By Julia Matthew | Managing Director
Dear Friend,
“Education can either make a nation live as a free, independent, glorious, high community; or leave it in captivity and misery.” Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Education protects children from a wide range of social problems, e.g. child labour, child marriage and violence. El Shaddai is steering child education programs to ensure a better life for disadvantaged children. Despite the fact that education is the most powerful weapon in the battle against poverty, some girls are denied the opportunity to finish their studies. So many girls from slums of both districts of Goa are uncertain of returning to school after the pandemic. El Shaddai’s initiative Shelters & Community Centres support marginalized adolescent girls to complete the residential course every year with a 90% success rate and get admission to age-appropriate classes in a Government School. The residential programme allows them to restart their education, address their learning and socio-emotional needs, and acquire 21st-century skills to make life choices.
Read the story of Priya who battled trauma after her mother’s death and grew up with an abusive and alcoholic father. Find out how she took help and support from our team. Priya started her journey from being a reclusive child to an actively engaging student in the classroom.
Priya, from the slum of Cobra waddo Calanagute, Goa, was one of the adolescents identified for the residential course. The lessons started in July 2022 with a batch comprising 30 adolescents. During the classes, Priya would sit in the last row, try to keep herself out of sight and not make eye contact with anyone. She was often found lost in her thoughts and was least attentive in class. As the behaviour continued, the counsellor decided to talk to her and inquired if she was undergoing any crisis. During the whole session, Priya had less eye contact, and her responses were low and hesitant.
After talking to the shelter outreach worker and her friends, details and information came out. Priya lives with her grandmother and her three siblings; she lost her mother a year back after delivering her mother’s fourth child. Her father was an alcoholic and abusive. The dysfunctional family setup took a toll on Priya’s emotional and mental health. She had also started avoiding school and her friends. “Priya was experiencing trauma as a result of unimaginable loss. In the case of children, such trauma can be reduced with love and care. In such sensitive times, Priya hoped for help and support from her elders, and if that support is not given to them, they start feeling vulnerable, said the counsellor.
The counsellor decided to use art therapy to gain her trust and encourage her to open up. During a group activity, Priya described her daily life and how she used to feel suffocated. She told the counsellor that she lived with constant fear and anxiety. After a few individual counselling sessions, the counsellor discovered that the trauma of her mother’s loss had increased her anxiety and listlessness. Her father’s abusive behaviour had added to her fear. The counsellor used art therapy to start the healing process. Colours unconsciously trigger suppressed emotions and help us express them. But I gave her time and space. I also spent time playing with her. When she got comfortable and started sharing about her life.
With subsequent counselling sessions, Priya started showing positive changes. She started interacting and making eye contact with people. She began taking an active interest in the class and found joy in going to school and spending time with her friends.
“Earlier, I used to get scared when my father would come home. Then ma’am told me that whenever I get afraid of, I should close my eyes and remember my mother and my happy moments. I started doing that and It worked. I have started helping my grandmother with housework, and she gives me money to some pocket money. I have also made a new friend. I feel like attending school again, said Priya. *Name changed to protect the identity of the child.
Thank you so much for the trust and generosity you have provided us, to touch the lives of so many children over the years. With your support, we are hoping to reach as many children as we could in the rest of the 2022-2023 school year. Education can indeed make a difference, and with your support, we hope to reach and make a difference for more slum children.
We wish you a great summer!
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By Julia Matthew | Managing Director
By Julia Matthew | Managing Director
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