Bridging the gap – My School My Voice

Aug. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- A discussion which would never normally take place; Rubeena and Sanyam exchanged thoughts with each other. Rubeena, 11 yrs old, lives in a slum area in Kabadi Colony, have actually spoken to Sanyam, 14 yrs old, living in Dwarka. They discussed their lives, social issues and their views on education. It is unique to imagine these children from all together different backgrounds interacting, it is best described as bridging the gap, breaking social barriers, becoming free to express everything irrespective of rich and poor.

India is an emerging nation, which has made its mark in various fields, but still falls under the tag of a “developing nation”. In order to tackle the unsolved issues which hold us back, there is a need to acknowledge the problems, and then move forward to solve them. Achieving this is easier said than done.  Where the government can pass laws as a move in the right direction, there needs to be a concerted effort to see these implemented.

Where could be more important to bridge the gap than in education? How is this being achieved in India? In 1911, Gopal Krishna Gokhale moved a private members bill for free and compulsory education. This was rejected, starting a nearly 100 years old battle. Finally, The Right to Education act came into force in India in April, 2010 where the Union Human Resource development Minister, Kapil Sibal highlighted the importance of the privileged, underprivileged and civil society working together, to improve the access to education.

Childreach International India, aiming to do the same with their new initiative, bridging the gap between the underprivileged and privileged sections of society, raising an opportunity to provide long lasting and sustainable change. MY SCHOOL MY VOICE, provided an interactive platform for school children to have their voices heard. In a country where more than one-third of population is under 18, it is crucial for young people to become socially aware, instilling important values into the leaders of tomorrow.

MY SCHOOL MY VOICE has allowed these children to take control and actively participate in social actions. The forum proposed to provide information and solutions to issues such as the Right to Education Act. The first step of My School MY Voice, took place on August 1, 2011 where, a group of children from Basava International school, New Delhi took part in an event with kids living in slums in Tarachand Colony, Mahipalpur. They both performed skits (Nukad Natak) which helped them to connect with each other decently and understand each other's lives even better. The event also purported to create social awareness through a hands on experience, something which certainly cannot be learnt from text books. “These kids from from weak backgrounds usually do not get to see the world around and they miss many activities. Through this programme, they really got an opportunity to discuss and debate different stuff”, said Pallavi, Teacher, Basava International School.

Childreach International India, with already 13 projects going on in the country, believe that this creative and fun loving experience has begun a long-lasting experience. The event brought a boat to sail forward towards the larger conclave in the last week of August. When two separate societies of children came together, they understood the uncommon feelings. The key is to make them become more accepting of each other in the future. Naresh Choudhary, Country Director, Childreach International India, said, “It is the first step forwards in our bigger movement called “My School My Voice”, which will be launched in various schools across India in a few weeks from now. The fundamental idea was to bring equity between children from very different backgrounds; it can surely bring a sustainable solution to many social issues that we face”.




About Childreach International India:

Childreach International India is a grass roots charity working in genuine partnership with local communities across India, improving children’s access to healthcare, education, child rights and protection. Childreach International India encourages children, families and communities to take responsibility of projects, becoming stakeholders able to provide sustainable solutions to the issues which matter to them, giving them the chance to shape their own futures. Childreach International India believes in creating a world where every child has the opportunity to unlock their full potential in life.

For further information, please visit to:
www.childreachindia.org