Learning in the time of Covid
– by Asha Devi
(Source: Language Learning Foundation’s fortnightly report)
Bhuneshwar Prasad Garg, a teacher at one of Language Learning Foundation’s (LLF) target schools, teaches Hindi to grade-1 students in Government Primary School Changori, Durg district in Chhattisgarh.
When the schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers enrolled themselves in courses provided by LLF. Mr. Garg took the training too and was contacted by the Neev team (an Early Learning Improvement Program project by LLF) to continue education for students online. He took the initiative to ensure students received the materials needed to continue learning and made sure to keep in contact with their parents to monitor their progress. Additionally, LLF started a new initiative, named Har Ghar School (A School in Every Home) when schools started to shut down due to the countrywide lockdown. Mr. Garg approached his previous students who are now in college to help teach the children of their community. Because the volunteers and the children are from the same communities, the familiarity has helped leverage the interaction with parents so that they can also help their children finish their schoolwork. We, at Vibha, acknowledge the great deeds of teachers like Mr. Garg and the community mindset of volunteering he is creating in his district.
Read more about LLF and Bhuneshwar Prasad Garg’s work here
Vibha’s Ray of Light Gala – An Evening of Giving and Gratitude
-byVidushi Chaudhry
Vibha’s first virtual Ray of Light Gala, held on December 12th, had sparkles of inspiration, melody, and warmth. The list of luminaries who spoke was long and varied, and each contributed to creating a thought-provoking evening about using our power, voice, and connections to impact public education.
The evening began with words from Vibha`s Advisory Board. Randhir Jaiswal, the Consulate General of India, was the first speaker followed by Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation. This was aptly followed by a focus on Vibha’s work to scale impactful solutions through partnerships with NGOs and local governments. Jay Chaudhary, the next speaker, credited his success as an accomplished serial entrepreneur, to his thirst for education. Vikas Khanna, Michelin-starred chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur extraordinaire shared the lessons of his grandmother in Amritsar and, Dheeraj Pandey, the CEO of Nutamix, urged reflection on what issues speak to you, ignite you, and give you purpose. Vinita Bali, former MD of Britannia asked each individual to contribute not just their money, but time and energy to those around them. The very gracious Nisha Mathur, producer, and anchor of SONY Entertainment Television was the host and kept the energy of the evening. The program ended with a musical extravaganza by the Chordination Band. The Gala was extremely successful and raised over $200,000.
Read more about the Gala here
Volunteer Highlight: The Newsletter Team
Vibha runs on the strength, talent, and passion of its volunteers. Everything from the events to this very newsletter is taken care of by volunteers, who come from varied backgrounds, cities, different walks of life, and with varied skills, all working together with one mission in mind – Vibha’s mission.The Monthly Newsletter Team was formed earlier this year. Led by Ruchi Iyengar, Himaly Shinglot as the lead editor, and Sharanya Kalasekar as the design lead, the newsletter has seen a major shift in its visual appeal, content, and release schedule. The team has been focused on getting the right mix of content to the audience in a timely fashion. They are constantly looking for ways to improve the value the newsletter brings to Vibha’s patrons and their engagement thereof. In addition to the newsletter, the team gets pulled into email campaigns around events and they have been doing a phenomenal job.
Read more about them here