Unleashing the Potential of Students in Rural India

In Sarah’s last blog post (September 14th) she referenced the change we are making in rural schools in India and the power we are unleashing by providing quality education to a generation of bright students.

It is true: through our Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) programs, we know that we are making tangible and measurable change in both teachers and students. But, data isn’t all that interesting to look at unless you are a number cruncher. So, instead, here is an actual example of student work which shows this intellectual power, unleashed.

Misba is a student in 8th standard. She is learning English as her 6th language (after Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit and Arabic) and has been taught by Nanubhai teachers for two years. In that time, we have seen her make exponential gains in her English language skills. To be sure, Misba is at the top of her class, but her gains are due to the training and support that our teachers receive and all students in her class, and many classes like her’s, are benefitting from our programs.

Misba is why Nanubhai matters and why what we are doing is so fundamentally important. She is bright, motivated and knows the value of learning English. She dreams of going to England, studying to be a gynecologist and returning to India and help women from poor communities. In order to do that, she needs to be instructed by quality teachers, and that is exactly what we are here to work on.

Please click here to read Misba’s photos essay from “The World of My Dreams” competition. She explains, in her own words, the importance of receiving an education.

Post on September 22nd, 2012 by Claire Arthurs.