Our Experience with Children at the Special Children Observation Center, Yeravada.

We aim to reach out to children from various backgrounds to give them education and good values. Here is an account of our classes taken for children undergoing legal proceedings.

A reading program was conducted at the Special Children Observation Center, Yeravada on March 7, 2022. Study sessions were conducted under the Nurturing and Networking Program for children going through legal proceedings.

As scheduled, after 3 months, an on the spot reading program was taken according to the children's reading abilities.

With the purpose of boosting the children's confidence and assessing their progress, the program was conducted in the presence of the institute's director Mr. Padgham.

Children read well. One 10th pass student read out a story book and told its summary. The book was titled 'Education Never Stops'. While telling the summary, the child said that an individual continues learning throughout life. The kids were enjoying this reading program. 

Children who have never attended school and those who have learned in English medium are present in this institute. They are studying with sincerity. A teacher Sheetal Shelar said that these kids are very good, they are helpful and open in communication. She said she was doubtful how these children would be, would they trouble teachers and should she work with them. However, she found that the kids are really good and her experience working with them was very good.

Mr. Padgham was thankful to the team taking reading classes for these kids, said that they take interest in reading and that their reading classes should be continued. He also told the kids a story about guru-shishya (teacher-disciple).

We generally think that these children may have negative thoughts or may be thinking about violence or crime but that's not true. Many of them are here due to a mistake committed unintentionally. If seeds of education can be sown in their minds, we will consider ourselves successful. This class is special to us, as it aims at changing the perspective of looking towards these children. The society looks at them wrongly and holds a bias against them. In our experience these children have the potential to learn, grow and deserve to earn happiness and success in life.

An ordinary teacher with extraordinary determination...

For a long time now, we have been working with the kids in the Pulachi Wadi area near Deccan. Except for the span of the Covid pandemic during which educational activities had come to a hault, we have been in communication with these children.

The classes at Pulachi Wadi are being conducted since December 2021, under project Phoenix. Here are some things I observed during my visit to this class.

On January 25, when the teacher Usha Pille had gone to call students for her class, I accompanied her. That time, I saw that the students had great respect for her and that her communication with the children and their parents was really good.

However, today, January 26 was a day of challenges for Usha's teacher. When she went to call students for the class, some were hiding away from her, while some were getting ready. While some children were ready, some were hurrying away to bathe. Some parents were urging their kids to attend classes while some others were saying that they should return early since they would have to go for selling national flags.

After getting together the kids who agreed to join, Usha's teacher started taking her class in the premises of the Ganpati Mandir on the road linking Bhide Pool to Deccan.

Usha's teacher is experienced and very good at teaching, but here I would also like to mention some of her other notable skills. Usha's teacher says that it is not correct to ridicule these children or their families just because they do not necessarily maintain proper hygiene. Rather they have to be convinced about the importance of education and encouraged to send their kids for the classes, sometimes with a pat on their back and sometimes with sternness.

Seeing some children learning in the temple premises, while schools are closed, passersby, locals, and shopkeepers in the vicinity help Usha teachers in conducting in various ways. A college-going student comes to take classes. One more name worth mentioning is Mr.Nile, a teacher at the Municipality school number 14 who teaches students of grade 2. He helps Usha teachers in different ways like taking classes, providing study material, taking motivational sessions, and helping solve the difficulties of parents.

Despite having no formal degree in social education, Usha teacher is playing a multifaceted role of inculcating good cleanliness habits in children, maintaining their good attendance for the classes and teaching them how to read. She faces different challenges daily but overcomes them with courage and efficiency. Thus, she is one of the ideal teachers at DSS.

Visit by Mrs. Javdekar to Our Project Foundation Class at Javdekar Builders Construction Site

 Here is an account of our meetup with Mrs.Javdekar from Javdekar Builders, when she visited their construction site where we take classes. Classes are conducted under Project Foundation at 3 sites of Javdekar Builders. The teacher on the site has created a WhatsApp group for each class, where updates about activities taken in the class are posted. Members of the group include the safety officer on the site, developer, site in charge, DSS teachers, and wife of the builder Mrs. Aditi Javdekar. The daily activities taken in the class are sent to the group. Seeing this, Mrs. Javdekar was all praise for the classes and got curious about the same. So she visited the class, and waited for not just some time but rather spent two hours there. She took information about the classes and appreciated our effort. She also gave us feedback on the same. Such interactions are always motivational for our team and our students. We thank Mrs. Javdekar and their team for taking interest in our classes and sparing time for us.

Exhibition on January 25 on Account of Republic Day

 On the occasion of Republic Day on January 26, 2022, we had organized exhibitions on different subjects in all our classes on January 25. For this, our students gave presentations and the exhibits included our projects, student activities, creative exercises, science experiments, and various activities of Balwadi. All students on the site and their parents visited this exhibition, teachers observed all the exhibits, appreciated them, and asked questions to the students about their projects. Some visitors did not know how we teach the students, about which they got to know, at this exhibition. Our students really enjoyed this initiative, and their parents and our team were happy and proud to see the kids' skills and enthusiasm.

Volunteer Testimonial- Shalaka Vaidya

Working with DSS was a great experience for me. It was for the first time I realized how well technology can help you to get connected with different parts of the world. I always loved working with children. The most fascinating thing I experienced during those story sessions is the curiosity in their eyes and how they establish the connection with the things they experience. This is really valuable to me. All the volunteers working on sites are selfless and so humble and they are doing extremely well. Seriously, I salute all the hard work each and every team member is doing there. I am always happy to tell stories on different topics, different age groups and have discussions over them. 

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. 

Gauri Deshmukh - Testimonial

 I am Gauri. I am 18 years old and a student of CA Intermediate. I have joined the NGO Doorstep School (DSS) for the last half month. The weeks I have spent volunteering with DSS have proven to be an invaluable experience for me. I spent the majority of my time teaching students of first and second grade and sometimes helping mam in other activities like checking other assignments or homework. It’s my first experience but not the last one. Because the kids I met were unquestionably the most eager students that I have ever met. It’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to be able to teach students who are enthusiastic about learning. I am thankful to DSS for this wonderful experience. I promise that whenever I will be able to volunteer, I will definitely turn to DSS.

Now I want to tell you something more about my friends. Not only are

they great to teach but also unbelievably enjoyable to be around, with

beautiful smiles plastered to their faces. They were always grabbing

on to me for assignments and homework. Despite their unfortunate

circumstances, they are the happiest children I’ve ever met. One

aspect I loved about this school, is the teacher who conducts classes

near Z bridge who is giving her 110 % to her work of teaching. I want

to mention her name Usha Pille mam. She is the best. For a teacher it

a challenge to deal with the students, and create interest in them for

studies, and sometimes because of this challenge they may develop a

negative attitude towards them. But the way mam handles these

students is great. Mam is like a mother to the students and they are

also attached to her. Inspired by her approach, I followed her

footsteps and got attached to them. And now they are not only my

students but also my good friends. Mam taught me that, when

students feel respected and supported by us they gain self-confidence

and then they strive to apply new concepts. And according to me, it is

also true that if students can relate learning to their daily lives, it is

more meaningful and long-lasting. Now I want to tell you about the center of this school where l work. This center is near Z bridge and we work from Monday to Saturday while Sunday is a holiday. One more thing I want to add is that here, students are also provided with study and learning materials, charts, and other stationery. This attracts students and creates interest in

learning. It makes the class experience more exciting and better. The

other thing mam uses is different teaching techniques as per the kids’

modes of learning and that helps develop their interest in learning and

boost their confidence too. I just applied the same thing to these

students and that helped me to create a beautiful bond with them.

Mam taught me that every student has a different ability and power

which is why as a teacher we have to first figure that out and then

apply different types of techniques as per the students and develop

their qualities. And one more thing I would like to mention is that I

understand one thing. If you give them respect and love, you will also

get the same sentiment from them.

From students, I learned that each one learns differently and has a

different capacity to process and apply knowledge. This volunteering

has been a fun and easy way to explore my interest and passion. The

second thing that I’ve experienced is that there is no obstacle when

you have a genuine desire to achieve something.

I want to share so many things with you but words may not be enough.

So whenever you have time or want an enriching experience with the

students and the DSS team, you must visit the school.

Thank you so much for everything!!

At last to want to apologize for mistakes in writing if any, as it is the

first time I am sharing my experience about such a professional place

and I don’t know about the format and stuff. Once again sorry for any

shortcomings in my behavior or words. It’s my first time and I am

scared. But I am learning and I am sure, the experience working with

DSS will be helpful to me in many ways throughout my life.

- Gauri Deshmukh

Volunteer