National Youth Day is celebrated on January 12th in honour of Swami Vivekanand whose contributions to social reform, philosophy, spirituality, and youth leadership have been inspiring youth since generations. On this special day, we want to highlight the efforts and dedication of three young ThinkZone fellows who continuously work towards bringing positive changes in their communities.
“I was introduced to the ThinkZone fellowship at my college event and knew right away that it was something I wanted to be a part of,” says Sandhya Rani, a 2022 ThinkZone fellow. She grew up in one of the slums of Bhubaneswar and is currently pursuing a degree in social work. She always wanted to make a significant impact on the community.
Before the fellowship, she taught only two students in her neighbourhood, but upon completion, her student count increased to twenty-seven.”I’ve seen firsthand the struggles that come with growing up in a low-resource setting, and I want to make sure that these kids have the support they need to succeed,” She says. Through her hard work, she has been making a real difference in her community. She’s been able to upskill herself and inspire the youth in her community.
Jyoti Aditya had always wanted to teach his community kids, but he wasn’t sure how to make it happen. He was also dealing with financial struggles with his family, which added to his uncertainty. However, when he joined the ThinkZone fellowship program, he developed various skills such as teaching pedagogy, classroom management, activity-based learning methodologies, etc. Jyoti now teaches pre-primary and primary students in his village using technology and activity-based teaching methods that he learned during the fellowship. His hard work has enabled him to pursue his passion for teaching, while also providing financial support for his family through the income from his learning center.
Silpa Dash is a ThinkZone fellow from Nischintakoili. She is an enthusiastic youth who has always been interested in teaching students. However, when she joined the fellowship program, she lacked the confidence to take on the role of an educator. As the fellowship progressed, she developed various skills and participated in other activities that helped her boost confidence and enhance her teaching abilities.
She approached the local community school and expressed her desire to support children in the community. The teachers were impressed by her dedication and allowed her to support students after school hours. Now, Silpa is teaching at a local school after school hours, and she described how she uses activity-based learning to engage students and increase their interest level while teaching them. The fellowship program played a significant role in helping her realize her passion and start a carrier as a teacher.
These individuals are an inspiration for us, and their stories remind us of the importance of supporting and investing in the talents and abilities of young people and supporting them in their journey toward success. Through ThinkZone fellowship, we have impacted more than 6000 youths from urban, semi-urban and rural communities. There are countless stories of youth like Shilpi, Jyoti Aditya and Sandhya Rani working towards developing themselves and their communities. Their perseverance and determination have shown us that anything is possible with hard work and a little bit of support.
Let us all take a moment to celebrate their achievements and continue to build the capacity of youth.
