We recently asked readers to tell us how they are bringing about a change in India even as they grapple
with their education and workplace matters. Rediff.com celebrates the sincere spirit of these young Indians. Here a group of students at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore share how they have been reaching out to less privileged youngsters.
"If the poor boy cannot come to education, education must go to him."
Swami Vivekananda had envisaged this noble concept almost a century ago. India has indeed transformed since then, and the education scheme has taken dramatic leaps over the last few decades.
But are the poor benefited?
Did education indeed knock at their door?
With a high drop-out rate at the primary school level, are we anywhere close to the objective of educating the poor?
The government has done its best over the years, providing school uniforms, textbooks, mid-day meals and even bicycles to girl students. What is lacking is the will to study, a driving force that motivates students to grow higher in life.
With this motto, a group of students at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore in 2002, took the lead and went on to form a small group which is now popularly called "The Notebook Drive".
The focus is clear: motivate young minds. As a token, the group started distributing notebooks and stationery items to poor school-going kids. The activity is simple: request fellow students, faculty and staff members, and alumni of IISc to donate to this cause. With the money thus collected, find out the appropriate schools that need help. A truck-load of notebooks and stationery items then reach these schools. A bunch of enthusiastic and cheerful volunteers then distribute them to the children. It takes less than half a day to complete the task, but it doesn't end there.
The team interacts with the children, talks to them, informs them about the various scholarship programmes including Kishore Vygyanik Protsahan Yojana, Infosys foundation scholarship programme and INSPIRE, that could probably transform their educational career.
With over seven years of experience and a pool of committed volunteers, the team has now expanded its tasks from just one government-run primary school to the rural students in Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts.
In 2009, with a whopping sum of over Rs 2.85 lakh (almost double the previous year's collection) collected from 1200+ enthusiastic donors, the team has reached out to over 19 schools and 2500+ students. The response and constant support from fellow IIScians is what drives the team to reach out to more and more students with newer additions to their agenda each year.
This year, in addition to providing basic necessities to the school children, the team has set up libraries and provided sports items to six schools. The team has also conducted a prize distribution event which was held on Children's Day in eight schools around Bangalore. The aim was to motivate students to have better discipline, attendance and cleanliness, also to perform better in academics as well as in co-curricular activities.
There is more coming up in January-February 2010 with the team planning to take the kids out on an education tour to Vishveshwarya Museum and the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bangalore. Another upcoming activity is in collaboration with a voluntary group named Mission Education in IISc and Agasthya Foundation. The plan is to have a demonstration of various scientific experiments in a simpler form so that the kids could have a unique learning experience and a direct view of science.
The final activity for the current academic year will be a quiz competition for the young kids, which again will be held in January 2010. And soon to follow will be the next set of activities, which starts in April with the same cycle but hopefully with many more additions.
The Notebook Drive has collaborated with IndiaSudar (another NGOs working in similar area) as well. Three schools identified by IndiaSudar team were supported. Some of the fresh ideas like quiz competition and setting up a library in the schools came from them.
The Notebook Drive is a small effort by a group of researchers to impart their support to a group of needy students. It is a modest effort to transform students from literate to educated youth. It's not a mammoth task, all it takes is a few hours of time and willingness. If more people take up similar initiatives in and around their locality, soon the vision that Swami Vivekananda ca be a reality.
For more on the initiative, visit: http://notebookdrive.googlepages.com/
Would you like to share your story with us? Tell us how you are following your heart while doing your bit for
society. If you are under 35 years of age, then write to us at getahead@rediff.co.in with the subject line: 'I'm following my heart' along with your name, age and photograph.
