Project ReachOut and Spoorthi Foundation. A new beginning.
Three days ago, Veer Santosh, the CEO at Spoorthi Foundation contacted Project ReachOut and informed about his organization’s training session that would be held at the Government school today. We then researched a bit about their organization on http://www.spoorthifoundation.org/ and sent him our consent.
Today, at around 2:30, we let our registration process hang for a while and went to the school.
We earnestly held our files that were showing off our brand new logo and walked the corridor, being happy with the fact that only three days after its inception, Project ReachOut had begun its first fieldwork…
Our team split up into two pools and went to two different classrooms.
Ms. Soujanya and Ms. Roopa, engineers from MIT Mysore, were teaching English to the seventh standard students, when I knocked on the door and introduced myself and my friends/Reachers, saying, ‘We are from Project ReachOut. We are here to work for you…’
Well, everything has a first time!
Twenty kids stood up and said, unanimously, ‘Good afternoon sir,’ in their own unique dragging tone and involuntarily sparked the nostalgia. We quickly acknowledged them and took our seats in the last bench, as always. We took out our notepads and cameras and began to scribble and click.
Soujanya and Roopa patiently explained the English Grammar…in Kannada. They spoke about nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions et cetera. The kids merrily threw their hands up, saying, ‘Miss! Miss!’ and happily answered all the questions that were put forth. The teachers were commendable with their skills of interacting and keeping the class up and awake…
This continued for over fifteen minutes, by which time we had enough information from that particular classroom. So we excused ourselves and walked in to the adjoining class, the sixth standard, where twenty-four children, sitting together irrespective of the boy-girl hoopla, were being trained with the basics of computers. Mr. Veer Santosh accompanied us into the class and a while later, when he spotted us struggling to see the laptop screen, he came up to us and confessed that they had intended to use a projector for their class, but due to the unavailability of elementary yet essential components like spike buster, adapter and plug points, they couldn’t conduct the class as planned. Nevertheless, Ms. Lavanya and Ms. Sahana managed to do a great job by making use of their laptops to show the slides containing the pictures of the basic hardware components. The teaching was methodic and commensurate! This class too continued for another half hour…till 3:34, to be precise, during which time we discussed matters of prime interest with Mr. Veer.
We learnt from our discussion that Spoorthi Foundation was looking for volunteers, volunteers who could teach anything they wanted. Be it Math, Science, English, Hindi, Kannada, computers or whichever subject they might find appropriate. We were told that at the moment, there were seven members of their core committee, who handled two classes every week. But then, since most of them were offered jobs at various companies, in the coming days, their schedules would be cramped and, the teaching wouldn’t be all that effective. So, they asked us to adjure the Reachers, who have been so kind to follow Project ReachOut, to spend at least a half hour, once a week, with the kids, and to impart the knowledge they’ve amassed in all these years. Just a half hour a week means a lot more than our sense of the word “just”. It means you inspiring a part of the child, who would one day grow up to be a well educated citizen of this country, changing the very fabric of this country…
Even Spoorthi Foundation believes that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.
Well, what do you think?
We then added more pictures to our duffle, addressed the students, and offered to assist them with teaching tomorrow. Veer and his team joyously consented.
We asked them if we could use the projector for our class tomorrow, and, in response to our query, he told us that Spoorthi didn’t own a projector. Veer said that he borrowed it each week for the training session! We were told that they really couldn’t invest in a projector. They’d rather put it into better use by sponsoring a kid or two. Well, we get the logic. But then, it really would be more interactive and eventful for the kids to learn from a wider perspective. They’d get to visualize it better, understand the concepts more fluently and stack it in their minds for a longer time…
At this juncture, Project ReachOut puts forth a humble request to those samaritans who are capable of spending a few minutes with the kids and, who can afford to sponsor a projector, to kindly contact us or contact the CEO of Spoorthi without delay, because nothing is as dire as helping the young minds nourish.
Education is a tool that creates better human beings, and, as better human beings, it shouldn’t be all that hard for us to analyze the gravity of the situation and to take the necessary measures to alleviate the causes of this bleak situation.
Anyway, we were then made to watch a splendid video, after which the kids bade us their goodbyes. Well, they weren’t aware of the fact that they’d be seeing us even tomorrow!
-Adarsh Ramesh
A GLIMPSE OF OUR WORK AT MANASAGANGOTHRI EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
Manasagangothri Educational Institution.
Project ReachOut 
Awesome write up!! I wholeheartedly wish you all a great success 🙂
Thank you for your kind of words of appreciation.
We hope that our venture will touch and enrich many lives.
I wish to join this social awareness programme.
Thank you, spoorthy. We would really like to have you onboard.
Could you please contact us at +918050476267?
FIRST TIME TEACHING
After meeting with the members of the Spoorthi Foundation yesterday, we thought of gaining the experience of teaching the students of the school. It was planned that a friend and I would be teaching English either to the sixth or seventh standard students. Although it was basic English, the tricky part was that a significant portion of it had to be taught in Kannada, which I can honestly say is not my strongest suit. To make things even more complicated, I had never taught a group of students before. After watching yesterday’s class by Soujanya, Roopa, Lavanya and Sahana, I realized that it wasn’t the easiest group of students I had to teach either. For some reason, I didn’t prepare anything much for the class yesterday evening or today morning. The class was supposed to be at 2:00 PM and we were supposed to be at Manasagangothri Educational Institution by 1:15 PM to talk to the HM, but we made it there by 1:30 PM. We spoke to Santosh and it was decided that I would be teaching the seventh standard. We were also warned that they were a difficult class to handle and they needed some disciplining. I thought to myself, me and disciplining?!
My friend and I entered the class and by now we were already used to their loud greeting of “Good Afternoon Sir/Miss”. They were pleased that someone other than their teachers was taking their class. Well, who isn’t? We started by teaching articles and while friend taught and wrote on the board, I was doing rounds checking if they had written down everything correctly. The fact that they were eager to learn made our job a tad easier. For once, I thought I would leave my funny self and be a little strict, a ‘Dear Diary’ moment for myself. We were later accompanied by another friend and with his help we were able to somehow bring the class into some sort of decorum. While my friend was teaching, I did add in some points of my wisdom, but mainly I stuck to a little writing on the board, doing rounds and occasionally threatening the troublemakers. By no time it was 3:45 PM and we had only finished articles and plurals by then. But still, we walked out with our heads held high and feeling proud that we imparted some knowledge. All the children said goodbye to us and were very eager to see us again. The fact that they liked and enjoyed having us made me happy. Even though teaching has never been an option or liking to me, the small experience at this school has made me realize the importance of sharing and imparting knowledge to others. It also makes me think of the millions of children who are deprived of education and how much it would help the nation if everyone took time off their busy lives and teach these children.
First times are lot special 🙂 Enjoy what you do. You will find yourself satisfied!
Thank you for giving us this oppurtunity.
I hope this is the first of many such experiences.
BACK TO SCHOOL…
My day of teaching the kids at a government school brought back the good old memories of my school days. As soon as I entered the classroom, the students whole-heartedly welcomed me. Teaching ‘English’ to kids in Kannada medium was altogether a different experience, although I did less of teaching and more of asking them to sit quietly.
I have always dreamt of a well-educated literate society, and today was probably the first step I took in that direction. The joy on the faces of the kids when they learnt something new, gave me a sense of contentment and happiness. These kids are not underprivileged. All they need is a right direction. And I feel proud that I could contribute a little, if not much, in doing so. I am now sure that I would definitely go back to that school to teach these brilliant young kids, if am given a chance again. If only all of us spent sometime off our busy schedule in educating one child each, we would have a better society…a better world!
Thank you.
good luck 🙂
Thank you.
Hope to be working with you again..
MY EXPERIMENTS WITH PROJECT REACHOUT.
PROJECT REACHOUT:
It is an initiative undertaken by a group of like-minded students who aim at working in various social service organizations in Mysore…
Technically, five days back, this is what it meant to me. But today, having been a part of it and volunteering for the project, the satisfaction I feel is something that merely cannot be explained with words.
Well, on SUNDAY (5 days ago), when this idea became viral, it was just another post on my group in whatsapp. Then two days passed with not much info regarding Project ReachOut.
On Tuesday, on my way to the college, Project ReachOut was, to me, just another idea that would die off with time. But later, I realized the scenario was totally different. I saw seven 20 year olds, all excited and trying to be a part of making a difference in the society. It was all about extending a helpful hand to those in need.
Yesterday, when Gaurav asked me if I was willing to teach in one of the government schools, Manasagangothri Educational Institution, it was like a new challenge in front of me, which I always wanted to do. I wholeheartedly welcomed their request and agreed to guide the little kids.
Well, at around 1:30 today, I reached THE PLACE and got to meet the head of Spoorthi Foundation, Mr. Santhosh, who showed us our way around. As we waited, all sorts of thoughts filled my mind. What would it be like to teach kids of their age? Will I be able to manage the class? Will I do justice to the work assigned to me?
When my friend Adarsh and me entered the class, there was a group of 20 kids, running around, screaming their heads out and jumping all over the place. We waited for them to settle down and then, after the introduction session, we started teaching them. The enthusiasm they showed was overwhelming!
Now, as I sit and evaluate my day, I come to understand that this day couldn’t have been better. Having had a firsthand experience with those kids, I now know why my friends started Project ReachOut.
We all have to give, there is always something to give, so, let’s make a change. Let us Reach out.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us, Madhu.
You are the first on-field Reacher and we are really happy to have you onboard.
We hope that this spell continues in the days to come.
Let us work together, learn, serve and promote awareness among people.
Yes, lets make a change. Let us Reach out!