Bengaluru techie's NGO empowers government schoolchildren

Bengaluru: Education is the most powerful tool to change the world and a city NGO, One Billion Literates Foundation, knows exactly how to gift it to a child. Founded by Anamika Majumder, a software engineer in May 2010 , it aims  to empower children  in state-run schools with  English language  and computer skills, both of paramount importance in a rapidly globalising world.

To begin with the foundation has begun adopting government primary schools in Anekal taluk and is working to help  rural children studying in them learn English and computer science.  

“The education system in rural schools is such that the children are not able to speak English, let alone write  it and hence the need to introduce them to a wholesome education in understanding the language and its nuances,” says Ms Ruby Kamdin,   director, One Billion Literates Foundation, who has  taken charge since  Anamika left for Boston in 2013. The two, however, constantly communicate  via Skype and phone calls and discuss the challenges and new  initiatives of the foundation. Ms Majumdar also handles the foundation’s social media.

OBLF has currently adopted 15 rural schools in Anekal taluk and is coaching about 500 children from classes III to VII.  The students are given small tablets with a host of interesting apps that can help them learn English.  "We have developed small applications for children to acquaint them with English language and computer science," Ms Kamdim explains.

The foundation's work does not  end here as it provides employment to many women from rural areas,  identifying educated or semi-educated homemakers to be trained and employed as coordinators to teach English and computers to the children of these schools. "We train village women whom we call coordinators to teach these children. They become senior coordinators if they progress well," she adds. The foundation currently has nine senior and 10 junior coordinators.

"We will employ 10 more coordinators by June. They receive in-house training weekly and bring resources like laptops, tablets and libraries to the class. The whole idea is to make learning fun and unique and so we rely on activity based education. We have designed a very different curriculum and course structure for these children. At the end of the day they need to feel empowered," the dedicated activist explains.

Thanks to the foundation’s efforts, many children now want to join an English medium school for class IX. "It is beautiful when they tell us that they received a full score in class. They feel powerful and that is our aim. Many of them have also told their parents that they wish to continue in an English medium school," she adds happily. The foundation is now all set to adopt seven more schools, allowing it to reach out to 500 more children. "Overall we will touch 1000 kids soon. But we are waiting for the funding, which remains a challenge,” Ms Kamdim signs off.