Voice the Hope
Journeys of change

Mahadev, a 13-year-old boy living in Ghorpadi, a slum area in Pune, struggled with poor vision in his right eye due to a squint he had since childhood. As the years went by, his vision worsened, and with it came the teasing and bullying by other children. One fateful day, hope arrived at St. Joseph School, where the young boy was studying. The K. K. Eye Institute and Children’s Hope India organized an eye check-up camp, bringing expert ophthalmic services to students. Mahadev was screened during this camp and was referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist for further treatment. The doctor confirmed that he needed surgery to correct his

When Anjali*, a five-year-old, joined the ECE center at Palghar, the first tribal project of CHI, she was hesitant to even let her mother leave. Besides this, though Anjali was able to recite the English alphabet, she had difficulty recognizing the letters. Being shy made her hesitant to speak with her teacher. However, within just a month, Anjali has undergone a remarkable transformation. She is now confident, sits independently at the center, can both read and write the alphabet, and engages with her teacher without fear. The ECE training provided has been invaluable in ensuring Anjal’s progress.

CHI ECE, Palghar

Ayushi is a dedicated and motivated teacher. She recently received valuable training in the domain of Early Childhood Education. The experience provided her an excellent opportunity to learn creative and effective teaching methodologies. One of the key components of the training was the early educator reflection rubric, which Ayushi found particularly insightful. During the training, Ayushi gained a deeper understanding of developing executive lesson plans that cater to young learners. She learned the importance of fostering student engagement through meaningful teacher-child interactions, which can significantly enhance the learning experience. Establishing classroom routines for children was another crucial aspect of the training, helping Ayushi create a structured and supportive learning environment. In her own words:

When Arsh was enrolled into a pre-schooling program, he was facing behavioral and academic challenges. After rigorous efforts by the class teacher, the young child began developing listening, reading and speaking skills in English, besides inculcating other attributes. In his mother's words:

Namita*, an 8th-grade student at CHI-Anganwa Basti, Jodhpur, found herself consistently struggling with Mathematics and English. This changed when Namita’s school introduced the innovative 321 Workbooks. Initially hesitant, she was soon captivated by the creative approach. In Mathematics, instead of solely focusing on numbers and formulas, the workbooks included vibrant illustrations and visual aids that brought problems to life. The transformation extended to English. Pronunciation and spelling, once sources of frustration, became enjoyable challenges. Today, Namita now approaches her studies with excitement and curiosity. The 321 workbooks have instilled in her a renewed confidence and love for learning. What once felt overwhelming has now become an engaging intellectual journey.

CHI - Anganwa Basti, Jodhpur

Suresh is an attentive and energetic boy from Nepal. His father left him and his family when they were very young. His mother worked as a packaging laborer and also did some domestic work to run the household and provide her children education. Suresh studied till class 12. Says he:

"My mother is very hard working; she always stressed the importance of skilling. Just because of her, I learnt coat-pant stitching and wall designer painting."

Around that time, many students in Suresh's neighborhood were learning computers. When his mother came to know about the same, she got her son enrolled there. Suresh completed his one-year course in Computers, typing and English speaking.