Educate 100 Under Privileged Children for One Year

Mahesh(name changed) joined the Trust when he was just 4 years old. His mother was alone and a single parent. He remembers, with a touch of sadness, that his father left him and his mother when he was just about a year old. Being financially weak and with no support from their relatives, Mahesh was directed to ACT by his uncle.

Today, Mahesh has walked the entire journey with grit and determination and appeared for his class X examinations in March 2022, under the able guidance of the teachers of ACT and the support of ACT all through those years. A journey which would have seemed impossible but he did it with the handholding that he needed and getting it a time when he most needed it!

Mahesh’s journey:

The discipline and education stand out for him as a learning from his ACT volunteer teachers. Not only did they help him overcome his difficulties which were driven by his mindblocks but they also helped build his basics in various subjects like language, math, etc. He proudly claims his love for math and gives the credit for it to his ACT volunteer teacher. He, particularly, mentions his inspiration – an ACT volunteer teacher who went beyond the text to build this love for the subject. He (the teacher) taught general mathematics, mind calculations, some secrets of the subject, riddles in the math and many more fun and interesting methods of learning. Being surrounded by inspiring and dedicated teachers and an organization, so spirited, has been a huge influence on Mahesh.

While he dislikes punishments, but the impositions for him left huge learnings.

The sessions on book reading in ACT’s library reminds him of his learnings on building his listening skills. His happiest moments at ACT are reading story books, going to Lalbagh, Planetarium, Museums, Aeroplane show, National Gallery of Art and the various trips with the entire team of ACT.

Covid brought with it certain challenges. Mahesh shares the support he got specially during this phase from ACT. Food, tabs for online learning, internet charges, hygiene kits, etc. came forth from ACT.

“My mother has told me to be loyal to the trust. She has told me than when she was in a difficult situation ACT helped her. She has told me to remember the good things taught in the trust. I would like to thank ACT for being my backbone. Because of ACT my family is in good condition” – Mahesh, ACT Student.

Each child at ACT has his own story, a unique journey that echoes integrity, empowerment and equality of opportunity, a journey that shows grit and determination to achieve and be a better self and build a better tomorrow for not just their ownselves but the world at large. ACT salutes the spirit of each child and aspires to keep walking this path and meeting the mission that we have set ourselves on.

“Sometimes we exist long enough to lead the next generation; other times, only to plant a seed and let its resonations of our time here on Earth ripple into new waves.” – A.J. Darkholme

Ashwini Charitable Trust is happy to announce that our effort towards this project has progressed well and has also grown to accommodate more children in need.

Of the 193 students currently attached to our main Resource Centre, 49 have been admitted newly to the Trust this academic year (2021-22). Their families have all faced numerous challenges due to the pandemic and all of them require assistance.

ACT meticulously planned and implemented an Induction and Orientation program for the mothers of the newly admitted students. The inclusionary exercise is mandatory and serves as the first step in educating and empowering the mothers of our children.

An entry level assessment was also conducted for the new students in order to group them into appropriate categories, so that they may best benefit from our Education Program.

The after-school program that many of the children are engaged with comprises our online pedagogical endeavour, which helps to bolster their education. The students are paired up with individual volunteers as well as volunteer groups that help them with their academics using online platforms like WhatsApp and Google meet. The older students participate in mental health and well-being programs, computer classes, mentoring programs and sessions with experts that keep them informed about their basic rights. The main focus of our striving is to allow the children to learn how to bridge the gaps between the understanding and application of knowledge and skills acquired.

ACT had commissioned Ms. Shanta Srinivasan, an accomplished educator and curriculum designer, to create a customized foundational English and basic Math curriculum for our younger students. These books are one of a kind and specifically cater to the elementary literacy and numeracy requirements of first-generation literates and first time English speakers.

ACT has also been supplying every family that it supports a monthly provision and hygiene kit. It is a practice that began in March 2020 as part of our covid relief effort and continues till date. Each provision kit contains generous portions of staples such as rice, wheat flour, pulses, oil, spices, sugar and salt. The hygiene kit contains soaps, detergents, dishwashing bars, disinfectants and a pack of five KN95 masks.

A child's mental, physical and emotional development includes, but is not limited to education alone. We even augment the children's nutrition with a protein mix that is made by the mothers at the Trust and is distributed to all the families on a monthly basis. The health, well-being and blossoming of our students is of grave importance to us.

ACT truly appreciates all the support it receives. We draw strength and credence to fulfill our mission thanks to the compassionate collaboration of all our donors and volunteers.