Senior citizens of India have found a new engagement by teaching underprivileged children in Delhi schools through an initiative Volunteer Educators. This has also become a way to remove the taboo related to ageism in the country. Such is the story of Chandrasekhar Rai and Mohini Kumar, who are part of a group Volunteer Educators.
A 66-year-old retired engineer, Rai teaches at Purva Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Noida and has come up with interesting teaching methods so that students can generate interest in studies. By teaching how a triangle can be converted into a rectangle of the same area, he is giving students of 6th standard, a practical demonstration into the mathematical basis of scientific calculations, mentions the VOA report.
Watch the video here-
This is an initiative of Healthy Aging India, a national non-profit organization, working for the better health care and quality life for the geriatric (60+) population of the country. The main objective is to empower this wise community by engaging them in meaningful activity. In the process, they are striving to create a unique self-sustaining model for the elder generation so that they don’t need to ever depend upon others for their survival.
As part this Volunteer Educators initiative, it is helping to transform the classroom experience at numerous schools in Delhi and its outskirts. In these middle school, the underprivileged students usually lagged behind, but 6 months of coaching by these teachers has helped many like Payal Somwal graduate to grade 7 with good grades. She says, “When the lesson is practical, I can understand it easily. I never liked maths, now I do.”
Further, it is not only proving valuable for the students, but the educators are also enjoying the benefits. Rai says, “Definitely it does transform me and I have gained energy from them. So when we meet there is a powerhouse of energy in these children which helps me and I feel younger.”
Another teacher, Mohini Kumar, whom students call grandmother, teaches Hindi in a school and says, it energizes her. While talking to VOA, she says, “I get the greetings from children- ‘Good morning Dadi’, ‘Namaste Dadi’ and that gives me the enthusiasm.”
According to the video, after the extra coaching, Mohammad Faizan feels that his dreams of becoming a police officer could turn into a reality. He says, “Hindi, English, Maths, I have made real progress. Now, I get good marks.”
The project is gaining momentum and is said to expand to 17 schools across the capital city. When a young population is growing with the old, you know the country is sure to have a beautiful and healthy future.