Hai All,
Gist:
After the bday celebrations at the Home, we all sat down and discussed.
First shared our feelings abt the Home and from that we slowly started
talking abt what else can be done for the kids and how best we can encourage
them. Finally we decided to conduct some tests every month or once in two
months and find out their weakness and try to support them in that. After
tenth they leave the kids to streets???!!!! So we need to do something abt
that. Also decided to take up a slum area and try to send few children to
school frm that slum as a pilot project and then go ahead with that
experience.
In Detail:
1. Conducting tests
2. After Tenth, What????????
3. Slum Area kids 2 Schools
*Tests *
RK garu last year gave some prizes to kids who were good at their
academics. The same way he asked for a list of the kids with their marks in
mid term this time. But he was not satisfied with the list they have given
him yesterday. He feels that the Home organizers have just roughly
estimated the marks themselves and put it on paper. They say that the school
doesn't send them any progress card. So they have given them roughly.
So we thought we will conduct an exam ourselves, for which,
kotireddy(of matru anurag group ,nellore) and I would take in charge. We
discussed what all we can have in such a test and how many category of
papers shall we prepare. We decided not to test kids below 4th. We can just
ask them to paint or write what ever they wish to but in a staright line on
a white sheet that too very neatly n legibly.
For 5th, 6th n 7th one paper abd for 8th, 9th and 10th one paper we can set.
Maths(analytical skills) , language test( so that we will know what we can
teach them in future) and some basic general knowledge(just to find out if
they know anything abt the city/cities around). We can mix science n social
in it. So in total it wont be a pure test of their academics alone.
If possible we will all meet(except RK gaaru who stay 80 kms frm Chennai
city) regarding the setting of the paper in this month once. Before that I
will set a paper roughly and distribute to all these through mail and then
we can modify it online. We also decided to use our office Xerox and
printing machines for the papers :-D
RK gaaru started the discussion and RK gari wife gave lot of suggestions abt
the tests. Sunesh n swami are very enthusiastic abt this. Kotireddy N I had
some experience conducting such tests. So the team is ready.
*After tenth *
After their tenth, the home according to govt rules, should not keep them in
the Home. So they might leave them. But we all felt that, after tenth is the
tie they need some good guidance n counseling for their future besides
support. So swami has taken the responsibility to collect the exact details
from the organizers of this Home abt what happened to the past students and
what are their plans for the coming tenth batch. After we get the details,
we can plan accordingly for their future. We did not bring our group names
while discussing all these. Once we know how many kids to be supported, we
can mail to all groups and get the help.
After All To make difference is all this about.
*Slum Area Kids *
There is a small slum area just beside my office building. Now a days the
area is full of posh offices and around 10k software engineers are working
in the two buildings just beside this slum area. So we thought, if we can
start some thing there in the slum area, we can get support from all of
these 10k people, who regularly see these kids playing on the roads. So we
need to START.
Everyone accepted this and luckily except RK garu, all of us stay very near
to my office, so to this slum too. (In and around 6km radius).
After this we all dispersed but koti reddy and I had no work no plan for the
evening. So we immediately went to the area. I was slowly riding my bike and
observing the kids. As it's a Sunday all our frds are on the road fully
enjooooying. Called a small boy and asked him if he goes to school. He said
Yes and ran away. I was so hesitant to goto kids bcoz I thought if some
elderly might feel I am some kids trafficker??!!!!!
I just stood there and a old man asked me what I wanted? I showed my office
building and introduced myself first and then asked him if all the kids in
this locality goto school regularly. He said therez a corporation school
nearby and they all go there. GOOD!!!!!! Also there is a lady there who
takes tuition for them on the road itself. It's a kacha road and vehicles
cannt ply on the road.
Then a kid came n asked me my name. I said Arun. He showed me another Arun
there. We both shook hand and that fellow was very active. So I asked him to
show his books. He hesitated but his mother and this elderly man(Yes by the
way, we got some people around by that time).
I got surprised to see the guy's books. Only then I understood that there
are some parents in that small huts sending their kids to English medium
schools. There is a lesson abt our master blaster J He is reading the words
master and blaster also correctly with correct accent too but sad part is he
doesn't who sachin is!!!!!!! May be because of the area he lives in and lack
of tv. Next I asked honey is ______ he said sweet. I got a doubt if he
remembered the sentence and telling or he knows what honey is!!!!!! I asked
him that and he said he likes honey……Good again…… :)
I asked arun's mother how many are going to English medium school and she
said four from the whole locality.
So there are many more who r corpn school students. I am not sure if every
one of them is a regular student and how they are studying.
So decide to go n meet the lady in the tuition timings( 5pm to 6pm) and the
principal of the corporation school.
Ah!! Finally some momentum to the group activities :)))))))
ArunK
