Give Young People a #ChanceToThrive

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.

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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:

1. 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)
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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