Pratham's Vocational training centre at Mahule village in Odisha's Sonepur district offers training and placement to youths in the automotive sector. It is the only automotive centre in the region, and its infrastructure is provided by the Odisha Skill Development Authority, and the implementation is done by Pratham. The youths that enrol in this centre are from the economically disadvantaged background from Sonepur district, as well as neighbouring Boudh district. They generally belong to families who are involved in small-scale farming or daily-wage work. 

Sabyasachi Biswal hails from Dapala village in Odisha's Boudh district. His family practices farming at a very small scale, and they have involved themselves in rice cultivation. Sabyasachi always wanted to enter into a different occupation apart from farming. "I started a small shop in my village. But I did not get any returns. I had to close the shop", he says. However, his didi, a teacher from his classes informed him about Pratham Institute's vocational training centre in Mahule village, district Sonepur. This centre imparts training in the automotive vertical. "I was looking for a job, and it did not matter which course I was joining", he says.



"I was blank when I came here. In fact, I did not know anything about vehicles", he says. Sabyasachi admits that he did not have any idea about the course, and getting a job was his first priority. He thanks all his friends at the centre who helped him adjust and made him aware of the course. Apart from his friends, he also says thanks to his teachers for the disciplined nature of the course. "I like the silence and discipline here. I am experiencing it for the first time, and this is a new experience for me."

As we move ahead in the conversation, Sabyasachi mentions that apart from the practical training sessions, he also appreciates the theory which is taught at the centre. "The practical training is good, and it is required. But I love the way the conduct lectures. I love the 5 'S' of a personality which they taught us here - sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain", he says with a smile. As he narrates these five qualities, the teachers at the centre and his friends look at him with pride and happiness.

As we leave, we ask Sabyasachi what are his plans after he completes this course. He states that applying for a job would be his immediate priority, but not in Odisha. "I want to work in Rajasthan, as I have seen the culture of the state on television. And then when I get my first salary, I have to buy a few things. First of all, I will distribute sweets to everyone at the centre, and then buy a saree for my mother and a dhoti for my father. I also have a younger brother, and I will buy him anything that he asks for", he says. 

Sabyasachi wants to work in Rajasthan for a few years and then come back to Odisha and work in the automotive sector in his village. He will continue with farming, but will also earn an extra income from this job. We wish him all the best!

Sujata Padhi and Sarojini Mohanto are best friends and like to do things together. They travel to school together, study and play together, and now like to learn in a group. "There are many ways one can learn in a group, and it is not restricted to one group", says Sujata. "It allows us to explore more", adds Sarojini.



We are at Karadiha village in Karanjia block in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. The two languages spoken in this village are Santhali and Olchi, and as the district has a tribal population, it is a challenge for them to learn in Odiya. However, thanks to the library program in the village and the learning camp in school, children in this village have found a new love for learning. Sujata says the group has also allowed them to develop leadership skills, and learning in groups is something that they have newly discovered, but now everyone is becoming used to it.

"The group allows us to explore each other. If one of us does not know anything, the others help us, and we help them if we know anything", says Sarojini. Both Sujata and Sarojini admit that they have become more interactive, and this is one change they observe in themselves. Sarojini further states that their mothers are a witness to it, and they also feel that their daughters have become more expressive and share a lot of things at home.

Sarojini, the more talkative of the two, smiles when we ask which are their favourite activities. "We like the games and activities, and also puzzles and Antakshari in English. We also enjoy the project work in science", she says. She further admits that language is not a 'problem' for them anymore. However, the difficulties in Math persist, and they are ready to work hard and learn more.

The newfound enthusiasm and interactive behaviour have translated into Sujata and Sarojini's interaction with their school teachers. The latter admit that children have become interactive and participate in the class with enthusiasm.

"I was working as a driver and felt that I should know the details of a car." Vivekanand begins his story as we interact with him at Pratham Institute's vocational training centre in Odisha's Sonepur district. This centre offers training in the automobile vertical, and youth from Boudh and Sonepur districts enrol themselves for better job opportunities, and a better future ahead. Vivekanand is also one of them. He lives in Patrapali village in the Sonepur district.




Both these districts are economically backward, and the reason for this is low literacy and a lack of opportunities in the secondary and tertiary sector. The people here speak Odiya, but many of them also converse in Sambalpuri, a dialect of Odiya. A large population in these districts indulges in small-scale farming or daily wage labour.

"I used to drive a truck before, and my driving assignments took me to different places. I also went to Chhattisgarh once", he says. But that became tiring, and he took to driving cars. That is when he felt that he should know the inner details of the vehicle, and the same brought him to the centre. "The lectures here are motivating, and my confidence has increased", he begins. "It made me realise that I can do many things after completing this course," Vivekanand says that the lecture and the practical applications have made him explore the possibility of starting a garage. "There is no garage in the entire Ulunda block where I live, and I want to fill this gap."

However, the stint at the centre has also made him aware of the opportunities that lie outside his district. It is incredible, he says, that I drove to many places, but this course made me realise that there are opportunities everywhere, and more in cities. "...and that is why I want to work in a big city. Bhubaneshwar is a good option. But my dream city is Delhi", he says with a confident smile on his face. Vivekanand is a regular browser of the internet, and he spends many hours on his smartphone. And that is where he found out that Dubai is a place that has cars in plenty and of different designs. "Before I start my garage, I want to work in a big city, and I also want to visit Dubai", he says.

The course at the Sonepur centre has made Vivekanand aware that there are many unexplored opportunities around. It has made him prepare a check-list which is not only national but also global! We wish him all the best, and we are sure Vivekanand will achieve all that he aspires. 

Tapas Kumar belongs to Taraikela village in Odisha's Sonepur district. He greets us with a smile and talks to us during our visit to Pratham Institute's automotive training centre at Sonepur. The training centre targets two backward districts of Odisha - Boudh and Sonepur. Both these districts are characterised by a population that is economically very poor and less literate as compared to other districts. Pratham is the only training centre here that provides training in automotive. Pratham has collaborated with Odisha Skill Development Authority where the infrastructure is provided by the latter, and the implementation is done by the former. 





Tapas's uncle works as a peon at an ITI near his village, and he recommended him Pratham's course. His uncle knew that Tapas loved cars and this course would give proper justice to his career. Since he was a child, Tapas had a keen interest in cars and watched them on television. "My favourite bike is Yamaha whereas I like BMW the most among cars. 

"But I did not like the course for the first 10 to 15 days. I felt I was learning only theory. But later my interests grew", he says. However, Tapas made new friends, and he liked chatting with them for long hours. "It was for the first time that I interacted with friends from other districts", he says. Tapas further mentions that his life was restricted to his village and hence he liked spending time at the centre. Practical training started soon, and then the entire batch began working with the numerous spare parts of vehicles. "It was a different feeling", he begins. "I had never imagined that I would do this job one day.  The joy of fitting a part to a car is difficult to explain."  

Tapas is happy as he feels that he has developed an identity. Moreover, the work and process learned here gives him immense joy. He likes to learn from friends and loves to witness that many of them have come from different background and places. After getting placed, he wishes to work in Haryana and Rajasthan as he has seen these places quite often on television. He belongs to a family of farmers, and he lives with three sisters, one brother, his parents and his grandfather. "What will you do with your first salary?" "I want to buy a saree for my mother, and I want to go on a tour with my family. I also want to take my grandfather as he is very old", he replies with a smile.   

"I studied till 9th grade, and that was way back in 1994. My parents and people around me were of the opinion that I should help my mother in household work and then get married." Geetanjali Sahu narrates her story as we listen to her at her house in Laxmanpalli village, in Odisha's Ganjam district. She smiles at our colleague and tells him in Odiya that she is thrilled that someone from Mumbai has come to hear her story. "But I had the desire to study further," she continues. 

"The mind-mapping activity is my favourite." Make no mistake, this sentence is not from a student, but from a school principal! Her name is Saraswati Sahu, and school is at Mahule village in Odisha's Sonepur district. She is implementing Pratham's methods in the school despite facing challenges on multiple fronts.



A large population in Mahule consists of unskilled landless labourers, whereas a section of them work as small-scale farmers and agricultural labourers. Some of these parents, when they go out to work, expect their children to do the household work. That, for Saraswati, is one of the biggest challenges as it directly affects the attendance of children. In addition to this, she also encounters a problem that is beyond her control. "Some families migrate to places like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to work in the brick-making units. It is a seasonal migration and children also migrate with their families", she says. "And there is a problem of monkeys in this village. They disrupt the fields and hence, parents ask their children to go there and shoo away the monkeys", she says suppressing her smile.

Saraswati came to know of the methodology of 'Teaching at the Right Level' from a representative of Pratham who came to her school. She was aware that despite enrollment, the learning levels of children in her school were low, and after witnessing a demonstration of the method and the activities, she gladly accepted the intervention in her school. She also found that this methodology was very close to the work she was already doing in the village in her own capacity. "Since the past ten years, I am trying to teach children through Barnabodha. I used to teach the syllabus in the morning and then teach them letters and words. But with this method, children are learning faster." She stresses that she likes the way children sit in groups, interact with themselves and solve problems together and admits that for her, this is very innovative! "The weak learners benefit from group learning, whereas worksheets and activities help to harness the talent within them", she says.

Saraswati is also happy that children are learning through tablets and she mentions that their attendance has improved because of the curiosity and excitement associated with it. She gives an example of Mantu, who struggled to read until he came across the tablet. "He enjoys reading, and I am sure he will soon be a fluent reader. It is all because of the tablet."

Today, Saraswati visits almost every household in the village to make parents aware about the importance of education. She claims that it has resulted in fewer children dropping out of school. "The tablets have added to it and made my work simpler. Children attend school because of the tablet", she says. Her next goal is to be a volunteer for Pratham's library program. She is happy that representatives of Pratham gather feedback from every parent involved in the library program and this is the biggest reason for her choosing to be a volunteer for the program. We are sure Saraswati will continue the wonderful work she is doing and will generate a positive impact in her village. 

Lunahar is a small village, located in the Gop block of Odisha's Puri district. Apart from growing coconut trees and banana trees, the people here indulge in cultivating rice, which also forms their staple food. Four years ago, Pratham implemented the 'Read India' learning camp in this village. Not only the learning camps were well received, but they also inspired three women to implement the library program in their village.

The three women - Rashmita Pradhan, Amita Pradhan and Basanti Pradhan - are convinced that the learning levels of children in the village should improve. Rashmita and Amita have a farm of their own, where they grow rice, whereas Basanti's husband is in Gujarat for work. Rashmita recalls that they had experienced the door-to-door visit of Pratham volunteers during the 'Read India' direct intervention in their village. It had made them aware of what learning levels are and why should they be improved. However, last year they came to know of Pratham's library, and they were happy that it involved their participation.
"During the intervention, they had tested the children, and we became aware that children should learn better. But with this program (library), we also can participate", begins Amita. "With an improvement in learning levels, children can progress ahead in life", she says.

Rashmita Pradhan, Amita Pradhan and Basanti Pradhan (From Left to Right)

The three of them underwent an orientation where they were told about the content and activities of the program. "We found the activities engaging, and we liked them. We agreed that we should implement this program in our village", says Amita, the most talkative of the three. "We also felt that the content was related to the school textbook and when children will use it, they will progress", says Basanti, as she joins the conversation.

The three of them discuss the library every week and plan things for the coming week. They also ensure that children complete all activities that are assigned to them. "We are relatively free during the evening, and hence this is the right time for us to monitor the children. They now sit in one place and learn. It makes us very happy", says Rashmita.
As we continue the conversation, we are greeted by Rakesh Pradhan who wants to be a volunteer for this program next year. He is a part of the library program, and also was a part of the Read India direct intervention in his village four years back. Now in the eighth grade, he was in the fourth grade during the intervention. He likes to read difficult words, and his favourite activity is writing a story after seeing a picture. We try to talk to him, but Rakesh feels shy and refuses to say anything. We tell him to speak in Oriya so that the others can translate it for us in Hindi. "I like to learn in a group", he begins. "Two of us are weak in solving a division problem, whereas the other three struggle in reading. We help each other", he says. Rashmita tells us that Rakesh was at a lower level in Math and these group activities have helped him improve. We ask Rakesh about his other favourite activities, and after an initial hesitation he opens up!

Rakesh Pradhan

"I love the colouring activity on the tablet. Before filling the colour, I imagine the object, and it helps me enjoy the activity."
Next year Rakesh will be in the ninth grade, and hence won't be a part of the library program. However, he wants to volunteer with us and ensure that his juniors also improve their learning levels like him. 

We wish the villagers all the best for the present and future initiatives in education! 

Satyaprata lives in Haldi village in the Sonepur district of Odisha. He studied till 12th grade and joined his father to help in the traditional occupation of agriculture. His family cultivates rice, and it remains the only source of income for them. Satyaprata also has two elder sisters, and both of them are married, and his father has his hopes pinned on him to earn money for the family.



"After 12th grade, I was looking for a job opportunity, but there wasn't any. It was frustrating, and then I met Ananda Pradhan sir", he recalls. Ananda Pradhan from Pratham's mobilising team had visited his village to generate awareness about the course in the Electrical vertical at the centre in Cuttack. "It was interesting, but I was not sure whether it was authentic", he adds.

It was very natural for Satyaprata to feel sceptical. "I am the first one from my village to come here", he smiles. He then explains his family background to us in more detail. He speaks Sambalpuri, a dialect from his state, and he had to get acquainted with Odiya while communicating with his friends at the centre. However, he was firm to take this opportunity as his priority was set - he had to earn money, and only agriculture was not going to help him. But he admits that his friends and the teachers at the centre were very cooperative and helped him to adjust. "I like the way of teaching here. The teachers explain things in a very simple way, and more importantly, there is an emphasis on practical training", he says.

Satyaprata overcame these initial challenges and adjusted to the schedule at the centre. He grasped the techniques well and began to enjoy the sessions in the second month of the course. More importantly, he developed new friendships and says it is his biggest gain from the course. "I find it amazing to have friends from other districts and I never expected this when I was in the village", he says. "It was difficult because I was the first person from my village to come here."
He is now keen to get a job and start a new inning in life. "But how will you learn Hindi", we ask, and his face lights up!
"I like to watch Hindi movies and I hence I can speak and understand Hindi. My favourite actor is Aamir Khan, and my favourite movie is Dangal", he says. Apart from television and movies, his Hindi has also improved because of the video messages he receives on Whatsapp.

Satyaprata is keen to move to any city in India that will provide him with a stable job and a good income. But he also has one more thing in mind after he gets a job. "I will go back to my village and give positive feedback about this course to my friends. If I can do this, why can't they?" 


  

"We were a family of five sisters, and hence our parents' priority was to marry us as quickly as possible", Sunita begins her story as we ask about her journey with Pratham's Second Chance program. We are in her home at Kabirpur village in the Jajpur district of Odisha. "I had to discontinue my education and eventually got married", she recalls.

Sunita became busy with household chores and followed the typical routine of managing the house. But did she feel that she should have completed education, at least till 10th grade? "Yes, I had that feeling deep inside my mind, but as the years passed by, I lost hope that I could get back to studies. How can someone get back to school after so many years?" But like many women of Pratham's Second Chance program who get back to school after a long gap, she too experienced a decision-making moment.



"When my son experienced difficulties in his studies, I realised that I was unable to help him. It bothered me very much and that is where I thought I should get back to studies", she says. Around the same time, Pratham's team was in her village, and she became aware of the Second Chance Program. "I was delighted to know about this program. Some of my relatives used to taunt me for not have completed 10th-grade. I now could give them a perfect answer! Also, I wanted to help my son with his studies", she says with a smile.

But the entry to the program was not easy. Her family members and more importantly, her husband was not ready for this change in her life. Her relatives and in-laws felt that this was going to be a time-waster. And the most challenging thing was that she was getting back to studies after 16 long years! Yes, she dropped out of school in 1998 and enrolled herself for the program in 2014.

"In those days we had to travel to the centre and stay there for a week. My husband used to call me frequently, and he intended to trouble me and distract me. But I did not backtrack", she explains further. But there was something else that cheered her up and ensured that she was motivated to continue her studies and that were her batchmates!

"I made new friends, and my inspiration was seeing them study and work hard. As the class progressed, my confidence increased. The best part of my classroom was learning in groups. But for the first four to five months, I was shy to speak in public. However, our teacher asked me to share my learning with the class. It not only gave me the confidence to speak in public but also helped me memorise what I had read."

Sunita now helps her son with his studies. Not only this, his friends and children from the neighbourhood also seek her guidance. "People initially taunted me, but now they regret it and instead ask me for my advice", she ends the conversation describing the remarkable turnaround in her life.