Recently I completed my second project at East Delhi Toastmasters. The project's main aim was to organize my speech by developing a strong opening, explain the theme through main points & sub points and conclude effectively.
So here it goes.....
Do you know which country has the largest illiterate population in the world? ........It is India. We have an adult literacy rate of mere 66% and child literacy rate of 82%. One might say that 82% is not that bad but dear friends let me inform you that the world average is around 88%. We are way behind the world standards. On one hand we are the second fastest growing economy in the world and on the other hand we have this demon of illiteracy looming over our heads. What should we do? sit back and relax.... wait for the tiring Right to Education Act, Mid day meal scheme and Sarva Shikha Abhiyan to make an impact or should we rise up, take responsibility and try to create a difference through our efforts.
Mr. Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters and dear guests, Prayas Noida is one such education initiative that aims to create a difference and bring change in our society. Prayas, as the name implies, is an attempt by young working professional to develop a sustainable education model which instills the importance of education among the residents of the Noida slum community.
The model is based on a three step process, each of which aims to develop a self sustainable system.
Step 1: If the kids do not go to school, bring education to the kids.
Most of the kids in the community do not go to school or drop out because of lack of good government education system. Government schools do not motivate kids to perform well in schools and are not responsible for poor academic performance. This unaccountability seriously diminishes the learning intent of kids and forces them to drop out. Prayas Noida works towards decreasing this drop out rate. We take up classes on weekdays which cater to primary school subjects such as English, Hindi, Maths, Social studies and Science. The classes aim to develop basic understanding of science, English, Hindi and other subjects among the kids. But as all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, we organize activity classes on the weekends to develop the kids' creative side. In the weekend classes, kids participate in plays, sing songs, play games, identify countries on the globe and learn about earthquakes, volcanoes, rains and lot more. In summary, Prayas aims to make education fun and enjoyable. But, Is this a sustainable model? Without Formal education, kids will not progress beyond a limit. They need degrees and diplomas to make it big in life. The next step addresses exactly this issue.
Step 2: Formal education
After the kids have developed interest in education, the next step is to ensure their admission to recognized schools. Prayas Noida volunteers visit various schools in Noida such as Naye disha, OM foundation, Holy Angel and others. They persuade the school management to organize entrance tests and if the kids do well admit them with full scholarship. Many of our bright students have got admitted in good schools and are performing really well. For instance, Jaanbaaz, one of our students, has scored 74 out of 75 in mathematics. Just imagine a kid from the slums whose family barely make its ends meet is performing so well in school. Prayas was recently able to admit 4 more students of the junior batch to OM foundation public school.
But again, is this enough? Is this approach sustainable? No it is not. Because Prayas will not be there with the kids for ever. In that case, who will encourage them and keep a track of their performance? I know the answer.. It is the parents and more specifically the mothers. Here comes step 3.
Step 3: Educate the women.
Women are the foundation of every society. If the women of the house are educated, it is guaranteed that the children will be educated. Prayas organizes weekend classes for the women with an aim of imparting basic education. The women learn basic mathematics so as to keep a track of their house hold expenses. They learn to read and write. Now the community women can write their name instead of using the ubiquitous thumb as a sign of their identity. They manage the family grocery store and maintain the accounts independently as their men go to work. All these small changes have empowered the community women. The women now know the importance of education as they have seen the difference it makes. Correspondingly, they want their kids to do well. The women keep a tab on the kid's school performance by checking performance reports, meeting school teachers and ensuring that kids finish their homework.
Now, we have a sustainable system in place. A system that thrives on itself : Young children hungry for education - good school system- Parental support that ensures continuity. So friends this is what prayas does, but what will you do? Most of you were lucky to be born in affluent families.You and in fact I, did not have to worry about the basic necessities of life. We just had them all around us. But look around, their are lot more people who do not have this privilege. Therefore, It is our responsibility to share the gift of knowledge with others. We can take some time out of our lives, not much just 2-3 hours a week and share our knowledge with the underprivileged. Because remember education is not a privilege, It is a necessity.
Over to you Mr. Toastmasters.
So this was my second speech. The topic is very close to my heart but I did not show much energy and my evaluator pointed exactly what I felt...You were low on energy. So from next time I need to be more convincing and more passionate, especially when speaking on a motivational topic like this one.
Cheers!!
So here it goes.....
Do you know which country has the largest illiterate population in the world? ........It is India. We have an adult literacy rate of mere 66% and child literacy rate of 82%. One might say that 82% is not that bad but dear friends let me inform you that the world average is around 88%. We are way behind the world standards. On one hand we are the second fastest growing economy in the world and on the other hand we have this demon of illiteracy looming over our heads. What should we do? sit back and relax.... wait for the tiring Right to Education Act, Mid day meal scheme and Sarva Shikha Abhiyan to make an impact or should we rise up, take responsibility and try to create a difference through our efforts.
Mr. Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters and dear guests, Prayas Noida is one such education initiative that aims to create a difference and bring change in our society. Prayas, as the name implies, is an attempt by young working professional to develop a sustainable education model which instills the importance of education among the residents of the Noida slum community.
The model is based on a three step process, each of which aims to develop a self sustainable system.
Step 1: If the kids do not go to school, bring education to the kids.
Most of the kids in the community do not go to school or drop out because of lack of good government education system. Government schools do not motivate kids to perform well in schools and are not responsible for poor academic performance. This unaccountability seriously diminishes the learning intent of kids and forces them to drop out. Prayas Noida works towards decreasing this drop out rate. We take up classes on weekdays which cater to primary school subjects such as English, Hindi, Maths, Social studies and Science. The classes aim to develop basic understanding of science, English, Hindi and other subjects among the kids. But as all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, we organize activity classes on the weekends to develop the kids' creative side. In the weekend classes, kids participate in plays, sing songs, play games, identify countries on the globe and learn about earthquakes, volcanoes, rains and lot more. In summary, Prayas aims to make education fun and enjoyable. But, Is this a sustainable model? Without Formal education, kids will not progress beyond a limit. They need degrees and diplomas to make it big in life. The next step addresses exactly this issue.
Step 2: Formal education
After the kids have developed interest in education, the next step is to ensure their admission to recognized schools. Prayas Noida volunteers visit various schools in Noida such as Naye disha, OM foundation, Holy Angel and others. They persuade the school management to organize entrance tests and if the kids do well admit them with full scholarship. Many of our bright students have got admitted in good schools and are performing really well. For instance, Jaanbaaz, one of our students, has scored 74 out of 75 in mathematics. Just imagine a kid from the slums whose family barely make its ends meet is performing so well in school. Prayas was recently able to admit 4 more students of the junior batch to OM foundation public school.
But again, is this enough? Is this approach sustainable? No it is not. Because Prayas will not be there with the kids for ever. In that case, who will encourage them and keep a track of their performance? I know the answer.. It is the parents and more specifically the mothers. Here comes step 3.
Step 3: Educate the women.
Women are the foundation of every society. If the women of the house are educated, it is guaranteed that the children will be educated. Prayas organizes weekend classes for the women with an aim of imparting basic education. The women learn basic mathematics so as to keep a track of their house hold expenses. They learn to read and write. Now the community women can write their name instead of using the ubiquitous thumb as a sign of their identity. They manage the family grocery store and maintain the accounts independently as their men go to work. All these small changes have empowered the community women. The women now know the importance of education as they have seen the difference it makes. Correspondingly, they want their kids to do well. The women keep a tab on the kid's school performance by checking performance reports, meeting school teachers and ensuring that kids finish their homework.
Now, we have a sustainable system in place. A system that thrives on itself : Young children hungry for education - good school system- Parental support that ensures continuity. So friends this is what prayas does, but what will you do? Most of you were lucky to be born in affluent families.You and in fact I, did not have to worry about the basic necessities of life. We just had them all around us. But look around, their are lot more people who do not have this privilege. Therefore, It is our responsibility to share the gift of knowledge with others. We can take some time out of our lives, not much just 2-3 hours a week and share our knowledge with the underprivileged. Because remember education is not a privilege, It is a necessity.
Over to you Mr. Toastmasters.
So this was my second speech. The topic is very close to my heart but I did not show much energy and my evaluator pointed exactly what I felt...You were low on energy. So from next time I need to be more convincing and more passionate, especially when speaking on a motivational topic like this one.
Cheers!!
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