By Susan Narjala | Manager - Corporate Communications
This is a story of a little girl who couldn’t sit still. Rubini is a seven-year-old with loads of spunk and energy – and a really short attention span.
When U&I volunteers began the year tutoring at the Good Shepherd Home where Rubini lived, there was one thing they all agreed on: Little Rubini was a handful. She climbed the walls, she walked out of classes, she refused to open her books. She excelled at one thing – being the class bully.
During the first academic assessment of the year, Rubini scored a dismal 12 out of 50. “I want to be a police officer. I don’t need to study,” Rubini would tell the tutors.
But U&I volunteers saw behind Rubini's act. They saw a little girl who longed for attention and friendship, a little girl who needed to be affirmed.
“It took some time, but gradually Rubini started to change. She began listening to the volunteers and they explained to her that bullying was not alright,” says Ashwathy, U&I’s Teach Manager at the Good Shepherd Center where Rubini stayed.
Slowly, the little girl’s defenses came down. No longer did she bully her classmates to get attention. She responded to the love that the volunteers showed her week after week.
Rubini’s end-of-year assessment improved dramatically with a score of 40 out of 50. But, more than that, she doesn’t seek negative attention any more. She has watched and learned from the U&I volunteers who modeled kindness and concern.
Today, Rubini is the first one to arrive in class. “Come quickly, akka is here,” she says, hurrying her classmates to the tutoring sessions. She listens intently and understands that she needs an education to help her succeed.
This is the story of a little girl who has what it takes to follow her dreams.
Because of donors like you we continue to touch the lives of children around India. Today, U&I volunteers tutor hundreds of children in after-school Learning Centers, ensuring that these kids stay plugged into school and beat the odds. More importantly, each volunteer invests 2.5 hours every week, building a relationship with these children and giving them the confidence they need to shine in their classrooms and beyond.
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By Susan Narjala | Corporate Communications Manager
By Susan Dass | Manager - Corporate Relations
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