Aaranyak: A Rural Alternative Learning Space

Connecting and engaging with children during the second wave was a big challenge for everyone. Our main priority was safety of our team members and children.

Precautions during 2^nd wave of Corona:

• On 3rd April, 2021, entire Aaranyak team took the vaccine.
• During the month of April and May we closed our in-field operations with children. For a few days in between our team members also worked from home.
• We ensured masks, physical distancing and proper sanitization in office and on the field.

Connecting with children on phone:

When we closed our office for work from home and during the time when our field operations were closed, our facilitators connected with children via phone. They called up children and inquired about their wellbeing, advised them to wear masks when they go out of house, wash hands, and if they or their family members fell sick encouraged them to get tested, and motivated them to do activities at home.

Baseline Survey:

Our facilitators visited homes, met with the parents, conducted meetings to prepare the list of children who will continue in Shaishav with the team of Balsena, along with their age, their grade, whether they are continuing school or going into labour, their school’s name, etc. Baseline data helps facilitators design program for children. Facilitators also follow up with children who go into labour and try to convince them and their parents to join the school again.

Point Activity:

When COVID situation improved, we again started our field operations. We still only gathered children in small groups of 5-6 children at their door steps. During these months activities that promote creativity and scientific thinking such as paper craft, helicopter, decorative piece, dancing fan were organized. Games that encourage goal orientated thinking were done with the older children.

Children also learnt scientific experiments like magical glass, coin in the glass, who will win bet on water, why the glass won’t fall down, etc. This sparked their curiosity about science and promoted scientific thinking.

Online learning is a huge challenge for our children. So, we gather children in small groups according to their level, and we ask them the topics that they find hard to understand, prepare ourselves and then play that chapter in tablets. We pause in between to help them solve their queries. This way they don’t get alienated from their studies and continue them.

Meetings in villages:

We have been working in 7 villages in 2 group village Panchayats from past 1.5 years. So far, we have gotten a very good response from children, parents, teachers and villagers. So, we are thinking of expanding our work to 7 more villages that come in these two group Panchayats. We met with Panchayat members and Sarpanchs in both Panchayats and met with parents and panchayat members of potential new villages. They all welcomed us with open arms and we are very excited to start our work in new villages and connect with more children from this month.

Traininngs and Workshops: 

Facilitators participated in their own capacity building trainings like life skills training and adolescent empowerment and protection TOT. 

Case Study:

There was a boy who didn’t want to study further His parents tried to talk him out of it, he wouldn’t listen to them. His parents were worried for him and approached our facilitator to speak with him. The facilitator spoke with him and understood what his difficulties where and assured him that they will support him, and explained why it was important to continue to study. After speaking with the facilitator, the child agreed to continue to study and took admission in a school. Now he studies and comes to point regularly.