadu

Website : https://www.merds.org.in/

One To One Scholarship:
The BENG Scholarship Scheme can be framed within the Millennium Development Goals as defined by the United Nations. With their third goal they strive: “to promote gender equality and empower women”.

The aim is to:
** “eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015”.
** “For girls in some regions, education remains elusive”.
** “Poverty is a major barrier to education, especially among older girls”.
** “In every developing region except the CIS, men outnumber women in paid employment”.
** “Women are largely relegated to more vulnerable forms of employment”.
** “Women are over-represented in informal employment, with its lack of benefits and security”.
** “Top-level jobs still go to men – to an overwhelming degree”.
** “Women are slowly rising to political power, but mainly when boosted by quotas and other special measures”.

Gender equality is something we also strive after. For this reason we have chosen to put our main focus on women, and not on men. Our wish is to provide means which women can use to empower themselves. This is why we hand out scholarships to young (South-) Indian women who are intelligent but underprivileged. But also boys who are eligible could receive a scholarship from BenG. We will not discriminate against them.

Introduction:
BENGs main goal of developing the rural poor women’s education in India is being achieved through the bursary scholarship scheme. As per the BENGs philosophy and belief poor women students have been encouraged and helped to continue their studies. As such the scholarship for women previous names as the women to women scholarship scheme was implemented to develop the life standard of the women students who are brilliant at their studies.”If you help a man it will help a family but if you help a lady it will help the whole society. The women students who are brilliant at their studies and who are unable to meet the study expenses are targeted through this scheme of BENG.’ if you give money it will help to survive to a particular period but if you give education it will make their life to be survive decently till their end. Through this project the real survival is being given to the women students who will create a better world tomorrow. In short by helping to enrich the knowledge of the students, BENG make them to enrich the life standard of the women community in society.

Millennium Goal:
Promote gender equality and empowerment of the women.

The Goal of the Project:
“The most downtrodden, poor, but brilliant women were able to pursue higher studies in different disciplines. The indirect goal is to empower women in the society.

Target Group:
** “Downtrodden, poor, but brilliant women”. The criteria and poor used within the project are:
** School/ study performances of 75% or higher
** Family income lower than Rs. 25,000/- per year

Progress:
The bursary scholarship was started in the year 2005 and the project responsibility was given to Dr. S. Narayanasamy, the professor of Gandhigram Rural University, [GRI]. His department has selected 28 students for the year 2009 – 2012 under the instructions of BENG.

Actually 28 bursary students were selected for the year 2009-10 and 10 students were selected for the year 2010- 11 and 1 student was selected for the year 2011-12. A team of BENG volunteers along with professor Narayanasamy were in the selection committee and scrutinized the beneficiaries and the chart was approved by them. Due to some institutional difficulties the scheme was transferred to MERDS and the board of BENG decided to hand over the project to MERDS .The project response has been transferred to MERDS in the year 2010- 2011. Then MERDS decided to provide the scholarship as per MOU. Besides, the one to one sponsorship candidates were also selected for the scholarship scheme from the year 2011-12. The bursary scheme pattern has been changed in selecting the candidates and it is decided to select the fresh Under Graduate Candidates from GRI and NPR College at Natham from the year 2011-12. [+2 course completed candidates are to be given priority]. According to the new MOU it is also decided to include the computer training candidates from De La Salle and the candidates ATSWT who are doing tailoring courses in the scholarship scheme.

MERDS took charge of the scholarship scheme for the year 2010-11 and successfully implement the scheme of providing in the scholarships to the 28 individual women candidates from GRI, Gandhigram. We arranged the meeting to issue the scholarships individually with the presence of Mr.Ge’mol, and Ms. Teske van Belle [BENG Volunteer). During the meeting all the bursary students were trained to get open an e-mail account by themselves and to know the LinkedIn network process. It was also insisted to them to give proper address, e-mail id and cell phone numbers so that to contact the beneficiaries at any time of the need. It is also insisted to share their ideas, views and experiences among themselves through the LinkedIn service and the e-mail contacts.

Student details and selection:
Referring to the goal of the project we achieve to select the right candidates for the scholarship benefit. Also we motivate them to achieve well in the studies and to improve their status by obtaining good jobs. In between the scholarship students we have permitted to select the one to one sponsor candidates from various institutions in Tamil Nadu. In this one to one sponsor scheme the students who are studying PhD level or Post Graduate level are chosen for the scholarship benefit. From the year 2010-11 we have visited Ms. Menaga with her family at Salem and took their interview with the presence of Teske van Belle from Belgium. Ms. Menaga is doing her Ph.D doctoral degree at Bharathiyar University, Salem. Likewise Ms.Devi, the Ph.D holder at Pondicherry University was also interviewed with the BENG Volunteer from Belgium. Mr. Bharat second year Engineering student from Alagappa University, Karaikudi has been selected an interviewed for the one to one scholarship.

Ms. N. Kavitha daughter of Mr. Nalluthevar who is studying M.A in Human Resource and Conflict Management has been selected and interviewed for the scholarship at Gandhigram with the presence of Teske van Belle the BENG Volunteer. Ms.N.Kavitha has been selected as a police lady in the Indian Railway Division and yet she is waiting for the appointment to join in the force. Now she is doing her master degree final year [M.A Human Resource and Conflict Management] and she will complete the course period by obtaining our scholarship assistance. Likewise Ms. Malarkodi who has finished her master degree in Human Resource and Conflict Management at GRI was also selected and interviewed at her native place called Veerakkal in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu. She has been selected to join in PhD degree at GRI, Gandhigram. She was strongly recommended by Dr.S.Narayanasamy, Professor the GRI, Gandhigram.

Study performances of the students:
It is instructed that all the students who are selected for the scholarship should prove their own and they should produce Good results at the end of each semester. If anybody found that they scored less than 70% then no scholarship will be provided to them here after. Also it is stated that the good performers will be encouraged and the message will be placed in the face book and Linkedin.

Success:
** All the 28 candidates have been received the scholarship directly as per the prescribed date and time, directly without any institutional blockage.
** The meeting was organized with the presence of Mr. Ge’mol, Ms. Gemma, with the BENG Secretary and the BENG volunteers.
** The real poor candidates were identified and benefited.
** The awareness of the bursary scheme radiated throughout the Gandhigram University.
** The co-operation of the bursary candidates and the parents during interviews are highly remarkable.
** The students are highly motivated to secure very good marks in the semester examinations.
** The friendly network among the students makes them to discuss and share various experiences are highly appreciable.