In collaboration with Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, (Department of Elementary Education) from 1988 to 2001, Samajik Seva Sadan has successfully run 210 Non-Formal Education Centres involving 53,750 Boys & Girls within the age group of 6 to 14 years from the marginalized community in the entire Sadar Block of Dhenkanal District in Odisha. This in fact prevented thousands of children becoming child labourers.
In the year 1983-84, 10 JUANG Tribal Youth and 10 adolescent Girls were trained for Weaving and Tailoring. 100% participants were illiterate. The youth survived the training while the adolescent girls dropped out. Being in Municipality the tribal youth could not get loan with subsidy in those days. Thus it was wound up after 2 years.
In 1985-86, 10 young men were trained for 6 months on Masonry, 5 young men on carpentry for one year and 2 were supported for Tailoring. All the youngsters were successful in their training and continue to earn for a better living.
Vocational training was introduced in our primary school at Banjhikusum. All the girls from class IV to VII learned sewing, knitting and tailoring.
During the year 2002-03, 11 EGS centres were sanctioned to Samajik Seva Sadan by Odisha Primary Education Promotion Agency (OPEPA) through Sarba Siskhya Abhijan (SSA), Dhenkanal. Though there were 7 other NGOs running NFE centres in the District but only NGO who was awarded with EGS programme was Samajik Seva Sadan, due to our efficiency in running NFE programme. In 4 years 1700 children out of which 918 were Adivasi and Dalit girls.
