Gifting a dream to children living in slums through Trained Teachers!

Thirty-six year old Geeta, is a balwadi (kindergarten)  teacher at one of the study centers run by Sahaara, in Govandi.

She hails from a strictly middle class background and lives with her family. Her husband works in a Government run organization and his meager income does not suffice to meet the needs of their family and pay for the education for her three school-going children.

Geeta realized that the financial position of the family was so precarious that a medical emergency could wipe out all their savings. She wanted to take up a job, so she could save some money to tied the family over unexpected emergencies. Coming from a modest family, she did not complete her education and has studied only up to the 12th grade, after which her parents got her married. With not much qualifications to her credit, she knew she had few choices and was desperately looking for a job, when one of her friends suggested applying for a teacher’s position at Sahaara.

Geeta got the job of a teacher and teaches children between three to five years of age, at the Govandi center. She loves her job where she gets to impart knowledge to disadvantaged children living in slums. Teachers at Sahaara are equipped to teach pre-primary education covering areas of math, hindi, general knowledge and art.

Once a week, Sahaara conducts Training for Teacher’s where they are trained in lesson planning, curriculum development and implementation, teaching methodology: methods and teaching aids, classroom environment, discipline, maintenance of registers, Parent teacher meetings, conducting tests and student assessments.

Here is a first person account from her on why she started teaching and what it means to her –

”I got married in 1996 at the age of 21. Our condition was very poor. My husband is a government servant. It has been 7 years that I’m working in Sahaara. I teach children from the age group of 3 to 5 years basic English and Maths, Environmental Studies, Hindi and also undertake coaching for municipality schools. I love my job and wish to continue being a teacher and bringing up my balwadi children to study higher with love.”

About the Teacher’s Training sessions, she says:

“It helped me a lot on how to teach and also to understand the curriculum. Also it gave me ideas on teaching the children using games or Audio Visual aids”.

Geeta, today, understands the importance of early primary education and believes that every child ought to get an opportunity to study and realize their dreams. She truly believes in their potential and wants to continue teaching children living in slums and see them achieve great heights, in life.

Your generous donations, Laurent (x4), Mary Ellen and Jim, Peter, Adam, David, Mike and Suzanne and UBS (x3) will enable Sahaara to pay for Geetas’ training and monthly remuneration for a period of three months, thereby ensuring that she continues imparting valuable knowledge to disadvantaged children, who deserve it the most.

Thank you so much, for coming together to support of Geeta, thereby giving children from the slum community of Govandi a chance to break out of the poverty cycle.