Digital literacy to empower urban slum children

We would like to share with you, the story of Prerna, in her own words. My name is Prerna and I live with my parents and four siblings. My father works as a cleaner and his monthly income is hardly enough to support the family. To help my father and contribute to the family income, my mother works in a thread making factory.

My brother and I used to attend the local public school in Jagatpura but the teachers there used to beat and punish the students regularly for trivial reasons. That is why our parents made us both drop out of school. When my father was looking for a new school to enroll us, he heard about the program run by HPPI from his sister whose children study there. My cousins told me about the AWC program where the focus is not only on theoretical studies but gaining practical knowledge and skill development in dance, sports, computers, etc. After hearing about the program, my father got us enrolled at the AWC in Jagatpura.

When I first joined, I did not know and understand much of what was being taught. However, after time, both my knowledge and confidence grew.With the help and support from the teachers at the center, not only did I learn new topics and concepts but also learnt new skills like using a computer. I as well learned to dance and even participated in the cultural program organized. All the teachers are very friendly and patiently help you solve difficulties and understand challenging topics with ease. Whenever I miss school for a couple of days, the teachers visit my home and encourage me to come back to the center. This door-to-door follow up on the students to motivate them to attend classes regularly is done by teachers from no other school.

Studying at the center, I have realized the goals for my future. When I grow, up I too wish to be a teacher and help other children learn. When I told my teachers about my goal, they were happy and supportive, which made me confident about achieving it one day in the future.

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