The pandemic and its implications has threatened to swallow a huge portion of the educational scenario. It particularly made education inaccessible to children from the underprivileged sections of society. This problem was identified by Project Sitara Foundation, an NGO spearheaded by a group of dynamic youngsters who plunged into help when they realised the gravity of the situation.
The NGO was founded by then 18-year-old Shriya Shankar, currently a 3rd year undergraduate engineering student at PES University, Bengaluru. Frustrated as a fresher in college, Shriya decided to visit an orphanage near her house to get her mind off her problems. “At the orphanage, I realised that even with my limited knowledge, I could help these students with their academics. With their SSLC Board examination 3 months away, I decided to gather some friends who would be interested in teaching the important concepts to these children,” she added. The team soon realised that 3 months were hardly enough to tackle the problem that they were trying to solve, and it was far more deep-rooted than academics. The students’ performance was affected by several variables like their upbringing, schooling and environment. Another problem they faced was a massive language barrier. While the children knew enough English to scrape by, they were not able to comprehend more complex sentences. “When asked what 5 plus 4 is, they would be able to answer correctly. But they did not understand when asked what the ‘sum of 5 and 4’ is,’” said Shriya. Thus, what began as a 3-month project quickly transformed into a full-fledged NGO, currently in its third year of engagement. The team would visit orphanages 4 days a week after college, and assist children with their learning.
Identifying these issues, the team began doing more structured work. They have since branched their activities into two lines of work: STEM-related, aka, math and science concepts; and 21st-century skill learning – wherein the team explores a variety of curriculums to have the children think critically, be empathetic and work well in a team. The trust works with government schools and children’s homes in Bengaluru and engages with 10-18 year-olds.
The team focuses on teaching kids in “Kanglish”, where they explain concepts in Kannada while writing in English to bridge the language gap. They also undertake ‘Citizenship Classes’- a two month engagement with the children where they are taught their basic rights, and life skills such as how to apply for a Voter ID, how to file an FIR/RTI, etc.
With no access to proper education since the pandemic hit and with the SSLC Board exams soon approaching, the student-led NGO began working in full swing. The Foundation has been putting up SSLC exam content in Kannada on YouTube, free for anyone to use. This is apart from the myriad of initiatives the trust undertakes from curating curriculums, facilitating learning through innovative modules and teaching life skills.
The Trust is also working with the Vision Empower Trust to revamp textbooks and create curriculums for the visually challenged. “We saw the gulf in terms of education for the visually impaired. Textbooks are created by the sighted for the sighted. There is a need for audio-based learning and we recognised the need to be inclusive.” The team of students began conducting phone-call classes to assist visually impaired learners and has conducted around 120 such classes so far. Along with the Vision Empower Trust, the team brainstorms to create inclusive learning modules using touch-feel-based activities, analogies and experiments. A specialist at the Vision Empower Trust does a quality control test. These are then taught to teachers of the visually impaired as Teacher Instruction Kits, which are then delivered to visually impaired learners.
“Everything that we do at Sitara is need-based. If we are met with a new difficulty that the children are facing, we will immediately take it upon ourselves to meet the needs of that problem,” said Shriya.
The NGO has been recognised as a Trust under the Indian Trusts Act 1882. Upon being asked about the challenges they faced through their 2-year journey, Shriya said, “We had to understand that not all children learn the same way and at the same pace. Their academic performance is governed by several factors like their past and their current environment. We also experienced slight pushback due to our age dynamics. We were not always taken seriously since we are young adults.” The Trust has since learned its way around the ropes and has received grants and help from other NGOs.
With their YouTube series that they began in January 2021, they have reached learners from various parts of the State. The children have been very receptive to the videos and the Project Sitara Foundation YouTube channel has garnered over 1,16,000 views and over 1800 subscribers.
The Trust has thus far had 155 educators all from the age ranges of 16 – 25. Their main focus is to provide accessible and inclusive education. While team members are full-time students, they are also full-time volunteers at the NGO. Upon being asked how they juggle between the stress of being engineering students and full-time educators, Shriya said, “Our volunteers stay because of the beautiful bond we create with the students. When these children come to us calling us akka and anna and open up to us, we realise that it is all about the relationship we have created with them. It is ultimately about the trust they build in us and the rapport we have with them. This is why we will always engage with them for the long-term.”
Ananya Veeraraghavan, a core member at the Foundation said, “Working in Sitara for the past 2.5 years has by far been one of the most rewarding experiences. Creating tangible impact in the space of education in Karnataka is something that drives our entire team and it is something we are all extremely passionate about. The journey has been both humbling and at the same time inspiring! Sitara has taught me to be more proactive and take ownership of the change I hope to see.”
Some students from the team have also decided to sit out from final year placements, committing to the Foundation full-time. “We have a lot of support from our families and our lecturers have been very understanding,” Shriya concluded.
