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Hello! I am Malavika Rao, and I am a fellow at Teach For India(TFI). I teach a class of 34 bright and curious 4th standard students in a Government Urdu Medium Primary School in JJR Nagar, Gori Palya, Bangalore. I have been teaching English and Math here for a year now.
I am raising funds to improve the infrastructure of my classroom. Our classroom currently lacks the infrastructure needed to support the learning of my students. The classrooms in my school are small, filled with old broken furniture and dimly lit. The students have no space to sit or to write. My classroom is filled with long and heavy benches that have proven to be dangerous as they are difficult to move, and have resulted in a number of serious injuries.
The blackboards are wearing out, and about 40% of them cannot even be used. The windows and cupboards are broken as well.
There is even a loft where splintered wooden planks, iron rods, rusty nails, and other heavy and dangerous materials are stored.
Is this the kind of environment where learning, growing, and excelling is possible for my students?
Who is this for?
This is Nazeer.
Nazeer is the son of a domestic worker, and an absent father. His mother works hard to support her son, and give him the best life she can give him. Like her, Nazeer works hard in everything he does. He loves English and has the biggest heart of any student in my class. He is kind and caring, creative and charismatic. Nazeer is a born leader.
This is Zaid.
Zaid is the son of an auto driver and a needleworker. He has 3 sisters, all of whom, like Zaid, work relentlessly to get the most out of their education. He loves Math, especially Long Division. Zaid is intelligent, patient, and hardworking. He dreams of becoming a civil engineer when he grows up. Everything he does, he does to the best of his abilities because it brings him one step closer to achieving that dream.
The students I teach come from marginalised and impoverished communities. My students all lead home lives similar to those of Nazeer and Zaid. Their community has seen minimal shifts in social mobility and my students lack the exposure, infrastructure and resources to change that. My students do not let this limit their creativity, and their enthusiasm towards learning. It does not limit the joy and love they spread. And it does not limit the potential they have to change their communities. I am witness to their resilience everyday. The compromise that they make with their learning environment is just one out of many.
With these funds, and the help of the Better Design Foundation (TBDF), I hope to get my classroom redesigned to make it a more conducive environment for my students to learn. I hope to be able to provide them with comfortable seating and access to technology. I hope to give them a safe space where learning can be fun, a space they have never experienced.
Right now, we have the opportunity not only to transform the lives of my current students but to also disrupt the entire education system. With all that said, we will not be able to do any of this without your support.
A portion of the funds raised will be used to provide basic amenities like electricity, fans, lights, etcetera and then the larger chunk of it would be used for customised, flexible furniture - which includes height-adjustable desks, innovative seating, white and blackboards, LED TVs, and an in-room library ensuring the classroom is self-sufficient. I will be working with TBDF to ensure the classroom has varied layouts and plans to accommodate every student that passes through my classroom and their unique needs. Every donation, no matter how small, would make a difference. We would be collecting funds and posting regular updates on this page. You can also find our expected cost break up below.
This fundraiser is called Noorain, after another student in my class. Noorain is a shy student, who struggles with both English and Math, but still shows resilience to keep learning and trying. Noorain means Light and Radiance, something these kids bring to the world through their smiles, and through the chocolates they bring me every morning. It is also something they desperately need more of, especially in their dark dingy classrooms.
In case of any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at malavika.rao2019@teachforindia.org or to The Better Design Foundation at contact.thebetterdesign@gmail.com.
Thank you!
I am raising funds to improve the infrastructure of my classroom. Our classroom currently lacks the infrastructure needed to support the learning of my students. The classrooms in my school are small, filled with old broken furniture and dimly lit. The students have no space to sit or to write. My classroom is filled with long and heavy benches that have proven to be dangerous as they are difficult to move, and have resulted in a number of serious injuries.
The blackboards are wearing out, and about 40% of them cannot even be used. The windows and cupboards are broken as well.
There is even a loft where splintered wooden planks, iron rods, rusty nails, and other heavy and dangerous materials are stored. Is this the kind of environment where learning, growing, and excelling is possible for my students? Who is this for?
This is Nazeer.
Nazeer is the son of a domestic worker, and an absent father. His mother works hard to support her son, and give him the best life she can give him. Like her, Nazeer works hard in everything he does. He loves English and has the biggest heart of any student in my class. He is kind and caring, creative and charismatic. Nazeer is a born leader.This is Zaid.
Zaid is the son of an auto driver and a needleworker. He has 3 sisters, all of whom, like Zaid, work relentlessly to get the most out of their education. He loves Math, especially Long Division. Zaid is intelligent, patient, and hardworking. He dreams of becoming a civil engineer when he grows up. Everything he does, he does to the best of his abilities because it brings him one step closer to achieving that dream. The students I teach come from marginalised and impoverished communities. My students all lead home lives similar to those of Nazeer and Zaid. Their community has seen minimal shifts in social mobility and my students lack the exposure, infrastructure and resources to change that. My students do not let this limit their creativity, and their enthusiasm towards learning. It does not limit the joy and love they spread. And it does not limit the potential they have to change their communities. I am witness to their resilience everyday. The compromise that they make with their learning environment is just one out of many.
With these funds, and the help of the Better Design Foundation (TBDF), I hope to get my classroom redesigned to make it a more conducive environment for my students to learn. I hope to be able to provide them with comfortable seating and access to technology. I hope to give them a safe space where learning can be fun, a space they have never experienced.
Right now, we have the opportunity not only to transform the lives of my current students but to also disrupt the entire education system. With all that said, we will not be able to do any of this without your support.
A portion of the funds raised will be used to provide basic amenities like electricity, fans, lights, etcetera and then the larger chunk of it would be used for customised, flexible furniture - which includes height-adjustable desks, innovative seating, white and blackboards, LED TVs, and an in-room library ensuring the classroom is self-sufficient. I will be working with TBDF to ensure the classroom has varied layouts and plans to accommodate every student that passes through my classroom and their unique needs. Every donation, no matter how small, would make a difference. We would be collecting funds and posting regular updates on this page. You can also find our expected cost break up below.
This fundraiser is called Noorain, after another student in my class. Noorain is a shy student, who struggles with both English and Math, but still shows resilience to keep learning and trying. Noorain means Light and Radiance, something these kids bring to the world through their smiles, and through the chocolates they bring me every morning. It is also something they desperately need more of, especially in their dark dingy classrooms.
In case of any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at malavika.rao2019@teachforindia.org or to The Better Design Foundation at contact.thebetterdesign@gmail.com.
Thank you!
