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Education at AID Chennai turns 10 |
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I just turned ten. I am excited! I love birthdays, especially mine. With every birthday, I would like to think that I have been a positive influence on the lives of a few more; I go by the name “AID India Education Initiative.” Back in 1997, when I was less than a year old, I did not have many friends. Not many children cared to know me. But now, I know more than a million kids, all over Tamil Nadu.
Padippum Inikkum is a reading campaign for kids that are about as old as I am, maybe a couple of years younger even. I help them get to know me better through group learning activities and attractive reading material. What started in around 182 schools has made its way to almost a million children across 10 districts in Tamil Nadu. With the help of Eureka Children's Libraries, it is possible for me to now provide books, story cards and education.material to over 1 lakh children. In an attempt to make science a fun experience, I decided to bring into the picture Ariviyal Anandam, mainly intended for the 6th-8th standard students, to demonstrate the magic and concepts behind science experiments. My other initiatives include Eureka Schools, Learning Centers, English Classes, Math Program, Computer Centers and Eureka Books.
My young life has had its fair share of challenges. I am told that 65% of the children in 3rd to 5th Std. cannot read even a simple paragraph in Tamil. But, I also know stories of personal and collective heroism that are inspiring which make my existence worthwhile!
Sowbhagya, a volunteer from Kalasapakkam reads to the children.-Sheetal Umesh Kumar with inputs from AID Chennai
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