I feel strongly about education. It is something that will help our country develop, and also allow students to stand by their dreams and move ahead irrespective of socio-economic constraints,” shares Arpita Chowdhury (20) from IP Extension.
Chowdhury, who believes that education should be available to all, founded Jazbaat Foundation in March, 2020. Her initiative is focused on educating and empowering students from economically-vulnerable sections.
The idea to launch Jazbaat Foundation struck Chowdhury when she was teaching a few tribal boys at the Rajendra Ashram in Pandav Nagar.
“While teaching these boys, I realised that they were missing out on wholesome education. These students had a lot of talent, so I wanted to channelise and support them in any way possible,” she mentions.
A third-year student of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University, Chowdhury launched the #EducationforAll initiative under Jazbaat Foundation. This project is aimed at making sure that underserved students do not face academic setbacks and learning loss due to the lockdown.
“Most of our students were stuck in their villages due to the first wave of COVID-19 and the lockdown. It was extremely disheartening for me to see that they were unable to keep studying because of the lack of resources there. So, we brought them to Delhi, arranged accommodation, and installed an Internet connection,” mentions Chowdhury.
An academic boost
Jazbaat Foundation’s core team of five, along with 30 volunteers from institutions across Delhi-NCR, are part of the Voluntary Teaching Programme. This programme focuses on bridging the economic and digital divide that is currently prevalent in the field of education.
Although they started by helping young boys from tribal families in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, the foundation now also works with boys and girls from economically-weaker sections in Delhi-NCR.
“We have a student who is the son of a household help. His mother requested me to teach him since their environment and economic background did not allow her to appoint a private tutor for him,” Chowdhury mentions.
The team also conducts donation drives through their social media platforms to help facilitate student learning.
“Instead of just donating money, we ask people to donate books, stationery, or sponsor an Internet connection for these children. Anything that would help aid these youngsters to study smoothly,” she adds.
A holistic approach
Offering innovative solutions beyond the realms of basic education, Jazbaat Foundation conducts one-on-one virtual tutoring, and organises webinars and workshops in collaboration with mental health professionals and career counsellors.
These workshops—working with Microsoft Office, career counselling, time management, email writing, and more—provides a holistic approach that will create a level playing field for these youngsters.
“Now, our students suggest topics they want to discuss in these workshops. It shows that they are more interested in learning,” Chowdhury points out.
“One of our students had been preparing for the IIT examinations. He mentioned how, prior to joining Jazbaat, he had given up any hope of studying after his tenth exams. But now, he is confident enough to prepare for an engineering examination, and is thankful that he can learn about career options in these classes. This was fruitful for me; especially that I could make a difference in the lives of these youth,” she concludes.