Empowering Dreams & Shaping Futures Through Emotional Support

As a core principle, Commit-2-Change focuses holistically on the girls we serve. We empower our students with education and STEM training, but we also recognize them as individuals deserving of emotional support. In early 2023, a founders’ visit to our partner centers led to the discovery that many of the girls suffered from a severe lack of self-confidence—which was attributed to a fear of learning, as well as little support outside of school hours. This deficiency in the girls’ lives was also affecting their academic progress and future goals.

In our drive to help the girls develop emotional and mental resilience, C2C implemented a counseling program in May 2023 that serves more than 200 girls in regular one-to-one, hour-long counseling sessions. The girls’ ages range from 11 to 15. The program, led by Ms. Resham Arora, is designed to provide a safe space for students to focus on healing past traumas, building inner strength and confidence, and reinforcing their academic and life skills.

Ms. Resham, a child therapist licensed by the Indian government, earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology followed by a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Amity University. She is a counseling psychologist, a career and behavioral counselor, and a corporate trainer/consultant. Her father is also a well-known child psychologist, so she had firsthand experience with child psychology at a young age.

In the C2C counseling sessions, Resham meets with girls from very different social and family backgrounds. She takes a holistic approach with each girl—addressing their emotional needs, providing ways to improve their academic skills, and empowering them with communication and problem-solving techniques. In her wish for the girls to feel heard, Resham seeks to establish a sisterly bond with them so they feel as if they’re talking with a peer rather than a teacher. For her, the most rewarding part of the job is “being part of so many beautiful lives” and seeing the girls’ smiles at the end of a session.

The sessions are not always easy, as Resham knows many of the girls have experienced painful trauma in their young lives, and they are often hesitant to talk. Her first goal is to make sure each girl is comfortable with her so they can address other problems. She is careful about what she says, recognizing that a wrong word or phrase could trigger further emotional difficulties. She also encounters language and cultural barriers, which she overcomes by seeking support from local tutors and translators, especially in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Resham uses a variety of techniques in the sessions, including video lessons, games, and music. She says the girls love anything that makes them feel engaged. She purposefully keeps the sessions interactive and fun, letting the girls make their own routines and schedules. She helps them with time management and gives them useful ways, such as mnemonics, to approach their academic material. Resham also uses stories as a way to teach life skills, leaving the ending open for the girls to write. This enhances their interaction and creativity. To further develop her understanding of each girl, Resham talks to the other C2C teachers so she can learn more about the girls’ individual academic habits and processes.

The girls love the sessions with Resham. They say that she is exceptionally kind and patiently listens to anything they want to share. She helps solve their problems and gently explains things, and they appreciate that she asks about their goals, favorite things, family background, and likes and dislikes. Some of the girls have also found innovative ways to overcome the language barriers, including sign language, gestures, and Google Translate. The girls find the one-hour sessions with Resham to be a “source of relief, allowing them to breathe and relax.” All of the girls surveyed reported that they wanted to continue the sessions next year.

Over the course of the year, Resham has seen a beautiful growth in the girls. She reports that they have started accepting both their strengths and faults, leading to a higher level of self-confidence. As a result, their academic skills have also improved. They have stronger attention spans and are more self-directed and motivated. On Resham’s advice, they practice English and mathematics regularly. Resham also teaches them meditation and concentration techniques, which help them maintain both emotional and mental balance.

The counseling program has been a great success, and while Resham does not want to change anything about it at this time, she does hope to address the girls’ lack of time after school. Many of the girls have to work to earn money, so they have little time for themselves.

Resham understands that the girls she counsels have big dreams, but they don’t know where to start making them come true. In each session, she asks the girls to make five promises—self-love, learning to say “No,” prioritizing, self-awareness, and trying new things. This mantra enables the girls to accomplish small but achievable goals. For Resham and C2C, the goal of the counseling program is to help the girls become emotionally independent, vocal about their opinions, and self-confident, and to set them on the path to realizing their dreams.

From Struggle to Strength - Blog Post Series #3

As the holidays and new year approach, C2C is honored to present “From Struggle to Strength,” a series focusing on the personal stories of the girls we support. We invite you to celebrate these remarkable young women as they share their hopes, challenges, dreams, and accomplishments. Your support of our students and their limitless potential is deeply appreciated.

Archana

Archana is 13 years old and has been attending SPRJK for four years. Her family of six relies on her father’s inconsistent wages as a carpenter. Since she and her siblings are too young to work, she helps her mother with chores at home. Archana is grateful to C2C and SPRJK for providing them with a monthly ration and her education.

She loves drawing, dancing, singing, and participating in school taekwondo competitions. She is proud to be competing at the district level. “I think the skills that I acquire in taekwondo are skills that are helpful in life,” she says. “They teach me great morals between right and wrong.”

Archana wants to become a doctor and counts her father as the person she most admires. “I really admire my dad because he taught me to dream big,” she says. “He is doing so much hard work to fulfill our wishes. He’s my inspiration, my superhero, my everything.”

Archana appreciates the math and technology skills she has learned in C2C programs. “Because of computers, we learned many new topics as well as much information about the world and technology,” she says. “Vedic math taught us an easy way to…make math more interesting…now I love to do math. This knowledge will be helpful for my career path.” Science and computers are her favorite classes because she loves to experiment and to use technology. 

Archana now helps her father with online bill payments and forms using tools like Excel and Google Drive, a skill she learned through C2C classes. She is happy about his pride in her new abilities. She is also grateful to C2C for providing students with remote access and phones so she could continue her studies during the COVID-19 lockdown. She especially enjoyed learning Scratch.

“Thank you so much for supporting girls’ education,” Archana says. “If one girl will be educated, (then) society will be educated…Sharing and learning are what keep me alive and growing every single day. That’s why I’m grateful to have this opportunity to grow. Thank you, entire C2C team.”

Empowering Rural Minds: Challenges for Girls and Their Teachers

 “A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything.”

For many students, the declaration of summer vacation brightens up their faces. They embrace the thought of fun time with family and friends, playing hide-and-seek, badminton, video games, and chess. But opportunities do not come the same way for each one of us. Girls from agricultural families often face a unique set of challenges in their educational journey.

It has been said, “When you educate a girl, you educate the whole family, society, and the nation.” This is what inspired me to throw some light on the hardships faced by these girls and the challenges encountered by teachers when they are back in school after summer vacations. 

One of the primary obstacles these girls face is the prevalence of traditional gender roles and societal expectations within agricultural communities. 

The pressure to conform to traditional roles and responsibilities—where the girls are expected to assist their families in various household chores, contribute to agricultural activities, and work tirelessly in the fields under the scorching sun—often leaves them with little time and energy to focus on their academic pursuits. This hinders their educational progress and overall development. 

What unique challenges do both the girls and teachers face when returning to school after a long break?

Irregular Attendance: One of the primary challenges faced by teachers is irregular attendance after summer vacations. Girls from agricultural families often return late due to responsibilities at home, such as helping with harvest or tending to livestock. This irregular attendance can disrupt the flow of classroom instruction, making it difficult for teachers to ensure consistent learning for these students. 

Knowledge Gap: Extended breaks from school can lead to a knowledge gap among students, particularly in subjects that require continuous learning. Girls may have limited exposure to educational resources during their vacations, which can affect their academic progress upon returning to school. 

“As the school reopens after summer vacations, we need to put in a lot of effort in order to make the students recall and revise the previously taught content,” says Dhananjay Pathak, a C2C Tech Lab tutor. “We as teachers want our students to gain proficiency in what is taught. Especially for the students of agricultural family backgrounds, it becomes our responsibility to maintain the previous pace of learning to get back momentum after so long by coming up with a strategic schedule.”

Social and community problems, such as the pandemic, also affect the girls’ academic and extra-curricular continuity.  “Students will face lack of continuity in their routine,” reports Trupti Shine, a senior Tech Lab tutor. “Their school routine can be further disrupted if there begins another outbreak. These uncertainties will affect their education, both in the short term and long term. It will also destabilize extra-curricular activities. Children will become reluctant to participate in co-curricular activities.”

Limited Access to Learning Resources: In many rural areas, access to learning resources may be limited. Girls may not have access to textbooks, reference materials, or the internet during their vacations. As a result, they may lack exposure to new information or updates in their subjects. 

Socio-Cultural Pressures: Girls from agricultural backgrounds often face socio-cultural pressures that can affect their education. Traditional gender roles and expectations may discourage these girls from prioritizing their studies or pursuing higher education. “After this long gap, students may also find it difficult to get their socializing skills and rhythm back,” says Shine. “However, it is anticipated that with the passage of time, these difficulties and awkwardness will fade away. " 

Language and Communication Barriers: In some agricultural communities, English or the language of instruction may not be the primary language spoken at home. This can create language and communication barriers for girls when they return to school after vacations. 

By acknowledging and addressing these difficulties, teachers can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for these students. Through effective communication, targeted remedial support, access to learning resources, challenging socio-cultural barriers, and addressing language barriers, educators can help girls from agricultural backgrounds thrive academically and unlock their full potential. 

By investing in their education, we empower these girls to become catalysts for change within their communities and contribute to the advancement of agricultural and rural development.

Written by guest blogger Anjali Dubey, C2C Teacher

Hobbies and Hope

Cooking class at C2C Partner NGO

At C2C, we believe that every part of a girl’s life contributes to her self-confidence, autonomy, and overall well-being. Our curriculum of English language classes, Vedic math, Tech Lab, STEM courses, and life-skills training is designed to provide students with the tools necessary to transform their lives. In working with our partners, we focus on supporting all girls holistically to strengthen the four Cs—confidence, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.

We also believe in the importance of supporting the girls’ own individual interests and encouraging them to explore their talents. C2C girls have a vast range of talents and hobbies that they incorporate into their daily lives. These hobbies bring them joy and confidence, enhancing both their self-esteem and their desire to learn.

Tanvi, a fourteen-year-old student at C2C partner center FFLV, lives in a rental house with her family of five. They are in poor financial condition, as her father is unable to find steady work. 

Tanvi is extremely grateful for the C2C programs, which give her much-needed knowledge and training. “My father would have never been able to afford these courses,” she says, “but because of the C2C program, I’m getting this knowledge without paying a single rupee.”

Through C2C and with the inspiration of her teacher, Tanvi wants to become an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer. She says, “I want to eliminate corruption and discrimination from my country. And punish those who do harm to innocents. I want women to feel safe.”

On her path to her goal, Tanvi often turns to cooking as a way to both alleviate stress and provide for her family. “Cooking is my passion,” she says. “I enjoy cooking because it keeps me happy in my life. Whenever I feel sad or upset, cooking eases that for me in a big way. Every Sunday, I try to cook something special for my sister and my father.”

As she finds balance between her studies and her home life, Tanvi is focused on changing both her own future and that of her family. “I’ll study hard and I’ll achieve my dream,” she says. “I’ll make my father feel happy and proud of me. I’ll support my sister and my father, and I’ll give them a better life...free from struggle.”

All C2C girls come from difficult, often traumatic home lives. Twelve-year-old Sneha, a student at C2C partner The Small World, lost her parents at a very young age. Sneha still struggles with missing her parents, but is grateful for her education. “I’m proud to be a good learner in many activities,” she says. “I always try to give my 100% to learn those activities. Each and every activity teaches us new values, some knowledge, and some great skills too.”

Sneha credits C2C’s computer and English classes with giving her confidence and the determination to achieve her dream. She also incorporates her hobbies of playing sports as well as cultural activities like dancing and singing into her daily life. These hobbies keep her mind “busy and active” as she pursues her goal of becoming a civil engineer.

At C2C partner center SPRJK, ten-year-old Anjali also struggles with her family’s difficult situation, which is compounded by her parents’ troubles with finances, alcohol, abuse, and conflict. 

But Anjali finds both joy and escape through her favorite hobby of singing. “I love to sing my favorite songs and music,” she says. “It makes me happy and I really get into my own little bubble when I do. I express a lot of feelings through music, and I love that. I sing in the halls, in class, on the bus rides to school.”

Anjali credits C2C with giving her an interest in education and helping her learn valuable skills like English and computer technology. She has an admirable goal of wanting to become an army officer and “do something great for my nation.”

Tanvi, Sneha, and Anjali exemplify the C2C belief in holistic well-being. They have learned that engaging in their hobbies provides much-needed happiness, stress relief, and empowerment. By incorporating cooking, sports, dancing, and singing into their daily lives, they are also strengthening their confidence in their academic abilities.

As all the girls work to transform their lives, C2C both emphasizes and supports the importance of cultivating their interests, exploring their talents, and engaging in their favorite hobbies as they chart their paths to future success. 

Empowering Girls with STEM

C2C TechLab in progress

Guest blogger and C2C supporter, Paulette Prentice, is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about female empowerment and women in STEM. She supports C2C because she also believes that girls are capable of anything they set their hearts and minds to, all they need is guidance and the resources to get them there.

INTRODUCTION

Women are making great strides in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) but are still underrepresented and undervalued in this field. Girls are often discouraged from enrolling in STEM courses, which can lead to a lack of confidence in their abilities and ultimately diminish their pursuit of STEM courses in the future. However, girls are vital to the STEM workforce now more than ever. According to a study from Frontiers in Psychology, increasing women’s visibility and power in male-dominated occupations will reduce gender discrimination and create a more welcoming environment for other women pursuing these jobs. As women enter these fields, a larger population of people will make great discoveries and contributions to the world. As such, empowering girls through STEM is key to changing the landscape for the better.

PARTICIPATION

One of the reasons girls may feel apprehensive about pursuing STEM is the lack of opportunities to learn about the field since early gender expectations hold them back. However, a study by the Universidad del Norte found that participation in STEM activities can maintain or improve motivation to study a STEM program, which is why girls should be encouraged to explore these subjects freely. STEM clubs, events, and activities will equip them with knowledge and nurture the skills that can keep them inspired to pursue a STEM path in the future. As covered in the C2C post on International Women’s Day, providing girls with these learning resources can also help develop and shape important life skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

REPRESENTATION

Girls interested in STEM subjects may not see themselves represented in the media. Moreover, they may lack a female role model or mentor in STEM who they can emulate as they pursue their education or career. Some progress is being made here as more women are highlighted in STEM-centric stories across all industries. Case in point, Jane Adamson presents inspiring women who have launched vegan healthcare products. Women such as Hannah Saunders, Miyoko Schinner, and Melissa Butler combined their business acumen with STEM know-how to provide the market with suitable vegan alternatives. There are so many inspiring women who are using STEM to change their communities, societies, and even the world. Allowing girls to see and learn from other powerful women in STEM can impress upon them that there is room for them in these industries too.

RECOGNITION

Despite the contributions of girls and women in STEM, they are not always acknowledged or celebrated for their accomplishments. There exists a “data gap” where male experiences are viewed as the universal standard on which societal norms are based, while female experiences are not considered. This gap, discussed by Caroline Criado Perez in Invisible Women, forces girls to navigate a world that can be hostile and biased against them. Unfortunately, the data gap is quite pronounced in STEM fields. If girls are acknowledged for their work and feel respected within the community, they will be able to achieve bigger and better things. NASA’s human computers like Katherine Johnson were hugely important in getting man to the moon, but their work was often unacknowledged. She and the other women working there only got recognition in recent years, but have inspired many women and girls to pursue STEM.

C2C believes that girls deserve the proper resources to develop and keep their passion for STEM alive. Empowerment should start early on, and we are committed to guiding girls on the paths they choose for themselves and to providing access, representation, and recognition where we can. If you are interested in helping us support girls in STEM, check out more of our website to find out how you can get involved.

Resources
Thanks to the Internet, access to resources about women in STEM has been made more available, for example through: Smithsonian Science Education Center, Women@NASA, and Physics Girl.

The Power of Choice

Artwork by C2C Student

The girls we support at C2C come from extremely difficult backgrounds. They often live in poverty, have limited access to school, and are victims of abuse, child labor, and child marriage. Many of the girls have been orphaned after the loss of one or both parents. Some are forced to beg on the streets for money and food. In these abject circumstances, the girls rarely have a say about their lives.

One of C2C’s main goals is to give every one of these girls the tools to reclaim their power of choice. We believe that having the ability to make decisions about their future strengthens all areas of girls’ lives and identities. By using a curriculum that emphasizes the 4Cs—confidence, creativity, communication, and critical thinking—along with STEM education and holistic support, C2C empowers girls to learn how to make life choices that will drive their autonomy and independence.

A recent initiative through one of our partner centers proves the importance of choice and the impact of C2C in girls’ lives. Udayan Care runs a popular pan-India program designed to give at-risk girls financial support, personal development, and practical skills through workshops, internships, and apprenticeships.

As part of this program, Udayan recently launched a new fellowship initiative to provide girls with coaching in a variety of professional industries, such as IT programming, radiology, nursing, etc. The program administrators then work with recruiters to attain a goal of employing 100% of the girls. The program is beneficial to all parties involved—the girls gain both practical training and employable skills, and the companies gain employees from an already-trained workforce. 

At C2C, we sought to open up further opportunities for our students by connecting them with this new program. All of the girls interested in the program pre-qualified through a highly competitive process, and several C2C students applied for an Udayan fellowship. 

However, despite the program’s strong credentials, only two out of 11 eligible girls eventually chose to accept the fellowship. Of those two girls, one is genuinely interested in pursuing a career in nursing and healthcare, and the second girl is seeking admission into a master’s program in the US. Both of these young women believe the fellowship is an excellent fit for their future aspirations.

The nine girls who declined the new initiative were already enrolled in the programs of their choice and wished to continue studying in their own disciplines. Several of the girls are also pursuing more academic, rather than professional, areas of study.

After coming from circumstances in which they had little or no choice, these girls learned through C2C’s life-skills training and education how to make decisions that directly impact their individual futures. Whether they accepted or declined the fellowship, the girls chose the option that was best for them. They have developed confidence in their choices and understand how to think critically about decisions, pursue their interests, and further develop their abilities.

The C2C curriculum continues to emphasize the importance of choice in shaping the path of one’s life. Since inception, we have provided girls with STEM curriculums, sponsorships, and holistic support, in addition to workshops and mentoring on career development and professional training.

We encourage girls as students to pursue their passions, and once they graduate, we continue to assist them in charting out their career path. C2C’s support and focus on the 4Cs gives all of our students the power to critically consider their options and ultimately make confident, empowering decisions about their own futures. 

Uplifting Girls in Gujarat with Support from the Guru Krupa Foundation

With generous support from the Guru Krupa Foundation, C2C continues to help an increased number of at-risk girls succeed in their education and personal lives. The Guru Krupa Foundation’s funding has allowed us to support disenfranchised students at the Eklavya School run by Muni Seva Ashram for the last two years. With additional support, we have been able to expand this summer to a second residential campus that will serve almost 200 vulnerable girls in total.

Located in Gujarat, the Eklavya School is unique in that it is a joint venture between the local state government and the school with the goal of serving largely tribal populations from nearby villages. This arrangement helps to solve a problem faced by many people in tribal areas of Gujarat where several villages must share one K-5 school which are often located in peripheral areas, lacking infrastructure and security. Therefore, school enrollment for girls post-5th grade is lower in these regions compared to the national standards in India. 

Serving grades 6-12, the girls who attend the Eklavya School are generally first-generation learners in their families and come from the tribal and poverty-stricken communities of the Vadodara region. In alignment with the C2C curriculum and with support from the Guru Krupa Foundation, we have hired residential teachers and implemented intensive teacher training and other curriculum delivery support for C2C Techlab, English, and Vedic Mathematics courses. The goal is to give students the opportunity to develop strong reading, writing, and computer skills as well as to learn important life skills like confidence, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.

The success of our programs and the Guru Krupa Foundation’s support is evident in the graduation rates of the students. For the school year ending in April 2022, the girls in both grades 10 and 12 achieved a 100% passing rate on their board exams. Additionally, three of the C2C girls were admitted into locally well-known undergraduate institutions offering BAMS, BDS, and computer engineering programs. Another Class 12 girl secured admission into a nationally known university – the National Institute of Technology in Surat. All of the other students chose to pursue undergraduate programs across various STEM areas such as physics, chemistry, biology, and nursing. 

Both the students and the principal at Eklavya School attribute their success to the knowledge and skills acquired through the C2C Techlab, English, and Vedic Math programs. 

Sarekaben, a recent high school graduate and current nursing school student, reports that “C2C programs help me in hospital computer management with proper communication with others. Thanks to C2C for training me in the right direction. Enjoyed classes and now missing those beautiful days of school life.”

Kolcha, a 9th class student in the Eklavya School, reports that despite a number of family difficulties that have made it challenging for her to study properly, she is determined to continue her education and help her family. 

Kolcha wants to become a doctor or a cardiologist one day. “C2C provide me so much knowledge in the subject of Computer and English,” Kolcha says. “After joining computer class, I am able to work with computer; my fear got away, and my English is now at a stage from where I can understand the content which I read or someone describe me.”

The students’ successes intensify our determination to continue our work and mission. With the help of supporters like the Guru Krupa Foundation, we will continue to expand both our physical campuses and our comprehensive curriculum so that girls like Serakaben and Kolcha can achieve their lifelong dreams.

Diamond and Star

Although the severity of COVID-19 has eased across India, the post-pandemic period brought new challenges to light. The transition from remote learning back to in-person classes created difficulties for young people in terms of both social interactions and academic performance. In addressing these new challenges, C2C and our partner institution CSS focused on how to utilize the “Power of Her” in order to help girls simultaneously reestablish strong social ties and improve learning.

This approach resulted in an innovative new program called Diamond and Star, which was designed to accomplish three goals. First, we sought to rebuild socio-economic support among the girls to enhance their resilience and maintain their sense of community and camaraderie. Second, after an assessment of the current teaching pedagogy, we discovered that the girls required curriculum follow-up and consistent timetable planning to ensure learning continuity. Third, many of the girls had developed a dependence on technology during the pandemic and needed a reinforcement of basic reading and writing skills to engage them again with in-person, full-time learning.

When implementing the Diamond and Star program, we relied on the “Power of Her”—that is, we found ways the girls could learn from and support each other as they improved their academic performance, self-confidence, and social engagement. In terms of academics, the CSS girls spanned the range from high to low achievers. Many of the girls also lived in the same nearby neighborhood and often interacted with each other after school hours. These were key factors in establishing a way in which “The Power of Her” would benefit the girls on academic, social, and personal levels.

The Diamond and Star program paired high-achieving girls with one or more low-achieving girls, with reward incentives offered for homework completion and test scores. For example, each group that completed their homework on time was awarded a diamond, and each group that scored more than 50% or more on the unit test was awarded a star. At the end of the academic year, the group with the most diamonds and stars would be awarded a special gift.

By relying on a peer-learning model and the “Power of Her,” we had great success with the Diamond and Star program. We implemented it at CSS in late November 2021, and by January 2022, we began to see many positive changes in both academics and the school environment. Most prominently, we found a much higher engagement among both the higher and lower-achieving girls, with the latter exhibiting a decrease in fear and anxiety and a marked increase in confidence. This confidence came through especially in writing, a key skill that the girls had almost forgotten during the pandemic.

With the notable success of C2C’s Diamond and Star, the administrators at CSS expanded the program to other classes. One of the teachers, Mrs. Janaki, remarked, “Needless to say, the other subject teachers, particularly math and science teachers teaching grades eight and nine, benefited the most from this program.” This attests to the benefits of the program across all disciplines.  

The Diamond and Star program has been so successful that 67 students will receive awards at the end of the year. Also significantly, the curriculums that were initially sluggish at the beginning of the term have gained a great deal of momentum and interest. Due to these positive results, we plan to continue the Diamond and Star program at CSS next year.

The program strongly attests to the importance of the “Power of Her” and the ways in which girls can learn and grow by working and interacting with each other. Through Diamond and Star, girls lacking self-confidence or dealing with anxiety issues have found both strength and support from their fellow students. They have learned new talents, regained forgotten skills, and discovered that the “Power of Her” can help shape their lives and future.

Young Women Pursue Medical Degrees, Empowered by C2C

Dhara, currently a pre-med student.

In a rural area of Gujarat on India’s west coast, nearly 200 adolescent girls are enrolled in Eklavya Model Residential School of Muni Seva Ashram (MSA), a C2C partner that serves poverty-stricken tribal communities. At MSA, nearly 100 girls participate in English language classes and C2C’s TECHLAB program, which is made possible by our donors and generous grant funding from the Guru Krupa Foundation. In these classes, students have the opportunity to develop strong reading, writing, and computer skills as well as to learn important life skills like confidence, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.

Dhara Rathva, 18, enrolled in MSA when she was eleven years old. After seven years at MSA, she is now on track to become a medical student, pursuing her MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine degree, equivalent to a pre-med major in the United States). Dhara aims to help disadvantaged people who live in rural villages, just as she once did. Her education with C2C empowered her to pursue her dreams and give back to her community. Like her parents, Dhara values education:

“It allows people to live their lives independently,” she says.  

With C2C’s assistance, young women at MSA step outside of their comfort zones. Seventeen-year-old Pragati Rathva participated in the Each One, Teach One program, where older girls teach and mentor younger students after school. Pragati initially found teaching younger students to be challenging, but ultimately it was incredibly rewarding and became her favorite of C2C’s programs. This community-driven approach is especially valuable because it allows younger students to see people like themselves succeeding and thriving. Pragati is grateful to C2C for uplifting her and other girls through education, saying, “[C2C] helps us and gives us a chance to shine.” She is now studying for the NEET, an admissions exam for medical school. 

Rakshaben Rathva has also chosen to pursue a medical school degree. Like Dhara and Pragati, she began classes at MSA when she was eleven years old. She enjoyed the English and computer classes, and she was especially excited to learn how to use the internet. She is grateful to her C2C teachers for teaching her good values and respect for her culture. She is also in university now, working toward her medical degree by pursuing a pre-med major.

Dhara, Pragati, and Rakshaben are three of many girls and young women who have had the opportunity to learn and thrive at MSA with C2C curriculums. All three of them are empowered to pursue higher education, with the hope of becoming doctors, and ultimately give back to their communities. 

“An educated girl has direction,” Pragati says. “She has hope. She will become a mentor to other girls.”

During a Pandemic, A Persistence for Knowledge

It is now over five months since the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in nationwide lockdowns and slow re-openings. 

 Many companies and programs have had to problem-solve and adjust to this pandemic, discovering ways to maintain productivity while ensuring the health and safety of individuals. We recognize that a long hiatus from the classroom could risk our students falling behind, and our staff and administrators have been working tirelessly to create solutions that will hopefully carry us through these trying times. In the transition to remote learning, Commit2Change has augmented curriculum delivery with audio conferences and when necessary, sending content via WhatsApp.

Still, in order to address the needs of all the girls C2C serves, a unique challenge has arisen: How do you continue to educate the entire student body on necessary technological skills when a portion of the students lack access to the tools?  

We frequently forget that we have a device with the power of a computer that fits into our pocket: the smartphone. In India, more than 500 million people have a smartphone, and many of the girls involved in C2C live in orphanages or households that possess one. Using WhatsApp, Zoom, and Google Meet, tutors can connect to the students along with passing along assignments and helpful apps the girls can download and play on their devices.

Still, there remains the challenge that a small group of girls do not  have access to a smartphone. So how do we teach students about technology without having the tool at hand? The answer is to go back to basics. The key to learning technology isn’t just in operating the system, but in curating the programming mindset.

To this end, C2C has sent students worksheets via WhatsApp, which they reproduce and complete at home. One worksheet called Decoder consists of two circles: one with the alphabet lined around the border circumference and the other with a variety of images. The girls cut out the two circles and place the smaller on top of the larger, creating their own “code.” With their new code created, they can write words or sentences in what would appear to be gibberish to the untrained eye. They can also send their code via WhatsApp to other girls to decode. While it appears to be a simple game, this practice helps the girls understand that coding is another language, one that they must become comfortable with so they can use it with ease.

As the pandemic continues to affect our daily lives, we must find ways to persevere. The accomplishments we’ve seen with our girls, despite numerous obstacles, have given us hope that we will weather this storm. We look forward to the day the girls return to TechLab in person and we can proudly announce that class is back in session!

Fostering Creativity with the Scratch App

Creativity. It’s that buzzword many employers are looking for in prospective hires. But how can someone demonstrate they are creative? Furthermore, how can they acquire this skill in a school setting?

It feels contradictory to pair creativity with education. For many of us, we entered school with flourishing imaginations and got bogged down with rules and instructions. We left school “educated,” able to color within the lines.  

For C2C, this issue is even more challenging within the educational structures in place for the girls we work with in India. In a society where numerous families perceive their daughter’s potential in terms of her marriageability, how can she explore her creative potential?

Girls in C2C not only have access to computer learning skills in TechLab, but they also are given free range to explore their technological and creative prowess through apps. The free app, Scratch, allows users to create music, videos, and games while also learning coding.

When using Scratch, the girls have used the app in imaginative and inspiring ways. During one class, the instructor assigned the students the task to upload a music file and remix it in order to practice playing with the different effects of sound. While everyone got to work, one girl decided to go a different route—using her own voice. She recorded herself singing a song and uploaded it to the app. Using Scratch’s features, she remixed her voice and published the song. The tutor was so amazed that she showed the song to Kuber Sharma, executive director of C2C in India. Needless to say, he was floored. “We didn’t know that was possible!” he exclaimed. 

Another student used Scratch as a storytelling platform. She drew a character, uploaded it into Scratch, and then began writing a story to go along with her creation. The story may have initially been inspired by an example project, but as the narrative progressed it became abundantly clear that this was a story all its own, birthed from her imagination.

Creativity is crucial to an adolescent’s development and yet there are no parameters for how to teach this skill. But when providing our girls with helpful technological tools, we witness them be more daring, ready to try new things, and problem-solve any difficulties. Our students have created songs, stories, animations and other media because we provide them the instruction that they don’t need to simply color inside the lines. 

The Power of an Interdisciplinary Education

The 11th grade girls file into the Techlab classroom and each take a seat at a computer. As class commences, the instructor assigns a task: working in pairs, the students must create an animation where a ball bounces down a flight of stairs, being sure to bounce once on every step as it descends. 

This particular class is made up of rural village girls in Gujarat, India. They have already received primers introducing them to computer programming, a curriculum they have progressed through over the year. Now with their partner, they are immersed in conversation, deliberating and testing methods to complete the task. 

In their formal education in India, most of these girls attend classes divided by subject. They acquire information through memorization. But as many educators already know, this archaic form of education is not the most effective way for students to learn deeply. Consider this with your own schooling. Do you recall the information from the Chemistry test you crammed for? Or do you remember the class days where the teacher assigned you an activity you had to complete? Chances are that you hold memories of the latter.

C2C addresses the educational aspect of the girls’ lives by implementing task-based assignments that focus on student interaction and engagement. In the TechLab activity, these students rely on their knowledge of a range of subjects: trigonometry, geometry, physics. Along with this, the students must practice soft skills: communication, problem-solving analysis, and teamwork. This reliance on multiple subjects is known as an interdisciplinary approach to education. Through this, students move out of the boundaries of single-subject learning and identify connections across disciplines.

In taking the driver’s seat in their learning, students have more confidence in themselves and behave more assertively. Students do not fear making a mistake. Instead, they experiment and embrace failure, giving them the drive to persist. These are the kinds of behaviors that cannot simply be taught in the standard school system. They must be nurtured and practiced with the right educational environment.

While it is obvious these girls require a solid education in STEM subjects in order to enter a career in technology, their competency in practicing soft skills will give them a leg up in adapting to the ever-changing economic landscape. They can demonstrate an ability to connect ideas across subjects. Creativity is not only for the arts. Problem-solving is not specifically for a math question.

By the end of the ball animation lesson approximately 80% of the students have achieved the task. They have used different strategies, some of them more efficient than others, but they have demonstrated their ability to face a task and devise a course of action.

At the end of class, the girls are abuzz with excitement at what they have achieved. Student Hetalben Mohaniya says it best: “Everyday I learn new things in computer lab.”

COVID-19 Updates

Three months ago, the COVID pandemic sent most of the world into lockdown. While many countries are opening businesses to reinvigorate the economy, this school year has come to an early end. But while we at C2C continue to follow the guidelines of social distancing, our concern is for the health and safety of our young girls in India and finding ways for them to forge ahead in their education while remaining vigilant against this pandemic.

In India, the lockdown has been called one of the harshest in the world, shutting down travel along with businesses, factories, and schools. Starting on March 25th, the orphanage and rescue homes where C2C operates have remained closed until early June. Most of the young women in our program remain onsite and C2C continues to provide critical support for basic necessities like accommodation, food, and clothing. As an economic downturn looms over the horizon, we are working closely with our partners as we expect to see a growing need for essential items.

With school closed during the pandemic, the C2C staff have improvised effective short-term solutions. We are working with the orphanage administrators to mitigate the effects of missed learning on the girls’ future academic performance, graduation rates, and employment prospects. Because of unreliable internet service, virtual learning is not consistently effective in India. In lieu of this, we are engaging the girls in independent learning through worksheets and activities accessible without technology, including some lessons that can be conducted via free telephonic service. Some technological learning has been made available through apps and programs like Mindspark-Maths for STEM subjects and Bolo for English and language skills. We continue regular, virtual trainings for our teachers and we are actively designing lesson plans for the coming year, focusing on any educational gaps caused by the pause in schooling.

Like the rest of us, the girls are doing their best to cope with the quarantine measures and relieve their anxiety over the risk of contracting the disease. From attending seminars about effective handwashing to practicing social distancing, the students have learned how to reduce the chances of contagion. Some of the girls with sewing skills have donated their time to making protective masks for the local hospitals.

These are challenging times that represent an unprecedented risk for girls’ education worldwide. At C2C, our commitment to girls’ education and empowerment remains strong. We will weather this health and economic crisis. We hope you will continue to support us during this difficult time. Rest assured that once this quarantine lifts, C2C will be ready to resume at full speed, providing holistic educational services to the most vulnerable of girls.