The Live and Learn Foundation® Bhiyantal Centre

  The Live and Learn Foundation® Bhiyantal Centre: Our First Project.

Children from low-income families often need additional coaching to compete successfully at school and later, in the job market. We see the work that we do as working with Indian government schools, and local fee-paying schools, to provide children who do not have any educational support at home, with coaching that can help them to take full advantage of the education that they receive in their schools.

The Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre opened on Monday the 18th of April 2022, offering comprehensive free coaching to children, and vocational training for adults. This initiative supports underprivileged children with classes in English, Hindi, Mathematics, General Knowledge, Computing, and IT skills, complementing the education provided by Indian government schools and local fee-paying schools. The free coaching in English and Computing that is provided in the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre is intended to give impoverished children an entry into the international arena, as India is now the I.T. hub of the world, and computer skills are in high demand globally. The nearby town of Khajuraho, known as a World Heritage site, is a popular tourist destination, and computer literate English-speaking employees are also in high demand there.

All these subjects are taught free of cost to impoverished, BPL, and SCST children, in the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre. Yoga, the arts, and music, will also be taught when we have the resources to do so.

Poor children will always be taught free of cost. 

Paid coaching is available to the children of families who can afford to pay. Currently, the centre is home to 40 BPL and SCST children, and 4 paying students whose modest fees help to support our mission. 

All the children, regardless of their economic background, receive a free healthy breakfast daily to support their learning.

Inclusion of Children with Learning and Other Disabilities

The Live and Learn Foundation® is dedicated to inclusivity, and committed to providing free education for low-income children with special educational needs. 

  We are thrilled that the Madhya Pradesh State Government has offered to supply a Special Needs teacher for children in the village with learning disabilities. The teacher’s salary is paid by the Government but The Live and Learn Foundation will pay the teacher travel expenses to come to the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre for one hour once a week. There is only one Special Needs teacher to serve the whole area, so we are still waiting for this to happen. We have wanted to help one such child, called Chotu, since we began. We have now realized that there are five such children in the village, so we hope to be able to help them all. We are grateful to the local office of the Madhya Pradesh Education Department for this aid, and we hope that it will be put into place soon.

Creating a Vibrant Community Hub in Bhiyantal Village

    The Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre offers a variety of impactful programs to serve the community.

 We empower adults in rural areas through vocational training, helping them become financially self-reliant. Young women from the village have significantly improved their employment prospects through our computer training programs.

We are currently implementing a youth motivation program for young men aged 17 to 21 who lack clear direction in life. This program includes motivational speeches and practical resources, such as guidance on how and where to apply for work, to help them gain a sense of purpose and improve their employment prospects.

We are passionately transforming the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre into a vibrant community hub. This vision is brought to life by our dedicated team of local teachers and staff, led by our local co-director Mr. Manoj Sen. They all share a deep commitment to our cause. Their understanding of their community's needs and challenges allows us to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

Class Structure and Timing

As we aim to work congenially with Government schools and local fee-paying schools, we make sure that the children can get to school on time!   

After all, we provide coaching that will enable children to make the most of the free education provided by the Indian Government, and to excel in their fee-paying schools. The children start their classes at the local Government school at 10.30 a.m. Therefore:

• The I.T. Skills & Computer Skills Training and General Knowledge Classes provided by the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre start at 7 a.m. and continue until 10 a.m., from Monday to Friday every week.
• The English Language, Hindi, and Mathematics Classes  provided by the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre also start at 7 a.m. and continue until 10 a.m., from Monday to Friday every week.
• The children  are taught in batches, so that all the children can get to school on time.
• All of the children who study at the centre are provided with free breakfasts from 10 a.m. to 10.15 a.m.;  consisting of nourishing food, and milk; every day that they are taught. Those who start at the Government School at 10.30 a.m. have time to eat before they go. 
• There is time after breakfast for additional teaching, until 11 a.m. The teachers are also encouraged to learn from each other, during this time.
• Classes are  held from Monday to Friday every week, so that children, teachers, and staff can enjoy free time at weekends. We believe in quality of life.
• Children who pay for coaching are taught along with the children who get free coaching. We do not discriminate on any grounds — whether they be of caste, creed,  religion, race, social status — or financial status.

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In the above video, The Live and Learn Foundation's ® Managing Director for Madhya Pradesh, India - Mr. Manoj Sen - is shown making a speech in Hindi, on Indian Independence Day 2022, at a function in The Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre.

Video Copyright © 2023 The Live and Learn Foundation® - All Rights Reserved.

The hard-working and dedicated team at the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre (from left to right):

Mrs. Kusum Sen, (Mr. Manoj Sen's wife), who cooks breakfast for the children; Mr. Manoj Sen, The Live and Learn Foundation's® Managing Director for Madhya Pradesh, India, who manages the Bhiyantal Live and Learn Centre; Mr. Hredesh Sen, who is our I.T. and Computer Skills, and General Knowledge teacher; and Mr. Laxman Ahirwar, who is our English, Hindi, Mathematics, Literacy and Numeracy teacher.