A week with the Gujarat state team

My visit to Gujarat in the early days of August this year was aimed at exploring two aspects of the state – programs and places! We were convinced that both these Ps are important because any transformation, whether individual or of a community, depends on the interplay and synchrony of these factors. For example, even though the eventual outcome of a ‘Read India’ learning camp is an improvement in learning levels, the qualitative transformation of an individual will be different in urban Ahmedabad as compared to a village in Kutch. It could be attributed to the difference in the social, economic, linguistic and even geographical background between these two places.

Hence, Kishor Bhai and Vasant Bhai ensured that my visit not only included the different programs in Gujarat, but also the various places where they were implemented! The week spent in Gujarat for me was thus, an amalgamation of getting introduced to our work in the urban, rural and tribal areas.

I reached Ahmedabad in the morning on 7th August and met the state team, and after a session of introductions, I was briefed that I was to leave for Kutch the same afternoon and start my work from Anjar, a prominent town of the district.

The next day, Anjar was a revelation of how our 'Read India' learning camps in some schools and the library program with the community in some villages have made an impact in a district that is famous for its artisans, nomads and the presence of Kutchi and Sindhi as languages, apart from Gujarati. The Kutchi language has no script, and many families converse in it at home. Many children here find it difficult to adapt to Gujarati in school and hence, learning levels in language is a concern. We visited three villages - Sinugra, Vidi and Ajapar - and all of them face a similar problem. Other than this, seasonal migration is an important phenomenon in this district, and many communities like Koli, Ahir, Miyana migrate for salt cultivation. Some shepherd communities also migrate occasionally to different places within the district, and this results in children dropping out of school or frequently changing schools, thus affecting their learning levels. 

The next two days were spent covering the Second Chance Program in two different places - Gondal  (Dist: Rajkot) and Mehsana (Dist: Mehsana). I am fascinated by this program since the day I first heard about it. How does one decide that this is THE right time to get back to school? What triggers this decision? On one end, we have girls who re-enter the education system to pursue higher studies ahead or opt for a job, and on the other end, some women become students again after a gap of more than 15 years!  The two days I spent exposed me to this vast, diverse canvas of our program. At Gondal, I met six women who passed out in 2016, and each one had a story to share. They were happy because they were visiting their class together after two years. With a spark in their eyes, they shared with me how this program had made them more confident and given them an identity!  Mehsana, the next day, however, was an opportunity to meet young girls for whom this program holds a different significance. Though our day started with meeting a girl who could secure a job after completing 10th grade, the highlight of the day was meeting three champion sportswomen who could get back to sports because of our program!

Anjali and Aanchal Purabiya practice judo and wrestling respectively, whereas Myra Chauhan is a boxer. All three of them have played at the state level, and possess an ambition to play for the country. However, sports was the reason they failed in 10th grade and hence were without any platform to continue playing. As they are now back to school in 11th grade, they can continue with their sport.

The next day, 11th August, was a Saturday and we had scheduled this day for our Urban Program at Ahmedabad. Manjula Ben and Veena Ben, two of Pratham's seniormost employees from the state team, welcomed me and started an hour-long conversation which covered the history of our work in the city. Through them, I realised how everyone has adapted to the changing landscape of Ahmedabad and how we have continued our work in early childhood development and with primary school children through our learning camps. However, as the story of Ahmedabad's Urban program unfolded, I was introduced to another facet of our organisation, which perhaps has remained unsung, but holds tremendous significance!

Veenaben and Manjulaben

In 2002, Gujarat experienced riots and hence a climate that was full of suspicion, mistrust, and hatred. Manjula Ben and Veena Ben recalled how they, with other teachers, risked their lives and visited a Dargah where a large number of families were given temporary shelter. They interacted with families that were shaken by the tragedy, and also conducted activities for children who were trembling with fear because of the violent visuals they had experienced around them.
After this interaction, I met Laxmi Prajapati, our CRL who is working with us since 2004. From being the first girl in her village to have studied till 12th grade, to deciding that her daughter will get married only after completing her education and securing a job, she has come a long way! She shared her story with me which included her journey with us, and also her experience of working with the Patni community of the city. The day ended after a refreshing interaction with the girls from the Pratham Institute's Beauty program.

We started the second last day of our tour by visiting the Tribal block of Halol in the Panchmahal district. People in this block, I was told, live a life that is bereft of proper employment opportunities. The agriculture is entirely dependent on rainfall, and hence people earn a living through laborious jobs. Many families also involve their children in these jobs to earn extra income. Pratham started its work with the library program, and soon moved to some schools with the learning camp approach. I visited two schools, and the school principal and teachers there gave me positive feedback about our work. They expressed satisfaction with our teaching-learning material and assured me of their commitment to improving learning levels of children.

My last day of the tour was at Baroda. It began with a very inspiring story of Nirmalaben Javadekar who started working with us during the 'Lakhon Mein Ek' campaign and left her job of a peon in a municipal school to work for the community. "Earlier people used to call me Bai now they call me Madam and I thank Pratham for giving me an identity," she said. I also visited a municipal school and a couple of communities in the city, before receiving a warm reception at an Anganwadi in the Jetalpur locality. Lalita Ben, the Anganwadi supervisor, pointed out to an important aspect of Pratham's work. "People here associate an Anganwadi to a place where children are fed well. The learning part is often ignored, and Pratham helps to bridge the gap", she said. However, the highlight of the day for me was my interaction with our team at the Baroda office.

Pratham's Baroda Team 

Gayatriben, Ushaben, Dipalben, Hasumatiben, Ansuyaben, Anandiben and Sherin unfolded the history of our work in Baroda and the different milestones we achieved till this date. This team, like their counterparts in Ahmedabad, worked selflessly and fearlessly during the 2002 riots. Some of them also shared their experience of offering their services during the Gujarat earthquake in 2001. Our interaction lasted for almost three hours, and we realised that the time was 7 pm! I bid goodbye to everyone as they left office after half an hour, while I waited for a couple of hours more to board the train to Mumbai. It was August 14, and my week in Gujarat had ended.