Give Young People a #ChanceToThrive

by Dream A Dream

Project Report | Mar 7, 2019
"My dream is to play for national football team"

By Vishal Talreja | Co-founder

Young people watching a football match live

"Dream a Dream Football sessions have helped me a lot as I have learnt important life skills such as managing conflicts, collaboration and leadership skills. All these are crucial skills required for team sports like football. I will use them in my life and to realize my dream of playing for India when I grow up." Purushotham shares with a confident smile.

Purushotham a 15-year-old boy studying in 9th standard in Annaswammy school comes from a lower income group, his father works as a building contractor and mother is a fruit vendor, where life is a constant conflict between choices and aspirations given the fast changing world.He has a brother who studies in the same school.

Purushotham realized his passion for football when he enrolled for the life skills sessions in the After School Life Skills Sports programme in 4th grade.

He was the most active kid when it came to football. He interacted and had healthy relationships with all his peers during sessions. He listened carefully to the facilitator always and would be the first to raise his hand in the reflection circle and share his learning and areas of improvement for the next session. Being a part of the group for 5 years, he was very confident to initiate any activity in front of the larger group.

However, during an activity named “Listen and not to listen” the facilitator was surprised when Purushotham started acting strange. In the activity, each student was paired up with a person from the peer group. Purushotham was paired up with Karthik. Both the participants never talked amongst themselves, sitting throughout the session facing opposite directions. Purushotham didn’t pay attention to the session and even during the reflection session, he was sitting in a corner quietly while others shared their experience with enthusiasm. Upon enquiring about this behavior, he said that he will never pair up with Karthik again. When asked for a reason, he shared that a few months ago, there was some misunderstanding between them and Karthik had beaten him up in front of others. This was a humiliating incident and he decided to ignore Karthik thereafter. This was a challenging situation but the facilitator realized the gravity of the situation and the need to channelize Purushotham’s anger in a constructive way.

The facilitator gave 2 options to Purushotham. The first option was a simple one – to stop coming to the sessions and the second one - a rather difficult one at that time – to work towards building a healthy relationship with Karthik, which would otherwise negatively affect a team game such as football. This was done on purpose as the facilitator wanted to understand his ability to manage conflicts at a comparatively smaller level. Purushotham however made the right choice, given his passion for football and agreed to play and talk with Karthik on field.

The facilitator then announced a football tournament the next day. When the students were asked about their playing and position preferences, Purushotham volunteered to organize the complete tournament. He made 2 teams for the tournament and made Karthik the referee. This action demonstrated a positive behavioral change on Purushotham’s part, his leadership abilities and how he prevailed over his conflicts and could work towards the realization of a larger goal putting his differences behind him. He is working hard to achieve his dream and he thanks Dream a Dream sessions which helped him with required skills for the same.

Purushotham’s feedback: -

"My dream is to play for the Indian football team. I am working very hard to achieve my goal. Dream a Dream Football sessions have helped me a lot as I have learnt important life skills such as managing conflicts, collaboration and leadership skills. All these are crucial skills required for team sports like football. I will use them in my life and to realize my dream of playing for India when I grow up." Purushotham shares with a confident smile.

Teacher’s quotes: -

His teacher recalls, "Purushotham never seemed to be interested and would never listen in the class. However, he has changed a lot since joining the Football life skills session. Not only has he developed leadership abilities which are evident when he manages his team, he has also started helping his classmates with school work and other responsibilities, something we had never imagined would happen."

Facilitator feedback: -

“Purshottam used to lose his temper easily and get angry with anyone for no particular reason. It used to become difficult to interact with him or control his anger during this time. However, post the programme, his patience levels have improved a lot. Also, he respects everyone alike."

We are very happy to share the learning outcomes our programmes -

Delivering Impact -

92.6% participants in ASLSP, 99.7% in CCP and 100% in TDP showed a positive change in their average scores

81.4% participants in ASLSP, 95.3% in CCP and 97.9% in TDP improved in atleast 4 life skills and above

96.9% of participants in ASLSP, 91.4% in CCP and 100% in TDP are above norms(>=2.5 points) by the end of the programme

83.5% of participants in ASLSP, 96.6% in CCP and 97.9% in TDP improved their skills by atleast one standard deviation(>=.75)

96.6% of graduates in ASLSP, 92.1% in CCP were meaningfully engaged that is made meaningfully choices in life

There was a positive feedback from 90% of the teacher’s attending the Life Skills Facilitation workshops (LSF)

Building Evidence -

The analysis showed a strong correlation between baseline score and improvement in ASLSP and CCP while a weaker correlation in the TDP. All programme analyses showed, participants with low baseline score in the beginning of the programme had an improvement in life skills by the end of the programme.
The study on attendance (ASLSP) showed a positive correlation between life skills and attendance of participants. The analysis showed that participants in ASLSP had high attendance and an improvement in life skills.
The longitudinal study revealed that participants continuously engaged in ASLSP begin with a higher baseline score and also end with a higher end line score when compared to young people newly enrolled in the programme
The Last Mile Support Programme (LMSP) has been effective in keeping the dropout rate of participants to less than 7.9% in the last four years

Methodology -

To understand how our programmes are performing overall and how they are performing on a deeper level within programmes, we use the Dream Life Skills Assessment Scale (DLSAS) which is the first standardized impact measurement tool in the world to measure improvement in the life skills among disadvantaged children. In this report we are using a quantitative method of analysis for assessing our programmes. The outcome of the programmes are also measured qualitatively through stories and testimonials. An analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data are presented in this Impact Report.

You can read in more detail the impact of our programmes in here - http://dreamadream.org/reports/impactreports/ImpactReport17-18.pdf

Painting the wall of their school by young people

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Dec 11, 2018
Give our young people #aChanceToThrive

By Vishal Talreja | Co-founder Dream a Dream

A love "whoosh" from all of us!!!

Dream a Dream is a registered, charitable trust empowering children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds to overcome adversity and flourish in the 21^st century using a creative life skills approach. Currently, we work with 10,000 young people a year through our After-School Life Skills Programme and Career Connect Programme. We have trained over 5,500 teachers/educators, impacting over 137,500 children and young people. We utilize a strong collaborative approach and partner with local charities, corporations, volunteers, governments, expert consultants and a host of national and international strategic partners.

In our After-School Life Skills Programme, we use creative arts and football as mediums to engage and develop critical life skills among young people aged 8 to 15 years. To measure the improvements in life skills among our young people, we use the Dream Life Skills Assessment Scale (DLSAS*).

*The Dream Life Skills Assessment Scale (DLSAS) developed in-house is a first of its kind, published and standardized scale that is being used by NGOs/Schools to assess improvement in life skills - http://globaled.gse.harvard.edu/files/geii/files/dream_life_skills_assessment_scale_final_2.pdf.

(Please right click on the link and select 'Open link in new tab)

Thank you for giving our young people #aChanceToThrive!

Thank you so much for your contribution to Dream a Dream’s #aChanceToThrive campaign. This year, in honor of India's Joy of Giving Week, Dream a Dream launched a fundraising campaign called #aChanceToThrive. Through this campaign we hoped to raise USD 25,000 to support 600 young people in our programmes for the next year.

The Joy of Giving Week began on October 2nd and till date we have raised USD5,129. Now that the holiday season has begun, we want to continue celebrating giving!

The campaign has seen people from all walks of life and economic backgrounds join hands to donate. Some of the highlights of the campaign have been:

Young people at the Dream a Dream Career Connect Center came up with their own fundraisers such as ’Chaat’ (spicy & tangy Indian snacks) stalls, art sales, etc. to raise funds. They have also kept a piggy bank at our youth center and are putting in small change to raise funds. Collectively, they have raised and donated over Rs. 10,000 ($154)
Redamma, who has been working as the domestic help at our center for the past 2 years, donated Rs. 500 ($7.69) from her earnings
Twelve-year old Vaibhavi, daughter of one of our staff members, made earrings and sold them at an artisan market and donated Rs. 500 ($7.69) of her profits
Our office landlord donated Rs. 25,000 ($350)

More than the amount raised, it is the idea that anyone, irrespective of their background, can donate or raise funds for a cause. This has most inspired us and we want to honour these efforts by making a sincere effort to raise as much as we can.

Your generous donation can help us reach our goal; we need your help to keep the momentum going! This holiday season, my sincere request to you is that you continue to donate to Dream a Dream as we know we can count on you. No donation is too small. You can make your donation at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/achancetothrive/.

Our young people need your support now more than ever. We urge you and your network to join in the spirit of giving this holiday season. Become a Changemaker and give our young people #aChanceToThrive!

My name is Ayesha*. My dream is to become a teacher and help children like me…..….

Born in a middle-class family of humble means, Ayesha lives with her parents and elder brother. Her father works in an incense factory while her mother is a home maker. Ayesha has been part of Dream a Dream’s After School Life Skills Programme (ASLSP), through the medium of Creative Arts since 4^th Grade.

When Ayesha joined the programme, the facilitator remembers how silent she was. Ayesha kept to herself, didn’t interact with her classmates and refrained from stepping forward to participate in session activities. She was highly temperamental, behaving rudely with her classmates, breaking into fights with them often. She kept away from having conversations with teachers and seemed anxious and fearful of talking with others. The facilitator observed that Ayesha was having a tough time adjusting with her classmates, which was resulting in her spending more time by herself. Her teachers found her very smart and good in academics, but they felt she needed to amend her behavior as a day wouldn’t pass when there weren’t complaints made against her, by her classmates.

The facilitator, post this discussion with Ayesha’s teacher resolved to uncover the reason behind her behavior. She approached her mother, who brought out that Ayesha had just changed schools, due to the family’s financial constraints. Ayesha, popular with her friends, highly participative in class activities, especially debates and extremely outspoken, suddenly became withdrawn and silent, following the move to the new school.

This visit clarified a lot of lingering doubts in the facilitator’s mind about her difficulty in adjusting to her classmates. It was a big change for Ayesha, adjusting into a new environment. The facilitator was certain that with a little time and a lot of support, Ayesha would fit in just fine. One day, at the end of a session, the facilitator had a casual conversation with Ayesha for 5 minutes. A few days later, she approached the facilitator once everybody had left and requested some time to talk. She was silent for a long time after that and the facilitator waited patiently, for Ayesha to feel comfortable and more importantly, that she could trust the facilitator. Ayesha slowly said that she liked attending the sessions. The facilitator responded by asking her what she liked about the sessions and soon conversation flowed easily. The facilitator held a safe space for Ayesha where she felt motivated to express what she was feeling.

The following class, the facilitator conducted an activity where two partners would share their feelings, which the partner would draw on a sheet. Ayesha found it difficult to express her thoughts and emotions to this partner, feeling that if she was doing so with her close friend, it would be easier. The facilitator watched over the students and noticed Ayesha’s difficulty but didn’t interfere. At the end of the session Ayesha expressed her difficulty to the facilitator. She shared how she didn’t like this school as her previous school was very disciplined. Expressing her fear of talking to friends because of constant fights and how talking to boys was prohibited, she found it confusing and difficult to even talk to her brother at home.

The facilitator asked Ayesha not to worry and instead mingle with others in the session, to know them and ensure that they got to know her as well. By the next session, Ayesha had made friends and a few sessions later, was sitting with others in the group, talking and sharing with others in the group. A few more sessions and she was leading her group and expressing her feelings openly. The facilitator noticed that she was a bit afraid of speaking in front of everyone so gave her a chance to teach the class an action song. Ayesha initially declined but the next session, having gathered up some courage, asked whether she could do it. She taught the class the action song, overcoming her fear, knowing that she was in a safe space.

A few months later, Ayesha is no more silent and withdrawn. She is back to being her old self of participating actively in class sessions, getting along well with her classmates and boldly interacting with teachers. The facilitator holding space for her, validating what she was feeling enabled her to process her conflicting thoughts and emotions. All she needed was an adult who cared enough to listen and encourage her.

Ayesha quotes: -

My name is Ayesha and my dream is to become a teacher. I never knew what my goal was before attending Dream a Dream’s sessions. From being silent, fearing talking to my classmates and excluding myself from class activities, I feel confident and bold when I talk to my classmates and teachers. I will study well and I hope to become a teacher and change the lives of other children like me by providing them with good education. Thank you, Dream a Dream!

Teacher’s quotes: -

Ayesha has started showing leadership qualities in class, helping her classmates when we are late to class or caught up with other work. She has become more active in class activities and her behavior has changed remarkably since when she joined. Her interaction with her classmates and us, teachers has improved considerably. She is no longer the silent and withdrawn girl she was.

Facilitator feedback: -

I have observed her transformation. All that she needed was a little motivation to bring about the change. The motivation I gave and the safe space I created for her to explore her talents, has helped her move in a path of change. Ayesha initiates action and takes responsibility for activities without being told.

* Name changed

Impact in our After-School Program:

96.8% of the tracked participants were more focused and willing to complete studies and achieve their Dream goals
96.9 % of the participants had an end line score above norms and thus improved their skills to deal with challenges
96% of the participants have seen a positive change after 2 years of reengagement

#aChanceToThrive

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