"...Now they call me Ma'am!"

"The job of a teacher is a prestigious job. I have gained respect. Now I can roam anywhere in the community, and there is no fear in me."

When we meet Nirmalaben Javadekar at Laxmi Nagar in Baroda, she greets us with a smile and says this. Her husband works in a cement agency, and she is an integral part of Pratham's Urban Program at Baroda. She is delighted to meet us and has insisted that we should not leave her house without a cup of tea. After we agree to her request, she begins narrating her story.

"Till 2015, I was working as a peon in a Municipal school. No one knew me except for my neighbours. Pratham was looking for volunteers for the 'Lakhon Mein Ek' campaign, and I also wanted to do something for the Basti", she begins her narration. Gayatri ben from Pratham's team spotted her, and soon she was selected to work. She quit her job and decided to make full use of the opportunity. "I was shy and lacked confidence. However, conducting a survey was a good exercise, and it helped me gain confidence. In a matter of a few months, I could talk to people around me, ask them questions and update my leader about the findings." She was a part of Pratham's 'Bal Vachan' program, and the same is now a learning camp pattern.

Soon children began coming to her house, and her home became a place for reading and learning. This, she says, is the best thing to happen. "Children often come here, read a book or solve something, and then go to school. Their parents know about it, and they too are happy", she says. However, though children now stay at her place for a long time, the same was not the case at the beginning. She had to work hard to create awareness in the community. She was a known face because of the survey, as that meant talking to almost every household around her. However, the process was gradual, and after a lot of efforts and patience, she could convince community members the importance of learning. "It helped the children. They began to talk and began to express themselves freely. The participation of parents also increased. Now they ask me, is my child progressing, is he/she able to read properly?"

Nirmalaben conducts weekly meetings with parents, and she is happy stating that she gets a good response. "My younger son Darshan, who is in 1st grade has been keenly observing these activities at home. He demands the learning material from me and is keen to solve them", she smiles. "I am sure it will help him perform well in school."

"Cleanliness was a big issue in the other community where I work and visit quite often. I developed a checklist for children. Combing their hair would fetch them 1 star, having a bath would imply 2 stars and brushing teeth would give 3 stars. The child who earned maximum stars every week was declared a winner. It motivated the children and soon cleanliness in the community improved", she says, beaming with pride. "Every time I met them, they used to come closer and show their teeth to me."

Nirmalaben is extremely happy about this job with Pratham. "Earlier I had no recognition. I did not know my value. However, as I am now a teacher, people have understood my value. I have got an identity. Earlier they used to call me a Bai, but now they call me Madam."