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At LIFE Trust, we believe in Changing Lives and Changing Destinies
through our various endeavours. Given below are a few snapshots of our efforts.
School Development Project:
Bringing joy and
learning to the lives of Swati and Prajata
Swati and Prajata turned through the pages of a book. Every time they saw pictures
of a beautiful princess they giggled. ‘Cin-dar-la’ they said, pronouncing the name
with a little difficulty before they were lost again in a fairy tale that seemed
so real. As I watched them, Swati looked up to me and exclaimed “You know! I like
this book a lot because I can relate this to my own life.”
Swati and Prajata study in grade 10 of a municipal school at Worli Sea Face. Every
afternoon they sit at the library established by LIFE in their own school and read
books they knew their parents couldn’t afford. As I continued to talk to them I
realized that this organization they kept talking about- LIFE, had done a lot more
for them.
Two years ago, LIFE began yoga and karate courses in their school. Swati choose
yoga while Prajata chose karate. Swati was an asthma patient and her parents couldn’t
afford the medication she needed. Teary eyed she told me had it not been for this
course she could still be suffering from asthma. She lived in continuous fear that
something might happen to her. In grade 8 she joined the yoga course. And since
then things have changed. Today she no longer suffers from asthma. She is a healthy
young girl with a grateful heart.
As for Prajata, she is a confident young girl who believes that she can overcome
any physical violence that comes her way. The karate course she enrolled for in
grade 8 has made her what she is today. Indeed, LIFE Trust has restored their verve.
Learn for LIFE:
When the student became a teacher
“I just want to teach” expresses Lydia George, an Anganwadi teacher. Her passion for teaching has not only grown in her 16 year stint as a teacher but has also transcended from teaching community children to teaching other Anganwadi teachers.
Lydia George was one of the 25 Marathi speaking Anganwadi teachers of the April 2009 batch of LIFE Trust's “Learn for LIFE” (LFL) programme. This programme aims to equip Anganwadi teachers with the ability to converse in spoken English, build confidence thereby building aspiration and providing livelihood opportunities. After graduating from the LFL programme, Lydia felt empowered enough to conduct LIFE Trust's LFL class for Anganwadi teachers around her community. Today Lydia walks half an hour every day from her house in Dharavi to her class in Mahim to continue the cycle of learning and teaching that she has been a part of since 16 years. “My knowledge is like a light,” she says understanding the “light” that English can give and the light that LIFE (Trust) has given her.
Now both of Lydia's children are in English medium school, aided and encouraged by Lydia's own language confidence. She also has the benefit of extra income from English teaching (LFL), simultaneously keeping her Anganwadi job. All of these things have added up to a greater opportunity for Lydia's family, and she is proud of her role in that. She has never shied away from stepping up to make change in her LIFE or in her community and LIFE Trust has given her the tools to do just that.
Learn for LIFE:
Bringing joy and
learning to the life of Manisha Abnawe
A mother of three, Mrs. Manisha Abnave has been an Anganwadi teacher for 19 years! 38 years old Manisha Abnave's willingness to learn Conversational English through LIFE Trust's Learn for LIFE programme has been instrumental in opening up career options such as the post of supervisor teacher which will give her an opportunity to explore her potential as an English teacher.
It was not an easy decision for Manisha to join the programme as she was faced with her personal commitments, from being a mother and wife at home, to becoming a teacher in Anganwadi, to a student in Learn for LIFE programme. With much encouragement from her supervisor, she finally decided to enroll for the batch. She says, 'I truly thank my supervisor and Anand Sir, LIFE coach, who have helped me learn English well and in such simple manner'.
The programme has enabled Manisha to converse in English with her peers, her children, in school and also with visitors who come from different states on supervision from the Government. She comments, 'Earlier I could not talk to the officers or supervisors who come from Government department or visitors coming from various organizations as they knew no Marathi or very less Hindi. But now I can speak to them comfortably, in English and explain them our work.'
Manisha's biggest support comes from her husband who is just 9th pass and is proud of her achievement. Moving further, she has enrolled for computer programme and advanced English speaking course. She believes that it is important for one to move with the demands of the changing education scenario with more and more public schools provisioning English medium schooling. After her life changing experience with Learn for LIFE programme, she encourages all her peer teachers to join the programme and learn English for prospective career growth.
Integrated Development
Scheme / Anganwadis::
Meenal didi is charged and motivated to change the lives of the little tots in Dharavi!
The girls gathered around as a lady walked in. Meenal didi they called her. As she
walked down the road ladies looked up to her and greeted her. Meenal would have
been just another face in the crowd before LIFE touched her. Meenal loved children
and believed that like her, every child should grow up worthy enough to earn their
own livelihood. Therefore, she began as an Anganwadi teacher in 2002. She spent
half her day teaching in a nearby Anganwadi school. After working for another 5
years she realized that the world hadn’t changed much. The plight of the children
remained the same. But she kept trying with the hope that one day she will make
a difference.
Soon she realized that her house was falling apart. Delayed payments
and no improvements in the teaching system crushed all her hopes. This is the story
of many Anganwadi teachers.
But it hasn’t been the same since LIFE started supporting
the Anganwadi project in 2007. It brought back hope to these teachers. It strived
for the well being of these Anganwadi’s. With LIFE’s support Meenal has got her
motivation back. Today she has been appointed by LIFE to head a social women’s group
consisting of 60 women. The women bring to her the problems of the community and
she brings them to LIFE Trust. Life provides them with necessary aids and makes
a strong effort to solve them. It promotes vocational training of women in the community.
It monitors government schemes and makes sure that every Anganwadi gets its share
of the benefit provided.
Like Meenal the other teachers working here are motivated
too and paid extra so that they can take home an income that is almost double their
previous one. Today, Meenal as an Anganwadi teacher with the support of LIFE , has
the power to make that difference.
Vocational Training:
Rabia`s journey from a remand home to a fulfilling life
of independence and freedom!
Rabia, a native from Bihar, ran away and came to Mumbai
in search of a better life. But since when did it get so easy? Her misery grew as
she was left on the streets penniless. She was then taken away by the Mumbai police
and placed in a remand home. But Mumbai is all about luck, isn’t it? Rabia got lucky.
LIFE Trust, a Mumbai based NGO approached this remand home and conducted a beautician
course through which eighteen girls were trained. After completing this course, Rabia was placed by LIFE
Trust in a popular spa in Mumbai, called Rudra.
Today Rabia is working with Shivaz, a spa in Mumbai and earns Rs 6000. Rabia has
wonderful dreams and she hopes that one day she will become one of the leading and
most sort after hair dressers in Mumbai. She has a great disposition and is always
willing to be of service. She says, she is who she is, because of organizations
like LIFE Trust, which continues to change lives and destinies.
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