HYDERABAD: Akila G, a city-based poet, and corporate professional is working from home for the past four months. The extra time that she gets goes for her daughter and now for teaching young children online. These kids from Rasoolpura, Marredpally and Secunderabad know their language well. Shares Akila, “I was teaching them word formation and was surprised to discover that they knew several tough words and could spell them perfectly.” She’s part of a teaching project started by Suheim Sheikh of the Yacht Club of Hyderabad.
It so happened that the two children of Suheim’s housekeeping help were enrolled for tuitions paying `4,000 per month. “But once the lockdown began it all stopped and they would loiter around the whole day. The schools were closed. That’s when I decided to take them to Our Sacred Space (OSS), Secunderabad, so that they could get their lessons right. But the strictness of the lockdown put that to a halt. That’s when we asked the institute to provide a few leads for online classes.” They have two teachers from OSS while 14 are from his contacts which includes a few volunteers from abroad.
Other than the classes on language, maths, science there are real-life heroes and sheroes as well sharing their experiences. Doctors, lawyers, IPS officers, astronomers share their stories with the students so that if in future they want to choose their career the same can help them decide better. Adds Suheim, “Elahe Hiptoola shared her experience as a filmmaker with the students.”
There are 18 girl students as of now in the age group of 9-15 years. They are sailors and some of them have been to international regattas to Portugal, Spain and Oman. But how are they managing in terms of laptops or phones? “Their parents have smartphones. And during the lockdown, since their work hours are limited the children are using the devices for the lessons online,” he signs off.