“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”, rightly said by Benjamin Franklin. Knowledge is the most valuable thing which no one can take away from a person. Education has no limits and the individual who gets it, does not only change their future but all who are dependent on them reap benefits. However, the world is far from utopia and a significant part of the world population do not have access to education. Basic numeracy and literacy skills are lacking and because of that, poverty remains and the person endures the vicious cycle of poverty. This cycle can only be broken through providing poor people access to affordable and quality education so they can stand up on their toes.
I feel delighted to get the opportunity to contribute my small bit with my friends and share a few days of my education to other children who are poverty-struck and do not have the access to as many resources as others. I have also documented this as a part of my CAS experience, catering to the Service component, in a youtube video.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JcvKX-kcwY[/embedyt]
In these few days, my friends and I were going to a slum area near bhatar char rasta in a tuition center to help the children there get basic numeracy and literacy education. I taught them conversational English skills and other essential aspects of English that would certainly help them in the future. Through a variety of math exercises, I helped students improve their quantitative reasoning skills and gain a more quantitative and objective perspective of the world around them. Other than that, we also helped them with their regular homework for Gujarati and Hindi.
LO1 :Â I am good at dealing with children and making them understand a concept but as an introvert, I feel shy at first meeting new people. However, this project opened me up to children younger than me and also their teachers whom I had to collaborate with. My social skills while working in a group and conversational skills speaking and understanding Gujarati also improved as most of the kids their spoke Gujarati as their mother tongue and conversing with them made me more comfortable in the language.
LO2 :Â This was an excellent opportunity to practice leadership and teamwork skills, both of which are crucial. I learned a lot from working with my friends, namely Shiven and Manan, who helped me understand how to assign duties based on our individual skills. To assist the kids with these particular subjects, we divided up a variety of topics between us, including Hindi, English, and math (different operations etc.)
LO5 : I learned more about interpersonal interaction, resolving disagreements, and managing with mismatch of ideas by working with Manan and Shiven. My friends helped me understand how to come to a consensus when we might have differing opinions. Working in collaboration helped me understand the nature of group work as we have to listen to everybody and make sure everyone is happy. I noticed this in especially as our term one exams got closer.
LO6 : We wished to advance the SDG of quality education by our experience. When providing education, other communities and the government typically neglect such groups. They consequently lack access to good resources and continue to live in poverty. An individual must view education of primary importance if they want to escape poverty. Due to this experience, we were able to meet the SDG’s requirement for quality education. Because education is the key to a successful future and will help them find jobs that lift them out of poverty, No Poverty is also directly targeted.
LO7: While helping underprivileged children , I’ve learned the importance of making ethical choices. LO 7 highlights the need to recognize what’s right and wrong in our actions. Teaching kids facing challenges involves being respectful, understanding, and creating an inclusive environment. This experience has shown me that ethical choices are crucial for fostering a positive learning environment for underprivileged children. LO 7 reminds me to always make choices that contribute to their well-being
Youtube link for evidence : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JcvKX-kcwY