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My name is Joyoti Chowdhury and I am a Teach For India fellow of a government school in Kurla, Mumbai. We teach 41 compassionate and courageous 9th Graders (soon to be in 10th Grade) who have immense potential to excel today and make a remarkable difference in the world tomorrow.
As a result of the pandemic and closure of schools for more than sixteen months, our students' lives have been adversely affected. Though our schools had re-opened in October, we are the instructional hours have not been enough to teach our children. We were hardly getting two hours every day and it is absolutely not enough to finish the vast syllabus of the secondary exam and also to ensure our children get enough attention to cope with the learning loss due to the pandemic. Currently, our children are grappling with the significant issue of the learning gap.Most of our children come from Kurla (east and West) community. During the lockdown, a few of our children’s parents lost their jobs and are continuing to face the aftermath of the pandemic. Our students must not be required to compromise on the excellent education that they deserve because of their social and financial challenges.
- How will the funds be used?
1. Community Center (Rs. 60,000): Since the schools have reopened, there have been multiple issues regarding the space and timing of our classes. Our children are currently in the 9th grade and it is needless to say, the next year will be very crucial for them. A dedicated space like a community center will enable us to not only increase our instructional hours but also we can focus more on our children’s mental health and growth. This community center we are proposing will also fulfill the purpose of being a safe space for us to talk to the students about certain issues like consent, menstruation, and other necessary issues. Our students are in their adolescence, and we feel it is crucial to start these conversations now. Additionally, we would also be using this space to talk to them about their interests and aspirations and provide them exposure to various career opportunities through sessions and counseling. A few factors we are also keeping in mind while looking for the community center would also include the safety of our children, access to sanitary facilities, and the transportation facility in the area.
Students engaged in extra class post-school at the park near the school.2. Classroom Supplies (Rs. 20,000): Considering our students are currently preparing for their first big academic exam, we will need funds to buy digests, print worksheets, question papers, and also to buy books which would be required to prepare our students for the college admission process.
3. Traveling expense for Exposure Visits (Rs 20,000): In the coming academic year we are planning to arrange various exposure visits to colleges, NGOs, offices for our children, This will provide an opportunity to learn about these places and also help them in their decision making regarding career choices post Grade 10.
Before the pandemic, our kids went for educational excursion visits around Mumbai.
How can you help?
You can donate money as per your understanding in the link provided. No amount of money is a small amount. You can also donate classroom supplies, books, etc. We promise to ensure clarity of communication with all the stakeholders regarding the fund. We will keep updating our progress on this page. You can also sign up for a monthly giving.
We look forward to your help to create better opportunities for our children as we are ready to do whatever it takes.
