Give Children Wings to their Dreams

Sumithra is a 14-year-old girl studying in 8th standard in Annaswamy School. Her father is a labourer and mother a house wife. Her siblings are studying in 7th and 10th standard in the same school. She is associated with the After School Life Skills Programme for the past one year.

It was Sumitra’s first year in Annaswamy School.  She was very regular to life skill sessions but did not show any interest in the sessions. Although she had to wait long hours after school for her elder sister studying in class 10th to attend special classes, she never interacted with anyone. Noticing that she waited for her sister all alone several times, the facilitator decided to speak to her.

He also noticed that she often used to avoid her classmates and that there was a fear in her. She would always shy away when the facilitator tried to ask her the reason for such a behaviour. After speaking with her several times, Sumithra opened up and told him that her classmates embarrassed her with nicknames. They used to tease her for wearing spectacles and often laughed at her as if she lacked something. All these incidents made her very sad and withdrawn. She was very reluctant to talk to her classmates and thus remained silent.

Listening to Sumithra, the Facilitator encouraged her to try the life skills session which will help her to communicate better with all her classmates and told her that things will eventually become easy and better. So, she joined the After School Life Skill sessions, while she waited for her sister. Sumithra made that extra effort by attending life skill sessions of other classes as well. The ‘Reflection’ hour of the exercise “Airport Exercise” focuses on goals and dreams of a young person, it helps a young person to realise that to achieve one’s goals one needs to be focused and work towards it. It was during one such session the Facilitator asked the students to share their views, and for the first time Sumithra raised her hand and expressed her goals and dreams to the entire class. It was these sessions that changed Sumitra and helped her move forward. She was no longer the same withdrawn and disinterested person.

From then on, she started enjoying the life skills sessions and felt good about herself. She no longer feels bad about her classmates teasing her. She participates in extracurricular activities and is active both at home and school. A painting by her, of a flower, hangs on the wall of the church which is the testimonial of her transformation. Today she speaks without fear and is a leader in Sunday School Classes. She expresses confidence not only in class but also outside. Sumithra expresses her deep felt gratitude by simply saying “Thank you Dream a Dream”.

To quote her teacher “Sumithra now takes initiative in class and is a class leader. She reads the English newspaper very confidently during the prayer time. She also helps her friends to read the newspaper and is a known personality to all in the class now”. All teachers know her name and they say “Sumithra is the very good girl, studies well and speaks boldly.”