By Samy Joanes | Assistant Manager - Donor Relations
Name of Project: Pratham & Pragati Projects
Project Period: Ongoing
Reporting Period: 01st October to 31st December 2020
Specific Objectives of the Project:
Sahaara believes that every person has a dream, and our work centers on ensuring that vulnerable and marginalized persons can articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Children in Government-run homes and from the red-light districts live in the high-risk environments under constant neglect, which also results in a high level of school dropouts in middle school. The Pratham and Pragati programs strive to build strong foundations in math and languages through their remedial education centers to ensure such children continue their learning process in schools to finally fulfill the dreams.
However, due to the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdown the computer and education centers have remained shut. Sahaara adapted quickly by offering online education but due to the poverty challenges being multiplied due to unemployment in the impoverished communities - we had to bridge the digital divide by providing mobile recharges and internet data packs to children to attend Zoom classes. Sahaara also helped set up the IT infrastructure at two Government Homes in the city.
Going the extra mile
Rohit* lives in the Turbhe red-light area with his grandparents, mother, and brother. He is currently undergoing Sahaara's remedial classes. During the lockdown, Sahaara started online classes because physical classes were restricted. Rohit’s mother had a smartphone and Rohit would walk a few meters away from his house where he could connect to a Wi-Fi network and attend these classes. Understanding that Internet recharges will be a financial burden on the families, Sahaara started facilitating Internet pack recharges for the children. Rohit too was able to avail of the Internet plan recharge.
But unlike Rohit, many children had no access to even a smartphone and were missing academics. Teachers started requesting the students to share their smartphones with other children so that all students could attend classes. Rohit instantly agreed to do so.
Rohit impacted the children of his own neighborhood with his initiative. At 11:00 am, Rohit would go to 2 students’ houses and help them attend class. At 12:30 pm, he would go to another student’s house and help that child attend the online class with his smartphone. At 3:30 pm he attended his own class and again at 4:15 pm he helped 2 more students to attend the online class. Another 5 children attended the online Zoom classes through Rohit’s kindness alone. He ensured that everyone did their homework properly. He helped them to report their homework to their teacher by sending photos.
We at Sahaara felt that this hunger for learning must be nurtured. We have done all that we can to continue providing these children with things that would enable them to participate in the online classes. Rohit has been very thankful to receive Sahaara’s help in the mobile recharges.
*Name changed to protect the beneficiary’s identity.
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