Educate Children Living on Construction Sites

“I am surprised by the energy these children have to learn and play the game of chess. We have started playing test games with the children and their mind application (the way they think and solve problems) is amazing.” Kunal a trainer from a renowned chess training academy who comes weekly to teach our children, happily shared his thoughts with us.

These encouraging words from our trainer affirm MMC’s belief that if given the opportunity, our children can excel. Playing chess helps our children develop numerous skills needed to achieve their goals; it improves strategic thinking, problem solving, and patience. Last year we incorporated chess into our education programme at two centres.  After seeing the children’s enthusiasm and positive educational outcomes, we expanded the chess program to six centers, reaching a total of 150 children.

Two brothers from one of our centres, 10 year old Raju and 8 year old Sonu, are among many who eagerly wait for chess class. Raju and Sonu’s father migrated from a small village Begunsarai, Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai in search of livelihood and now work as a mason on the construction site where our centre is located. Both brothers have mastered the strategy of the game. The younger, Sonu, says “I ensure my king is always safe and I am always attentive of the opponent’s move. With practice I have become better. I win all games and now my friends don’t want to play with me”.

It was a proud moment for us when both Raju and Sonu, along with one more classmate, won silver medals in the entry level group at a chess tournament organized by the South Mumbai Chess Academy. The teachers have also observed that after learning the game, Raju is able to articulate his thoughts much more clearly and is able to think critically before making a decision. Playing chess has also proved beneficial for Sonu, who had struggled with a limited attention span. Now, with prolonged exposure to the game, his listening skills in class have improved and he remains engaged for the entirety of classroom activities.

Like Raju and Sonu, the chess programme is helping many children from our centres build life skills and grow in confidence. Another student, Kedar, shared that “I am enjoying playing chess with my classmates, and we mutually help each other if we get stuck or go wrong”. Alisha shared that “I did not know the game earlier, and hence was very hesitant to learn the game. But as sir (trainer) started teaching us, I started understanding the game and now I enjoy the game very much. I love the queen. She can move in any direction.” The chess initiative has undoubtedly been a valuable addition to our education programme and has had a positive impact on the lives of our children.

We thank our donors for supporting our education programme. If you would like to continue contributing to the programmes of the Mumbai Mobile Creches, you can consider making a monthly recurring donation at the following link: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/mumbaimobilecreches/