This is an e-mail communcation from Rupesh, who has started Dream India's latest chapter in Mumbai, Airoli. We have managed to pull in NSS volunteers from a nearby school and this mail is regarding the plans that Dream India has made to involve those students.
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Hello friends…..
As you must be knowing we had motivated 20 Mehta college students about our airoli project. Zillions of thanks to DreamIndia for giving a proper formal approach to college about this project. The number has gone down to 16 now. No needs to worry these 16 are like 160! Yes there was an inertia period wherein these ‘raw energy’ was spread about and not much concentrated but we hope after Sunday’s event we will definitely get the desired response from these passionate lot. Padmaja we really missed you a lot. I wish you get some more dedicated volunteers for our other centers. All the student volunteers here wanted to talk to you.
Arun, Kailash, Beena, Dipti really made the show a huge success. Kailash had also invited few of his friends in this event whom he felt could bring a lot of value to it later. I requested for his laptop he arranged for the projector on the spot. Excellent effort! Arun made gr88 motivational speeches using examples, arranged for the tea snacks, xeroxes for the students. Beena had brought the pens, papers etc for the students. And all these from them without being told about this. Fortunately we don’t have just team members in our project; we have Leaders!!!!!!!!!! We don’t we thought we had already spoken a lot about the project, commitment, seriousness etc.
But as well said pictures speak more than words we showed them 2 videos which made them realize the importance of team spirit and leadership. We then discussed some serious issues too like..
Filling up of 3 registers, keys of the rooms, some shuffling and filling up of the teaching slots, daily college meeting for 10 minutes by all, register entry for the same, showing all the 4 registers every week, girls to leave at 8 pm, agenda for the meeting between students and school teachers (Yes, It happened today, all attended it !!!!!!!!!!), ways to solve queries and doubts by meting teachers 12-6 pm, making a matrix of kids v/s books, uniform received, importance of balance of both the subjects to kids, students having the email account so that we all stay connected as a community and much more.
We also told the students to inform us beforehand about their exams and camps so that we can plan for backup volunteers during this period. These students are having exams from 2nd October to 12th October. So a pause from them. Challenge phase for us!
We also gave them some good news/motivation about their English speaking workshops, training about teaching and understanding kids from Ameeta Iyer, President of New Era Foundation. She is an excellent lady doing loads of work in navi-mumbai area mostly concerning counseling the teachers and schools. Much more about her. Will tell you later.
One of the 3 places where tuitions are going on in the morning and evening is her office/hall. And you know what? I had just spoken to her once personally and when the college denied for giving its premises for tuition activity, just one phone call to her did the magic. She was leaving for her native for 10 days but she handed over the key to us so that our activity does not get disturbed!!!!!!!
We also further motivated the students by informing our future plans like vocational training to the elder girls, computer courses, medical camps, stress relieving programs for the parents, picnic with the kids etc….
Finally we also handed over 5-6 copies of the paper to these students appealing other students of the college to our project. But I feel we have to get some picture posters now to make this awareness more effective.
A great power-packed Sunday which I will never forget in my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bi
tc
Rupesh Goseta
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