For the very poor, dependent on wage labour or subsistence farming for their livelihoods, education is often the last priority. As a result, their children either do housework while the parents work or join their parents in unskilled labour to contribute to the household income. If they manage to get to school, they go intermittently or often drop out.
To help these children access learning opportunities and a better future, we build safety nets. Families of students who join Learning Grain are given free monthly grain (10 kg wheat flour, 1 kg rice and 1.5 kg of different dals) as well as free books and uniforms so they can continue to send their children to the local government school without dipping into their meagre resources. To overcome the issue of safe transport to the Learning Grain centre, our own van picks up the children and brings them to the centre by 7.15 am every morning. It leaves at 10 am to drop the children off to their school. Our endeavour is to ease any issue related to children’s education so that parents do not hesitate to send their children to the centre and school.
While school enrolments across India have improved, the quality of education across the board leaves much to be desired. Children fail to learn even the basics due to poor quality of education, teachers and infrastructure. Our centre, with its focus on remedial education, helps the children understand what they are learning in school, working with them to clear their doubts and ensuring that they complete their homework every day to the best of their ability and perform well in school.
However, this is only a part of the empowerment process. Our focus is also on expanding their minds and horizons by facilitating awareness building and knowledge acquisition through a range of fun media. They pick up hobbies and skills through art and craft classes or dancing and singing through online media; sharpen their mental skills by playing board games such as carom, ludo, jigsaw puzzles and mechanical skills by piecing together blocks to make a complex whole; and practice yoga and PT or play games like badminton or cricket to keep fit and regain a bit of their lost childhood.
The children also learn etiquette and how to conduct themselves in company. They learn a smattering of greetings in English, how to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness of their surroundings. As a result, they gain in self-confidence and belief in themselves and a better future.
Our centre is an integral part of the community within which it works – and we believe that each child is a member of our larger family. We see it as our responsibility to motivate every child to be the best she can be and to support her in navigating a smoother path to a better life – through education, a career or otherwise.
Many of the 28 children at the centre currently have been with us since the beginning. We have built a relationship of trust with all children and their families so they turn to us in times of trouble or to seek advice on many matters such as livelihoods, health or finance and we are happy to provide any help we can.
The Learning Grain van picks up Kavita and the children from different villages within a 30-km radius and arrives at the centre.
Spot monitors check every child’s nails, hair, uniforms for cleanliness and hygiene. A prayer is said and pranayam or PT is conducted by one of the students.
Children discuss their personal problems with Kavita to get her advice. These problems may be those related to each other or issues within their families. If it happens to be a child’s birthday, she is wished.
Classes begin. Kavita asks the children if they need any clarifications on what they learnt in school the previous day or have questions on the homework they had to complete. Child by child, she answers their queries, provides clarification and help with homework. She also checks whether all students have completed their homework.
Uzama conducts the art and craft classes – it could be painting one day, clay modelling another or paper craft, embroidery or wool work on yet another day. The materials for art and craft are provided by the centre and children take their creations home to show their parents and siblings.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, this time is taken up by Nisha who gives the children 10 English words to learn and understand every week or she may read out a story or watch an interesting, age-appropriate CD with them.
The students pack their bags and store away all material they have used at the centre. They leave the centre in spic and span condition. The van picks them up to drop them off at school.
The weekends and holidays are devoted to fun and games. The children, by turn, play indoor games such as chess, ludo, carom (a hot favourite) or build jigsaw puzzles or mechano objects. When the weather is good, they enjoy outdoor games such as badminton, cricket. Other times they practise dancing or singing along with online classes or CDs or just watch an interesting programme on TV.