My team and I were inducted into SwaTaleem Foundation through an Experiential Learning Module which is an integral part of the course, the Young India Fellowship. This project excited me because of the chance to work within the sphere of gender equality and sensitization, a sphere I have always been very passionate about. My experience working on this project has been very humbling and eye-opening, in a large part due to the support I’ve received from my team here at YIF and the team at SwaTaleem. Vaibhav and Ananya, the cofounders, connected us to experts in both, STEM education and gender, and organized a session to help us navigate our goals viz-a-viz this project. All these opportunities were really beneficial in guiding us in giving this project our all dedicatedly.
Our journey with the KGBV at Jalmana began in November, and our relationship with the students developed seamlessly. What makes the sessions at the school so special is the unrelenting enthusiasm the students have – they’re young, impressionable, energetic and inquisitive, and their positive attitude really drives the sessions. In a way, these girls have taught me an incredible amount about the right spirit with which to approach life. We conduct a range of activities and use various modes of communication including discussion groups to develop critical thinking, focus groups for problem-solving, and dance and acting to emphasize the value of creativity and leadership, through which their learning outcomes improve as well as our conceptualisation and execution skills. The girls have debated and discussed the nature of the world in 2035, created their own countries, enacted books they’ve read and shown us that even the sky may fall short in limiting them. SwaTaleem, in bringing these opportunities to these deserving students, are investing a remarkable amount of effort, and I wish them all the luck going forward!
About the Author: Anjali Ramesh
Anjali, a student of psychology, has always found the intersection of human behaviour and social justice fascinating, and hopes to leverage her skills and education to leave her mark in the world. She is currently pursuing the Young India Fellowship 2020, and has been a part of SwaTaleem in the capacity of an ELM team member from the Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University, since October 2019.
