The Rule Breakers

by Preeti Shenoy

  I am so proud to be a part of this organisation, Vidya. Yes, I am volunteering at Sankalp! How wonderful it sounds, to be writing that! To be a part of something greater than you is an astounding feeling. And it is an incredible feeling to ‘belong’ somewhere.

  Right now, I am volunteering as a teacher’s assistant. I asked if I could assist Kanika, and she was only too happy to take me on, as her previous assistant recently moved abroad after her husband got a job there.

  Before I joined, I had to attend a training programme for three days, during which we were told all about the Sankalp mission, what was expected of us, how to teach, what to do, what not to do, etc. We also had role play and mock classroom scenarios. One of the things we were told is never to invite the students home, or to form a connection with the students outside the classroom. We were told that many of the students are emotionally needy. Some of them have never been shown love, care or tenderness. Hence, they tend to cling to you emotionally.

  ‘Remember, we are teaching them to fly. So do not be their crutch. Be their wings,’ is what our main training co-ordinator told us over and over. I thought they were powerful words, Vidya.

  It made me think about how Ma and Papa have raised us. I don’t think we were ever given ‘wings’. I believe now that my wings were clipped even before I learnt to fly. And I think ‘marriage’ was the crutch they gave me. I am sure they do not think that way. They think that marriage is my ‘safety net’. But after coming to Sankalp, the way I look at things has changed so much. This has been such an eye-opener, Vidya. It is the best thing that has happened to me.

  We (Kanika and I) have around twenty students in our class, and they are in the fifteen to seventeen age group. They will be appearing for their Class 10 examinations this year. Some of them are older than the others, as they have lost an academic year due to various reasons. This is the senior-most class at Sankalp, and since it is the graduating class, the activities and everything we do is monitored closely by the head office. We have class goals, term plans, teaching plans, art activities, sports activities and everything else needed to develop the students’ all-round skills. The activities are charted out well in advance and we have to submit them and get approval.

  Let me tell you about some of the students in my class. (I feel so proud to say, ‘MY class’!)

  First, there is Kajol. Her mother is Shakubai, who works in our home as the house-help. Kajol is bright, extremely bright. She is diligent in her work. Her aim is to get a distinction in her Class 10 exams. Vidya—she reminds me of myself! She does all her homework, she is always well-behaved, she grasps things easily, and you have to show her anything only once or tell her something just once and you can be sure she will follow it. In short, she is a teacher’s dream. Her father works as a cleaner in an office complex and he beats up Shakubai after he drinks. Kajol is very pragmatic and strong about it. She just shrugs it off—can you believe it? She told me the other day, ‘Didi, there’s nothing I can do about it. I am going to get a nice job in an office, and I will buy a flat. Then I will keep my Aayi there. She does not ever have to be with my father then.’

  Then there is Sanju. He is mischievous and isn’t very good at his work. But he covers it up by cracking jokes in the class. He is the class clown. He makes everyone, including me, laugh. But Kanika never laughs in front of him. She says that will encourage him further. Sanju’s mother died while giving birth to him. His father married again, and the stepmother, I think, doesn’t much care for Sanju. She has her own child to look after. Sanju’s father is an auto-driver. He had come to class yesterday to ask how Sanju is doing. His idea of making Sanju study is to hit him with a leather belt—can you believe it? Sanju came to class a few days ago with angry, red welts on his back. That day he did not crack any jokes and sat very quietly. When I asked him why, he just looked away. It was Kajol who told me what had happened.

  I think Kajol has a crush on Sanju, but I am not sure. I could possibly just be imagining things.

  Then there are Aishwarya and Shalini. These two girls are inseparable. They both love art, and are amazing at it. You should see their work, Vidya. It is marvellous! Some of their designs have been chosen by a company that makes coffee mugs and other knick-knacks. These two girls earn a bit of income from their artwork. They are proud that they are earning, and all of it goes into fixed deposits in their name. They say that Sankalp has given them things they could only dream of. Both want a career in art, and after their Class 10, we will be helping them to get into a graphic design course.

  Then there is Zinia. Her two older sisters got married at fourteen and sixteen respectively, and she was supposed to follow suit. But her parents moved to Pune from the village. She joined Sankalp and started excelling in studies. Kanika and a few others from Sankalp met her parents and convinced them to give her a chance to study. Her parents said that if she gets good marks and a job after Class 10, they will reconsider getting her married. Zinia is determined to excel in the exams. She has seen the kind of life her older sisters have (both are mothers already), and she does not want that for herself.

  Every morning now, I get ready and eagerly look forward to the day. Interacting with these children brings me so much joy.

  These classes happen before their regular school starts, and after the children leave (to attend regular school), I help Kanika with the study plans and class material. Then we have a batch of younger kids that comes in at noon, as their school gets over at that time. For this class, I am not assisting Kanika, but I work with another teacher called Srisha. This class is also a lot of fun. Since the children here are all in the age group of eight to eleven, we have to come up with different kinds of art and craft activities to keep them engaged. The classes for them go on till three in the afternoon. After that, I assist Srisha with the study plans, materials and activities for her class. I have also been given the responsibility of going through coursework and assignments that have been submitted by students.

  We teachers sit in the classroom itself, after the students leave, due to a dearth of space. The admin occupies the cabin which the sponsor company has given, and there is no space for the teachers there. But I don’t mind at all. The basement is bright and open on all sides. So it is quite airy and comfortable.

  I leave home at 7 a.m., and I get back home only after 5.30 p.m. My MIL isn’t at home then, as she goes to the temple, or she meets her friends. That suits me perfectly. She isn’t happy about my volunteering at Sankalp at all. She brought it up the other day, when Bhuwan came back early from work. It is rare that he comes home early.

  ‘So, for how long do you think you will continue this free work?’ she asked me.

  ‘Ma, let her do something useful with her time,’ Bhuwan jumped in to my rescue. I was happy that he defended me. My mother-in-law then asked for details about who I was working with, what I was teaching and what Sankalp was all about. I explained it all to her. Bhuwan too pitched in, telling her about the artwork that their company had commissioned from the students there, and how Kanika had told him about the way in which Sankalp has made an impact in society. My MIL couldn’t say much after that.

  These days, I have got used to her snide remarks and comments. Before I leave for work, I have to assist her with breakfast and all the cooking. But I do it now with a smile on my face. I have many more important things to focus on, like what we will be discussing in class that day!

  Have you decided what subjects you want to take for your degree? What is happening at your end? How are Vandu, Vaish and Ani?

  I have enclosed a letter for Suraj. Please do give it to him. It has been a while since I wrote to him too.

  Please convey my regards to Rudra kaka and Paro didi as well.

  With love and hugs,

  Your sister,

  Veda

  August 1996

  Pune

  Dear, dear Suraj,

  Apologies for the long silence. I hate it when a letter begins with an apology. But an ap
ology is due for such a long silence. Sometimes life just engulfs you like a giant wave and sweeps you away, submerging you in itself before you realise what is happening.

  That is exactly what has happened to me these past few weeks. But I will come to that soon.

  I want to tell you that I am very happy about your decision to work in your father’s company. When do you start? Are you looking forward to it? What will be your role? Are you comfortable with living on your own, in your flat, without your parents around? Won’t the memories be too painful? (I can’t even imagine what I would have done in your place, Suraj. You are a brave soul.)

  How have you fared in the final exams? Are you happy with your marks?

  As for me—I got a huge shock when the results came out. I failed my final year exams. I never got the time to study because of my MIL, but I had expected to clear them because I had paid attention in class. Evidently, I thought wrong.

  After that setback, I joined this organisation called Sankalp. I am enclosing a brochure which will give you all the details. I just finished writing a long letter to Vidya telling her about my students there. (Yes, I have joined there as a teacher’s assistant.) Since I am too lazy to write it all out again, and since I also now have a paucity of time, what I will do is photocopy the relevant pages from what I have written to her and enclose them with this letter. Please forgive me for not writing out the details again. You will understand what my work is like, and what my life is like these days, after you read the photocopied pages. (Please read the photocopied pages first before you read the rest of the letter.)

  So, now that you have read the photocopied pages, you know what my students are like, and what my routine at Sankalp is. One of the good things about their system is that they group children according to ‘levels’. So, though they are in the same age group, one child might be at level 1, and another might be at level 4. This is because their backgrounds are very different. They face such hardships and not all have the same learning opportunities. So we give them assignments according to their level and I prepare four sets of assignments on the same topic. I think it is a brilliant way to learn, don’t you agree? This way, nobody feels inferior to anyone else. I don’t know why our mainstream educational institutions cannot adopt this method.

  I must also tell you about a fun activity with which we start our classes every day. Every quarter, each centre of Sankalp receives a ‘Thinking Questions’ diary. These are some questions that encourage children to think. These questions stimulate creative thinking, problem solving and observation. On some days, we have easy questions and on some, we have difficult questions. We have to customise them to suit the needs of the class. We can use these thinking questions at any time we consider appropriate—at the class assembly, the language session or at the arts and crafts session. Kanika has made it a custom to start the day with the thinking questions for her batch, and she hands out candies to three students whose responses she likes best. I have to record the responses which the children come up with, and we have to submit this at the teachers’ meeting, which we have every three months. To give you an example of some of the questions:

  If you had a choice, would you live in a village or a city? Why?

  Why do people say that fair people are more beautiful? Who is the most beautiful person in the world according to you?

  How would you spend your day, if your day had only six hours?

  Do you think there is a person who is only good or only bad?

  Why do birds build their nests on trees?

  Do you think it is important to tell the truth even if it means hurting someone’s feelings?

  Do you think that with different varieties of fish in the sea, there is ever a traffic jam?

  Do you think trees have feelings?

  If we didn’t have any paper, what would we write on?

  If you were given a chance to do some social service, what would you do?

  So, as you can see, the questions are designed to inspire a discussion, as well as make them think, make them environmentally conscious (that’s a mammoth task, if you know their backgrounds—they are from the poorest sections of society), make them empathetic, and also to understand how their minds work. I find these questions really interesting, and often, after class, Kanika and I talk about the responses that the children gave.

  Sometimes, their answers are hilarious, sometimes pragmatic and sometimes sad.

  But all the time, we are learning something new. No two days are the same.

  For the question, ‘Why do birds build their nests on trees?’ Sanju said, ‘Didi, birds make nests in office buildings now. Builders are chopping down all the trees. They should make tree-planting compulsory. Just like speaking in English here is compulsory.’

  Everyone laughed at the way in which he said it, but I think he made a very valid point.

  These children are resourceful, intelligent and smart. I am glad to be making a difference in their lives.

  How is your grandmother? When are you shifting to Mumbai? What are you reading these days?

  By the way, I never joined that library I had mentioned earlier. Bhuwan never took me there. But now, strangely, I do not feel bad about it, nor do I want to join it, as I hardly have time to read. My reading has suffered a lot, but I do read to my students! I choose the books carefully from the collection that we have at Sankalp.

  So that is the news from my end, my friend.

  Write back soon.

  Eagerly waiting to hear from you.

  Your friend,

  Veda

  Chapter 20

  September 1996

  Sankalp, Pune

  ‘Unfortunately four of our volunteers had to leave Sankalp this quarter unexpectedly, due to personal problems, and now we are short-staffed. It is a serious issue that has to be addressed immediately. The urgency becomes magnified as this year, our very first “pilot batch” will be giving the Class 10 examinations. We need to get good results. Now Kanika here, and Veda, have been handling a few other batches, in addition to their own Class 10 batch. This places an undue burden on them.’ Aparna was speaking at a meeting of all the staff of Sankalp. Two people from the head office were also present.

  She held the stapled paper report which Kanika and Veda had given her earlier, and her brows knitted in concentration as she turned the pages, trying to find the data which Kanika had highlighted for her.

  ‘Now, as I can see from the reports which Kanika submitted earlier, at least 54 per cent of the students in the batch are still at level 2. Unless they are brought to level 4—and this will require a lot of coaching—we cannot hope that they will clear the exams,’ Aparna continued.

  All the faces around the table wore grave expressions. Everyone nodded in agreement, the magnitude of the problem slowly dawning on them.

  ‘So, we desperately need good volunteers who are willing to commit to the cause. Now where we find them is the challenge. The training part is not a problem as we have resources and I will be supervising it personally,’ she said.

  There were about sixteen people who had gathered for the meeting, which was taking place in one of the conference rooms of the sponsor company. They were seated around a large, oval-shaped conference table, which stretched from one end of the room to the other. Aparna stood at the head, in front of a whiteboard, and she was using a projector to convey the salient points of what she was presenting. The two people from the head office were seated at the head of the table, opposite each other. Veda, along with Kanika, Ron and a few volunteers, were seated next to each other at the end farthest from the whiteboard.

  This was the first time in her life that Veda was inside a conference room, and when she walked in, she had gazed at the interiors in awe. It was a well-appointed room, sound-proof, with wood panelling, mikes for each seat and plush push-back chairs. Their names were printed on boards placed on the table, and Veda felt proud as she took her place. In front of her was a writing pad and a pen to take notes, and V
eda found herself furiously scribbling, making diligent notes on everything that Aparna and the speakers from the head office said.

  ‘Any suggestions?’ asked Aparna.

  ‘I think I can help out with the teaching.’

  It was Ron who had spoken and everybody turned to look at him.

  ‘Are you saying that you want to volunteer to teach?’ asked Aparna.

  ‘Yes, I am. And why not? I would like to. If you think I can do it, that is, and you don’t think of me as a demented idiot who cannot handle tenth grade academics.’ A collective low chuckle of amusement echoed through the conference room.

  Aparna smiled and said, ‘Of course not. You are more than welcome, Ron, but don’t you have to head back to the UK?’

  ‘I have an open ticket for my return. The Carman Foundation will certainly understand if I explain why I need more time in India. I am impressed with what I have seen so far at Sankalp, and I would love to help,’ he said.

  ‘That’s great then, welcome aboard. You have already attended the training sessions and you know what to expect as you have spent time in the classrooms. So, that is taken care of,’ said Aparna.

  ‘I have a suggestion,’ said a voice, and everyone turned to look at Himanshu from admin, who had spoken.

  ‘Yes, let’s hear it,’ said Aparna.

  ‘Why don’t we tie up with youth clubs in colleges with part-time courses? I am sure there are many students who would love to teach. We can make posters and do presentations there. Once we explain our mission, I am certain we will get people to volunteer,’ said Himanshu.