Ashifa

Ashifa impresses at our Supervised Homework Scheme at the DCCW Dakshinpuri centre

Eight year old Ashifa (on the left in the photograph) is a student of Class III at the Nagar Nigam Prathamik Balbalika Vidyalaya, Dakshinpuri. She is one of three children of a local tailor and his domestic helper wife, and the monthly household income is just Rs 10,000. Sadly the stretched resources have compelled Ashifa's parents to send her younger siblings away to live in their native village with relatives.

When little Ashifa started attending our centre as part opf our Supervised Homework Scheme, she could barely hold a pencil securely, let alone write. This compounded her already low self esteem. Her parents, themselves unlettered, were not sensitized to the child's inadequacies and inevitably Ashifa's progress was poor.

At our centre, our instructor realised that the child needed to be quickly and systematically assisted, so that the time lost could be made up to some extent. A series of sessions with the child, interspersed continually with the orientation of Ashifa's parents, began to draw the child out of her handicap. Her parents also began to respond and support the centre's effort by ensuring Ashifa attended her sessions regularly. They also learnt to be vigilant at home and by and by, little Ashifa showed great improvement. Today she is able to read and write and never misses a test!

She also readily participates in Saturday activities and is especially fond of dancing! Ashifa has also made a few friends.

The centre, as a part of the regular protocol, has also been monitoring the child's health parameters. Anaemia, tonsillitis and a calcium deficiency, commonly characteristic of children from low income families were also the case with Ashifa. These have also been addressed with the requisite supplements and the ensuing well being has also significantly  contributed to Ashifa's current happy outlook towards school and the world in general.