Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
The right ACT
|
Ashwini Charitable Trust helps children from slums get good education. It is now on the lookout for volunteers to help expand its work
|
One of the `Ashwini madams' talking to her wards — Photo: Murali Kumar K.
AT FIRST, you find she is a schoolgirl like any other. Talk to her, you get to know she lives in a slum, in a house that has a rickety, dripping roof, and in a family that has six other members. Divya could merely have been a statistic and a school dropout if not for "those madams" who came to her sodden hut — the "Ashwini madams", eight to nine women who pay her school fee, provide her uniforms and books, take lessons, on computers too, arrange picnics, get her a meal, and actually get her to be herself. And they help so many more like Divya — Somiya, Praveena, Guruprasad, Amuda, Ashwini — a whole lot of them, 55 in number.
The beginning
Five years back, Sujata Mukherjee, a homemaker, dipped into her savings to sponsor a child's education. She approached thegovernment-aided National Children School to select a child, and, to her amazement, found it cost nothing to support one child. That's when she decided she could support more. "I realised they needed help with their lessons. I began giving tuitions to nine children," says Ms. Sujata of the Ashwini Charitable Trust (ACT) .
At first, they wouldn't come. But she waited at the gates to coax them to class. In five years' time, she had 55 students to teach and seven other teachers to help her in her cause. "We could not take in more students because we did not have adequate funds and volunteers," Radhika S. Arvindam, another member of the ACT pointed out.
The teachers named their organisation after the first child they selected — Ashwini — Ashwini Charitable Trust (ACT). ACT sponsors education, takes tuitions, and counsels children on a variety of issues. The forum's goal is not merely to prevent dropouts, but to work on the personalities of the children and eventually help elevate their families.
Poor parents
Most of the parents of these children are housemaids, vendors, painters, and tailors who are unable to support their children financially, a reason why the children dropout. "That is why, it is important for us to be with them till they are gainfully employed," says Ms. Radhika.
At ACT, teaching is more than just the syllabus. "Being a Montessori teacher, it was tough teaching these kids. I found that the basic concepts were just not there. I started with stories, but I found the stories were not relevant to their lives. . They also did not understand the need for integers, rational numbers, or multiplication tables," says Radhika Sheshashayee. A seventh standard child, for instance, has to begin with fifth grade concepts. Rekha, an ACT volunteer says: "When I teach, I proceed step by step to enable the children to grasp lessons without much difficulty."
Persistence with the children paid off. Most children improved their scores, and their confidence. Their first adopted child, Ashwini, the second daughter in a family of five girls, is a fine example: she scored 71 per cent in S.S.L.C. and has now taken up a course in commerce. Shashikala, on the verge of dropping out, is now a bank employee aspirant. "I have learnt many things and my mother has assured me that my schooling will not be interrupted." Two other children, Laxmi and Revathi, sisters, assert proudly: "We are now always on the high percentage bracket."
ACT brings in resource persons to help the children see the wider world. A woman police officer and an Assistant Manager of a hotel helped the children "identify goals". "The hotel management talk was really an eye-opener," says Bhavani Ramesh, a counsellor-member. "Usually, we only think of engineers, doctors, teachers, bank officers, but here was someone who was into cooking and making a lot of money out of it. The idea, then, is to give the children achievable aims," Ms. Bhavani said.
Open to suggestions
The children are very open to suggestions, and so are their parents. "Some children with temper problems came to me. I tell them it is fine to get angry. It is a relief to them. Then one of the mothers came to me and said she has a problem too." Meera, mother of five girls, says: "It is good to get information about parenting. Being a mother of five girls is difficult. I would often get angry and take it out on the children. But now, I understand the importance of patience."
Ms. Meera is also happy about other benefits that come with training at ACT. "They took my daughter out for a picnic. The girls, otherwise, never stir out of home except to go to school. They also took her to an office. Now, she wants to sit on a seat and work on a computer."
Vidya, Suchita, Akshara, William, Shriram, Ritesh, and Akshay from Frank Anthony Public School also drop in to take some classes for these children. Vidya's first impression was one of surprise. "The slum children speak very good English." Adds Ritesh: "We were initially uncertain about how they would react to us. We found they were all eager and enthusiastic." Their wish list was moving too. "Such simple things," says Suchita. "A bicycle." Akshay is bowled over by the fact that some of the children score 10 on 10 in Math. "I'm getting quite a complex." The children are very disciplined as Anya from Kennedy International points out. "Their first lesson is obedience and they are very good at it."
As ACT is often short of funds, it networks with other non-governmental organisations. The Surabhi Charitable Trust offers computer training and Soroptimists International organises free immunisation camps.
The International even helped arrange an ear operation for a child.
What in the future? ACT wants to identify more needs, not numbers. Apart from donations, from Rs. 750 to Rs. 10,000, ACT is looking for help from doctors, space from schools to teach, decent toilet facilities from the Corporation for the residents of M.V. Garden slum and help in improving the housing conditions from which such children come.
Reach out
If you would like to help, you could contact Sujatha Mukherjee of ACT on 25354718 (R)/ 9845721841 or get in touch with the organisation's office at 450, 7th Main, II Cross, HAL II Stage. You can e-mail the group on info@ashwini-trust.org or access www.ashwini-trust.org
REVATHI SIVAKUMAR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
|
