Thank you for supporting six year old Afreen’s education for an entire year.

Afreen Shaikh studies in Standard I at the Pali Chimbai Municipal School supported by Aseema. Her first year in school has been an enriching experience. She is regular and punctual to school.

Working in small groups through the ‘Activity Based Learning’ material has helped Afreen, a shy girl, make friends. With encouragement from teachers and counsellors, Afreen responds confidently and participates in group activities. She can identify the consonants and read simple phonetic sentences. Afreen has developed motor skills, which is reflected in the neat cuttings done during craft classes.

Afreen has been on study trips to the Parle Biscuit Factory, Mahananda Dairy and Almeida Park – a neighbouring park. Afreen enjoyed her first trip to the biscuit factory – a fun experience watching tonnes of biscuits and chocolates being manufactured.

Afreen and her friends from Standard I presented the solar system at the Annual Day. At this function, she received the ‘Most Hardworking Student’ award. It was a proud moment for Afreen and her parents who are not well educated. Her father makes a living by servicing water purifiers. Afreen lives with her parents, an uncle and two siblings in a slum community in Bandra East.

Thank you for supporting Gaurav’s education for an entire year.

Six year old Gaurav Sonawane lives with his parents and six siblings in a slum community in Bandra East, Mumbai. His father, a hawker, sells footwear to support the family. His mother is currently unemployed; however, she takes personal interest in her children’s development. She encourages all her children to be independent.

This is Gaurav’s second year in Prithvi, Aseema’s Pre-Primary class at the Kherwadi Municipal School. Gaurav is jovial and takes his responsibilities seriously. He takes great care of his younger brother who is also a student at Aseema’s Pre-Primary Centre. The Montessori Approach helps him explore his love for learning. He was fascinated to learn about oceans and continents. He confidently points out his home on the world map.

Gaurav can read and write simple phonetic sentences. He always attempts to speak in English. In Mathematics, Gaurav can perform addition, subtraction and multiplication up to four digit numbers. He likes performing challenging and complex activities.

Gaurav also loves the weekly co curricular activities such as pottery, music sports and judo. He looks forward to attending classes in Standard I next year.

Thank you for supporting Madhuri’s education for an entire year.

Six-year old Madhuri Rere studies in the Pre-Primary Section of Aseema’s Education Centre for Tribal Children in Awalkheda, Igatpuri. Madhuri’s mother, a widow works as a helper with Aseema to support Madhuri and her three sibblings.  They live in a hut made of mud and bamboos in Wariachiwadi, a  hamlet of Awalkheda.

With personal attention from teachers and specially designed teaching aids, Madhuri has grown confident and takes intiative in learning new things.  In Mathematics, she can identity numbers from 1-1000 and perform simple additions. In language, she knows all the Marathi consonants and can frame simple sentences on any topic. Her favourite activity is story time – she loves browsing through story books with pictures.

Madhuri loves co-curricular activities like singing, sports and drawing. This year, she participated in the ‘pencil balancing’ race on Sports Day. Living in a remote village, Madhuri rarely gets to visit new places. She was awed by their class trip to Sarvatirth Takke, a local tourist site.

Thank you, for supporting Madhuri’s education for an entire year.

Thank you for enabling Ajay to go to school for an entire year.

Eight-year old Ajay Harijan studies in Standard II B at the Pali Chimbai Municipal School supported by Aseema. Ajay lives in a joint family in a slum community in Santacruz (W), Mumbai. His father and uncle work as autorickshaw drivers to support their family consisting of 12 members.

Coming from a large family, Ajay lacks individual attention. Therefore, he is quite playful and distracted in class. Working in small groups through the ‘Activity Based Learning’ method ensures that Ajay gets individual attention. He looks forward to the newspaper article sharing sessions as he gets a chance to voice his opinions. Weekly yoga sessions helps him calm down and focus on class activities. Ajay loves challenging and complex activities such as building blocks and clay work.

Ajay loves sports especially cricket and judo. He participated in the Inter-class Cricket Tournament and was overjoyed to have his classmates cheering for him. This year, Ajay and his friends have been on study trips to the Discovery of India museum and the September Gardens during Bandra Fair. Ajay loved the ride on the Giant Wheel and was fascinated with its working.

Thank you for coming together to fund Ajay’s education, including school supplies and uniforms for an entire year.

Thank you for for coming together to provide a year of schooling for Krushna.

Two and a half year old, Krushna, is the one of the youngest students in the Pre-Primary Section at Aseema’s Education Centre for Tribal Children.  He lives with his parents in Awalkheda, a tribal village in Igatpuri. His father works as a contract laborer and barely earns enough to support the family. His parents are uneducated and want Krushna to have a better life through education.

This is Krushna’s first year in school. The warm and vibrant atmosphere makes him feel secure and encourages him to explore. He is outgoing and is comfortable interacting with his peers. The Montessori apparatus in his class fascinates him. His favorite activity is working with the ‘Pink Tower’ – a collection of ten pink wooden cubes which helps students develop motor skills and understand the concept of size.

Krushna loves action songs,  listening to stories and enjoys outdoor sports. He is currently preparing for the Annual Sports Day and will be participating in games such as “threading the beads” and hopping.

Your generosity will ensure that Krushna gets an entire year of education.

Eight-year old Surbhi Kumar lives in a slum community in Bandra West with her parents and three siblings. Her father works as mason and her mother as a domestic helper. She is currently in Grade II B at the Pali Chimbai Municipal School supported by Aseema. Her parents are the guiding force behind Surbhi’s determination to do well in school.

Surbhi enjoys learning through the ‘Activity Based Learning’ (ABL) approach. This integrated approach stimulates her love for learning and encourages her to explore her creativity. An all-rounder, Surbhi loves art and is very proud to see her work displayed in class. She also loves singing and is currently learning Indian music.

Surbhi has good leadership skills and is the class monitor as well. Being committed, Surbhi takes this responsibility very seriously. Her cheerfulness and generosity make her a favorite among her peers.

This year, Surbhi has been on various study trips to places such as the Discovery of India museum and the September Gardens during Bandra Fair. Surbhi enjoyed the artistic display of various exhibits on India at the museum.

Thank you so much, Jun , for providing a year of schooling for Surbhi and motivating her to continue her education.

Eight year old Kavita Ware hails from from a remote tribal village in Awalkheda, Igatpuri and lives with her parents. Her father is an agricultural laborer and her mother is a housewife. Though her parents are illiterate, they motivate Kavita to study, so she can have a future different from their own.

Kavita is studying in grade 1 in Aseema’s Education Center for Tribal Children. She is the first girl in her family to attend school! She has a hunger for learning new words and loves mathematics. She is a very bright and cheerful girl.

Working with dedicated teachers and volunteers has helped Kavita develop language skills over the past year. She loves working with the Montessori apparatus and enjoys doing any art and dancing. Her parents are very proud to see her drawings being displayed on the class bulletin board. She also enjoys being part of the dance recitals during Annual Day celebrations.

Her teachers are very pleased with her progress and encourage her to do her best.

Your donations, Kayennat, Akiko, Anil, Chris, Craig, Sarah (x2), Dwayne and Terese, Chris and Emily, George, Robert, and Tristan, support Kavita’s education for an entire year.

Thank you,  Kayennat, Akiko, Anil, Chris, Craig, Sarah, Dwayne and Terese, Chris and Emily, George, Robert, and Tristan for helping Kavita become a trailblazer.