Help Educate Poor Slum Children In India

COVID shut RISE centres, but children are making sure learning is not stopped

COVID or not, RISE will continue to be the backbone of all the students & teacher. While COVID-19 has created an unprecedented situation, schools have been closed in order to slow the transmission of the virus. In India, over 320 million learners have been affected by the pandemic. The closures of schools have likely widened the learning gap between children from lower-income and higher-income families. To overcome the situation, RISE-AROH recommended the use of distance learning programmes and platforms that RISE and teachers can use to reach their students remotely and limit the disruption of education. While they have thankfully been largely spared from the direct health effects of COVID-19 - at least to date –the pandemic is having profound effects on children’s mental well-being, their social development & their safety. Children and families living in Sangam Vihar & Mundka or other crowded conditions are especially vulnerable. Education in COVID-19 is encouraging students to become advocates for disease prevention and control at home and in their communities by talking to others about how to prevent the spread of viruses. RISE is continuously supporting access to quality education which includes Project-Based Learning Methodology (PBL), now referred as an innovative approach Blended Learning Module (BLM). Earlier PBL was used to teach these children, but due to COVID & children being quarantine we shifted to BLM (Blended Learning Module) in a more innovative way. BLM is very interesting in the following ways:

• Different from the school’s syllabus yet interesting
• Created on a monthly basis
• Unique topics & sub-topics, Group-based activities
• Consisted of more & more pictures related to every topic that shall help children understand the topics
• YouTube video links have been attached for a better understanding
• Various activities are also inserted

The curriculum is circulated with every student of RISE through Whatsapp, frequent zoom calls are being done for better interaction. This new pattern of the curriculum is helping children a lot as it includes various activities to do and videos to be shown. Through the introduction of BLM, major improvement like quality learning opportunities is being observed in children. Also, in RISE art and craft, game activities, dancing, singing & group sessions are also being introduced every Saturday to increase their confidence level. By this, they are developing mentally & physically.

COVID-19 is helping children to be patient, understanding & stress-free. In past months children have understood the basic concepts of disease prevention and control. Focusing on good health behaviours, encouraging others to express and communicate their feelings being at home through innovative & creative activities. The key insights from past months: students are continuing their studies more effectively and are more concerned about COVID-19; students are improving & spreading hygiene measures through their home only.

In the last few months, COVID-19 have shed light on various social & economic issues, including food insecurity, and homelessness. AROH Foundation understands these factors for which food packets were donated in the communities of Sangam Vihar & Mundka. AROH team initiated ‘Free Meal Drive’ and many families were fed and helped from COVID-19 scare. Hand washes, sanitizers and masks within the communities were distributed to make people aware of COVID-19.

In the past few days Mr Gaurav(name changed), a student who enrolled in RISE centre in Sangam Vihar, area of Delhi, has been a star kid helping his classmates study more efficiently. He has been very active, creative, practical and reachable to all by completing his work on his own without any complaints. He is keeping the spirit of learning alive by circulating worksheets, solutions of word problems and mathematics on the digital platform. Now he has been under RISE project and got admitted to a government school in the community.

We thank all the donors for Mr Gaurav and all other 1000 children who are able to access quality education because of your contribution.

“Within the child lies the fate of the future!”

At RISE, we believe that Education is an integral part of the community. RISE centres thrive because of the community, and for the benefit of the community. Hence, with Remedial Education RISE conduct celebrations & events wherein children can learn through multiple interactions with the community and the community also benefits through the efforts of & interactions with our children and staff. Our RISE community includes 1000 less privileged kids living in slums. Coming to RISE, these kids take part in regular major events & festivals which bring changes not only in the amount of knowledge they gain but also in the abilities to think and acquire habits, skills and attitude which characterize an individual who is socially accepted and adjusted. RISE encourages students to embrace other traditions and culture just like the way they do with their own.

No matter how COVID has impacted the lives of students but the power of their learning & absorbing knowledge never stops. They had found ways to against corona and keep continuing their studies with much more efforts. RISE is continuously supporting access to quality education which includes the Usage of online/e-learning strategies, assigning reading and exercises for home study & assigning teachers to conduct remote daily or week. COVID-19 is helping children to be patient, understanding & stress free. In past months children have understand the basic concepts of disease prevention and control. Focusing on good health behaviours, encouraging others to express and communicate their feelings being at home through innovative & creative activities. The events and festivals organized at RISE in Sangam Vihar and in Ghevra & Mundka are now celebrated with great pomp and gaiety. Apart from classroom activities, we also pay heed to other important festivals which must be celebrated in order to understand our country’s tradition. Last month numerous of International events and auspicious festivals were celebrated within RISE. The purpose of such celebrations with communities is to share children's thoughts, skills & work with the larger community in order to inspire them and spread certain messages. Education in COVID-19 is encouraging students to become advocates for disease prevention and control at home and in their communities by talking to others about how to prevent the spread of viruses. The key insights from past months: students are continuing their studies more effectively and are more concerned about COVID-19; students are improving & spreading hygiene measures through their home only. Children are spending more time in studies & meaningful activities instead of getting involved in useless and vain activities in their free time.

In the past few months, Ms Nandini, was struggling for the basic needs of her life starting from safe sanitation, safe water, health, education and a tiny public space to play was incessant. Nandini is the eldest, and being the girl child, she was forced to leave school and was indulged in domestic and sibling care tasks. Ceaseless responsibilities for those inconvenient and cumbersome chores at such tender age, aggression had gone deep in her genes. She had started reacting violently and annoyingly to everything even to her parents, towards her siblings and even towards her food and touch.

She was instantly reported and registered under their project RISE catering to the holistic development of poor slum children along with dedicated efforts towards their education & health. After many months of consistent care, love and attention, Nandini began to show her first signs of change. She began to smile and respond with smiles and warmth. AROH managed to get her back to school with counselling of her parents and liaisoning with local authorizes. Her grades started improving and she eventually turned into the protagonist of her class. Nandini did not even turn off from her domestic chores, instead, she also is teaching her younger siblings at home.

We thank all the donors for Ms Nandini and all other 1000 children who are able to access quality education because of your contribution. Through your initiative, we aim to imbibe the idea of education as the most important lever for social, economic, and political transformation. We shall be building-up the long-term wellbeing of children & families in Delhi in the communities of Sangam Vihar & Mundka.