Awareness is empowering

If you are creating awareness but at the same time not transforming it into action then it is meaningless. The aim of Ahwahan is creating awareness about various social problems. One of the problem is hygienic practices in villages.To promote hygiene in the villages the first thing that we need to do is to teach the children what it really is. The adults can't change the habits that they are accustomed with for the last so many years. So the best way to create awareness is to teach the children. Thats what we thought of while planing  for the school visits. Last Friday we decided that it will be better for us to start the awareness campaign from our own backward i.e.,Centurion Public School. It might not be a village school,but we did not had any other options as this week was packed with classes and workshops. Thirteen of us with our laptops and posters went to Centurion Public School to teach them about cleanliness.Here are some pictures.

Prayer class in CPS

This is the picture of  standard-4 students while their prayer session is going on. It was one of the most inspiring moment for us that day.

Starting the class on hygienic practices

When you are with children then stay away from boring theory oriented teaching methodology. So we decided that  we will teach them with the help of cartoon and picture presentation.

Yes they are listening

We divided ourselves into four groups and then went to the classes. The first thing that the children did was saying good morning to us with their smiling faces. Moments like this one can never forget. Some anonymous person once said that a child's smile is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. And the coincidence is that, it was a cloudy day.

Ask a question?

Albert Einstein once said that,"the important thing is not to stop questioning.Curiosity has its own reason for existence." May be the students are aware about it. Grade-5 students asking questions about environment is unbelievable.

We missed the Projectors

Showing the children Meena (the UNICEF girl) became a wrong decision as we have limited laptops and no projectors. But still children were able to understand the message that we want to deliver. How, well they are answering all the questions.

why i am not a grade-5 student?

If the teaching method is unique and friendly, children will get attentive. But thats the problem with teachers in India. Do teachers in government schools are friendly. Well, the answer is no. I remember, during a field project when we went to a school one of the student was cleaning the bike of the teacher instead of playing. That kid might be of 10 years of age.So the school is promoting child labor (indirectly).Thats the reality out here.

I know all the answers

Mark twain once said that,"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know. But these children surely knew all the answers. May be it's the method of teaching which is making studying for them as fun as playing.

poster for clean hands

One funny incident happened on that day, when one of my friend was explaining about cleaning of hands, one of the students said that our hands are already clean( yeah they are smart, I told you so) So do you know what my friend did? Well he rubbed his hands on floor and said that now they are not. Its an innovative approach. The teacher should not force the children into learning something. It should come from within.

I was not lying

The sun really came on that cloudy day. May be the god was looking at us that day and telling us keep it up guys. I can remember James Mathew Barrie's words which goes like this,"Those who brings sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves  ."  Lets spread this sunshine to everyone and everywhere.