Purnima grew up in a slum of Bhubaneswar. even after finishing her studies, she struggled to find a job she liked. But she didn’t give up. Purnima kept looking for work so that she could support her family Financially. After trying for a while, she got a part-time job at a small place that makes incense sticks. The pay wasn’t much, and it barely covered her costs, especially travel.
But, Purnima didn’t forget her dreams. She always wanted to do something big and that mindset kept motivating her. Her small salary didn’t cover her basic needs, so she kept searching for new opportunities. That’s when she found a chance to teach at a coaching center. Soon, she realized that teaching was what she loved, so she left the incense stick job to become a full-time teacher. While teaching, Purnima encountered a concerning issue.
While teaching, Purnima encountered a concerning issue. A student had stopped attending class, and upon investigation, she discovered the distressing reason – the student’s family couldn’t afford the tuition fee, forcing the child to leave the coaching center. This bothered Purnima a lot. Soon, another child ceased coming to the center due to similar financial constraints. This time, Purnima decided not to remain silent. She asked the owner of the coaching center to let students keep learning, even if they couldn’t pay.Sadly, the owner said no, talking about the difficulties of running a business and offering free education.
Those words affected Purnima deeply. These incidents inspired her to start her learning center, where anyone could learn, no matter how much money they had. Thinking about something and then implementing it is not the same, so with the dream when she started the learning center, soon she realized the challenges of running it. Purnima faced challenges like not having enough students, irregular attendance, and a lack of good learning materials.
I see reflections of myself in these children. I believe each one of them deserves quality education, and money shouldn’t be a barrier. That’s why my learning center is open to all, where anyone can come and explore the world of knowledge without limitations. I am grateful to Sunita Didi from ThinkZone for providing me with this opportunity.
-Purnima
As always Purnima never stopped, so she started again to find solutions. In the search for solutions, Purnima got to know about the program named Empowered Educators by ThinkZone. She decided to join the program and learn about how to run the learning center. The training taught her a lot about starting and keeping a learning center going. She used what she learned and saw positive changes in her coaching center. The ThinkZone App also helped her with managing content and other things.
Through Purnima’s unwavering dedication, parents were persuaded to acknowledge and appreciate her efforts, leading to regular payments. This approach has proven instrumental in ensuring the sustainability of her learning center. She even hired someone who shares her passion for teaching. Her center is like a light of hope in her community. Her rule is simple: ‘Pay whatever you can.’ This helps families who can’t afford expensive coaching, making education possible for everyone.
