A memorable experience

As a member of Enactus H.R College of Commerce and Economics I am happy to have volunteered for the  computer literacy program organized by Ngo CACR  in BMC (inner city) schools of Mumbai. The program, created by IIT Bombay, aims to bridge the digital divide in India, imparting basic IT skills to school and college students.

Volunteering for the program enabled me to embark on a memorable journey of unadulterated joy and inspired me to such an extent that I will fondly remember this experience forever. 

Our batch of three volunteered at the Adarsh Nagar municipal school ,Worli and taught the students of the 6^th Standard. The enthusiasm and zeal of the students was truly breathtaking!

HOW WAS IT DONE?

Our first step was talking to the  headmaster and explaining how our program would benefit the students.  He was receptive to our ideas and gladly agreed to co-operate. We were subsequently introduced to the computer teacher, who would be present with us during our program and who would assume responsibility after we had fulfilled our commitment of  9-10 workshops in this school. 

 Our aim is to make the school authorities independent to carry on and move on to cover the next class/school.   

DAY 1-We started our session   with 6^th standard students who were surprisingly well versed with the basics of computers. They were familiar with the components of a computer and were adept  at basic functions such as ‘Cut Copy Paste’, but when asked to come forward and demonstrate, they were hesitant and appeared slightly perplexed about the procedures to be followed. We showed them a few videos on how to maneuver the software.This was held in the school’s Audio-visual room. The students took down notes and made a list of all the steps and instructions shown to them, since they were told that they would have to do it themselves the following day.

THE Audio-Visual Room

DAY 2- The Practical session-it was time to put the knowledge that they had acquired on the previous day into action. We divided them into groups of two and started it off step by step. A vast majority of the students had their books open and were tirelessly trying to achieve the desired result, although some of them were reluctant to do anything unless  ‘Didi’ or ‘Sir’ (the terms used to address us) was standing next to them. It soon turned into a jolly competition as to who could format their document better. 

They used our teachings to good effect and we noticed that they knew a lot more on their departure as compared to their arrival. Once all of them had created the document, we conducted a mini test. We asked them to show us how they did it, and surprisingly all of them were able to answer our questions satisfactorily. They smiled every time they heard a "very good" or a "bahut acha". Subsequently they saved their documents and rushed to the AV room where we had a small quiz session. Every correct answer fetched them a couple of chocolates...and we witnessed a marvelous sight! All the students had their hands raised up, ready to answer and even demonstrate if necessary! Their computer teacher sat there with a smile on seeing his class. He said they were never that enthusiastic about studying before.

In Summation 

The principal, who was present during the quiz, said that he was glad to see us make a difference in the lives of his students in just 2 days.

He clicked a few pictures for his school book with the chirpy children and as we left he said “ए क  दिन ये बच्चे आस्मान छुएंगे और आप जैसे लोग उनकी मुस्कान के लिए जिम्मेदार होंगे ” {One day these kids will reach the sky and do-gooders like you will be responsible for their smiles}. 

We were ecstatic at hearing these words from such a reputable and dignified man.

Happy Moments with Volunteers

In conclusion, I would like to say that CACR  through their CLP is changing lives and building future entrepreneurs. Computers are the basis of today’s modernized and technologically fast-moving world. By introducing these little children to the basics, we feel like we are making a huge difference to their lives by taking them closer to a brighter and more promising future.

It gives me great pride in saying that I was a part of this initiative and I hope a lot more of us are able to contribute to projects like these.  If our program has inspired even one child, then I will regard it as a success.

Thanks,

Rochelle Soares

Enactus -H.R. College of Commerce and Economics.

Part of social initiatives department of HR college. 
To know about our work click HERE

So what have you FAILED at?

        The declaration of SSC (Class 10th) scores heralds news of suicides committed by students who fail to score the expected marks or do not pass out. Many factors contribute to the high suicide rates- the stress induced by family and peer pressure being the highest contributors among all factors.

    Its time we introduced the stories of  entrepreneurs who have faced various challenges in their lives ranging from failing and dropping out of school/college to the outright rejection of their ideas, yet they never gave up.

        The most notable stories are those of Dhirubhai Ambani, Micheal Jordan, Bill Gates, Jan Koum, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Sarah Berkeley and  many more.These stories teach us the true meaning of "Failure is the stepping stone to success".

Stories of  people like Lizzie Velasquez serves as an inspiration. She not only fought against a rare disease but also against bullying.Today, she is a motivational speaker and has published two books.

 This drives home the point that even if cases like that of Founder of Reliance Industries,Dhirubhai Ambani,  are exceptional, there are many more ones of common people overcoming the odds stacked against them and finding the will to go on after repeated failures. There is no dearth in finding motivation to bring about a change in the psyche of the society from stories of local heroes, many of whom share tales very much like our own.

          Both students and parents need to learn that failing is not the end of the world.The need to inculcate this thought process has become very important for the simple reason that it is human nature to fear failure, but the courage to overcome one’s fears is also inbred in humans. Also we should not label students as intelligent or average.  

We cannot expect each human being to be molded in the same shape; the areas at which we humans excel are so very vast and different.  The talents showcased by us are varied, including academics, sports, arts, creativity, leadership and the list goes on.

        Teachers and parents should recognize this and cultivate this talent at an early age. Resources to enhance the hidden talents must be made available and the freedom to follow their true calling should be awarded to the youth.

 For only then would the fear of failure be curbed and a path to follow their dreams with  courage be forged.

Schools could do the following:

            ·   Conduct seminars on motivation

·   Let students learn and meet people who have fought failures and obstacles and emerged as winners: college graduates, entrepreneurs, sportsman, writers, artists, leaders, activists.

·    Organize interactive sessions with parents discussing their careers and struggles. It will be a source of inspiration for students to not give up and learn from their parents. Parents will get a chance to know about their kid's insecurities and obstacles and support them.

·   Movies like Chak De India, Frozen, Pursuit of Happyness can be motivational and teach students that life is full of ups and downs and that getting up after each failure not only makes them more courageous, but also gives them an impetus to face the more important hurdles in life ,since life is known to be unpredictable and full of new challenges.

The courage to face failure is looked upon as a major strength in today’s world.

It is believed that failure makes a person stronger, more sincere and prepares a person to tackle any twists life throws at him. 

             
 It can be said that failure in imminent, it is unavoidable. So it is in the best interests of the students as well as their parents to learn the art of coping with failures early on in their lives. Many resources are now disposed to the youth and therefore it becomes the responsibility of not only the students but the society as a whole to make the best use of them to get the optimal results.



The author of the article JZ volunteers with CACR on weekends along with her current job.

CACR is a education non-profit working with perseverance to improve the quality of education in public schools of India