By Vishal Talreja | Cofounder&CEO
Vikram is a 9th grade student in Raza Excellent English School in Bangalore, India. He is a calm young person who keeps his thoughts to himself. Vikram wasn’t very enthusiastic in participating in the After School Life Skills through Sports sessions and wouldn’t respond to anything his facilitator Raghu or fellow classmates said. After spending some time with Vikram, Raghu asked him why did he always look sad and what is keeping him from participating in the sessions. Vikram did not have an answer to that question. Hence, Raghu decided to give Vikram the space he needed.
A few weeks later Vikram approached Raghu and said he wanted to talk. Vikram told Raghu about how his father passed away 2 years ago and how his family has been in financial crisis ever since. Vikram said he does not have anybody to help him continue his studies and that he also considered the idea of going into daily wage work. Raghu attentively heard everything Vikram talked about and decided to calmly be there for Vikram.
After a few days Raghu conducted a session about ‘building relationships and communication’. In the session Raghu talked about his own struggle to overcome difficulties and making choices in life. Raghu then paired all the young people into groups of 2 and gave them 5 minutes to share their stories with their partners. After the activity Raghu was surprised to see that Vikram was the first to share his feelings in the reflection cycle with the entire group. Vikram said he was happy to share his thoughts and felt a lot more relaxed. From that day Vikram slowly started taking initiative to lead the warm up activity of the entire group.
In the last session of the academic year, Vikram was the first to eagerly raise his hand and talk about how the After School Life Skills Program through Sports brought positive changes in his life. Vikram said “I learnt how to lead my life and deal with difficult situations. I build good relationship with people around me and made a lot of new friends. I really want to take this learning forward and be there for others whenever they need help.”
Teachers at Raza Excellent English School are happy to inform Raghu that Vikram has significantly improved in academics and is also showing interest in extracurricular activities. When asked about his dream, Vikram told Raghu that he wants to be a football player and use sports to bring positive impact in the lives of other young people like him.
There are many young people in Dream a Dream like Vikram who truly transform in the presence of a caring and compassionate adult. Dream a Dream has till date supported 5545 young people through the After School Life Skills Program. We are committed to empower thousands of young people like Vikram. However, it is not possible without your support. Thank you for being a committed supporter and we invite you to become a regular donor by signing up for the monthly donation options presented by Global Giving.
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