Paathshala: A force of change

From alternate methods of education to creating awareness and providing access to better quality education, HT Paathshala has worked as a force of change by joining hands with various NGOs.

From alternate methods of education to creating awareness and providing access to better quality education, HT Paathshala has worked as a force of change by joining hands with various NGOs.

17 year old student, Divya Dhyani, is a state level football champion who volunteers as a football coach with HT Paathshala.(Special arrangement)

Divya Dhyani

“I am a student of class 12 and I love football. I have represented Delhi at the state level. I volunteer for the HT Paathshala program at Shine Foundation as a football coach. It’s been a learning experience for me because I get to interact with kids from the underprivileged section of society, something we don’t often do.

I think it’s unfortunate that these children don’t get the same opportunities as others and I feel we all have a moral obligation to extend our support and do our bit to make this happen.

My aim was to make learning fun and help them explore a world beyond theirs. At Shine Foundation I got the chance to do that. And I saw that the children are not just enthusiastic but really quick learners too, especially the girls.”

An engineer by qualification and science teacher by profession, 23 year old Prince Ahlawat is an HT Paathshala volunteer committed to creating education awareness. (Special arrangement)

Prince Ahlawat

“HT Paathshala helped me volunteer for Project Ekalavya, an important initiative in bringing education awareness. Section 12 (1) (c) of the Right to Education Act (2009) mandates 25% reservation for children from economically weaker sections and socially disadvantaged families in primary grades. It is of great necessity to create awareness and ensure that the eligible sections get access to education. Project Ekalavya has reached out to 10,000 families through its network of volunteers and community champions.

I am happy to have been part of the process of change and feel a sense of satisfaction every time I note that this project has helped many families fulfill their dream of providing better quality education to their children in private schools.

I was part of what was known as the calling team. We were assigned different locations in Delhi and organized into teams. Our job was to reach out to the eligible families in the different areas, educate them about the Right to Education Act and encourage them to exercise their right. We also helped them through the entire process of application and getting admission, resolving their queries and keeping them motivated. Project Ekalavya is now much bigger with the involvement of GRCs, MLA offices, the NSS team of IIT Delhi and committed volunteers, and aims to impact 50,000 families.”

About HT Paathshala

Hindustan Times Paathshala is a CSR initiative to support the education of underprivileged children. Over 70,353 lives have been impacted under various projects of Paathshala since its launch in April, 2012. The volunteer program was initiated on 7 Dec 2015 with our partner NGOs to make volunteering accessible to those interested in devoting time for children in need. Be it a donation or a purposeful hour spent with underprivileged children, small actions make a big difference.

If you’re a volunteer, come forth and share your story. We’d love to know your experience. Whether you teach academics, sports, art or music, your story can inspire others to join this movement and bring about change.

#HTPaathshala #ShareYourStory

To know more about us:

You can visit www.paathshala.hindustantimes.com or

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Share your volunteering experience at: paathshala@hindustantimes.com