PLAN OF ACTION – SHREY CHHABRA

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”

One of the first things I was taught at NALSAR, was to acknowledge that not all persons
have the privilege accessing basic amenities such as education that we take for granted.
Education is not only a basic human right, but it is also a tool of empowerment. A tool that
helps the underprivileged and disadvantaged break the shackles of poverty and climb the
economic and social ladder. However, the purpose of ‘education for all’ stands defeated when
the children are unable to understand what they are being taught because of their inability to
comprehend English, the medium of their education. Their inability to communicate in
English acts a barrier to their personal development and limits the number of opportunities
available to them.

If given the opportunity, I would like to implement several ideas during my term as a team
leader at DEVISE. While we seek to expand our initiatives beyond Shamirpet and nearby
villages, we often forget that there exist many in our own institute that struggle to
comprehend the dense and complicates literature that is part of our curriculum. This struggle
translates into poor grades on the transcripts. I would work towards establishing an in-house
peer guidance mechanism where these students are able to seek extra classes after the
teaching hours helping them understand these texts, bridging the gap of reading and
understanding.

I would also want to further our objective of inculcating a reading habit amongst the children
by distributing books which are fit for their level of command over the language and ask
them to do an interactive presentation of what they read in the book and understood of it. This
would not only enable the children to learn essential communication but also help in
developing their interests towards reading as a habit.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we face unprecedented circumstances that are forcing us to
change the ways our lives run. Education sector is amongst the biggest ones taking a hit this
year. Right now, any measure which involves children leaving their homes is dangerous for
their well-being, however once the situation improves and schools are reopened, I propose
finding a person of contact near the schools that we teach at which have access to internet and
WhatsApp. To them we can send worksheets which they can distribute. Depending on our
finances, we can incentivize our person of contract to ensure the process takes place
smoothly.
In my opinion, DEVISE is a commendable initiative that keeps the flag of this institution
flying high with its noble objectives. I am very keen to be a part of this group as it will not
only enable me to get a first-hand perspective of the problems faced by majority of our
population, but also help me use my privilege to give back to the society and help make lives
better. If given an opportunity, I endeavour to put in tremendous effort and application to
ensure that this initiative continues to earn plaudits while fulfilling its commendable and
noble objectives.