Hyderabad college lecturer starts digital school for pandemic-hit orphanage students

HYDERABAD: All of us, in some way or the other, have been hit by the pandemic. But the troubles that students have been facing, with no classroom sessions, exams cancelled and lessons going online, are at another level altogether. But what about the kids in orphanages? How have they been coping with their studies? Do they have the necessary facilities to log into virtual classroom sessions? This has been playing on Hima Bindu Achanta’s mind, a lecturer who teaches graduation students at Loyola Degree College.

So, she decided to set up a digital school for them. “In 2019, my students and I started an NGO called Beyond 103, which gets its name from our studio room number in the mass communication department at the Loyola Academy,” she says. Being a lecturer, she could understand the changes happening in the education system because of the pandemic and the students’ demands.

“Fortunately, those living with their parents are blessed to have access to online classrooms from the comfort of their homes. But what about the kids in orphanages. How are they keeping up with their classes? What do they do to keep themselves engaged? Do they have any extracurricular activities? That’s when I knew that the answer to all these pressing questions was to do something about it.

I know I can’t help each one of them, but I can at least start,” she says. To get an idea of how to plan her digital classroom initiative, Hima Bindu met some of these kids. They told her that they were interested in animation, Photoshop and spoken English. So, she gave them computers and connected them with experts in the said fields, who are now keeping these kids engaged amid the pandemic. Earlier, in 2019, Hima Bindu had helped the people in tribal areas.