The journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step. This adage might seem cloying, but it is definite and true to describe my journey with Mantra4change. The year was 2022. By then, I had completed 7 years of my stint in the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule BC Welfare Residential Schools Society. I was doing…
Reading is one of the most essential skills a child can develop. It opens up a world of imagination, builds critical thinking, and lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Children who engage in regular reading are more likely to excel academically and socially. Reading has the ability to transport us to incredible places, and unearth…
It’s mid-day mealtime at the government school in Jigani. All 80 students gather in a 30 by 40 classroom where the meals are served- this hall also serves as a library, gathering area for morning assembly, parents meeting and other school events. In addition to this classroom, the school consists of a small office and…
Schools have been seen, for a very long time, as spaces primarily focused on transferring cognitive knowledge —memorising multiplication tables, solving equations, reading and understanding historical events, or learning grammar and language. While these are undoubtedly important, have we ever paused to think about how important it is for children to also learn how to…
At a residential school in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, run by the Backward Classes Welfare Department, the love for learning languages runs deep. When I asked the students what had sparked this deep affection for learning English, without hesitation, they pointed to one person: Mrs. Lucy Priyadarsini, their resident English teacher. Lucy reminded me of the…