Page 48 - Issue 01

KAAWISH : A BEACON OF HOPE

Kaawish is a student-led initiative at whose heart lies the belief in giving back to society. The idea for
Kaawish was conceived as a token of gratitude for the non-teaching staff at IGIDR, considering all that they
do for us. During its inception, all of us volunteers held multiple meetings with the parents to understand

exactly what they wanted out of these sessions. Some of the main concerns voiced at these meetings were
improvement in English, strengthening basics, and invigorating interest in academics for the kids. We had
students from the age of 5 to 16. All the volunteers constantly ensured that the sessions do not become
monotonous for the kids. For instance, instead of just teaching out of a book for the entire class, we would
dedicate some time to teach them ABACUS and Vedic mathematics to improve their analytical thinking or
watch informative English clips and would read storybooks to improve their comprehension of the language

in the other half of the class.

We would also teach them common salutations, how to introduce themselves, and soft skills in general. At
the end of all this, we would have a 30- minute activity session. They would be given a choice to participate
in origami making, dance classes, sports sessions, or drawing classes.

Kaawish started with an idea and a few curious minds in the IGIDR common room and it has been more

than a year now that it has successfully brought at least some amount of happiness in the lives of many -
both volunteers and kids alike. It is a sphere where you do not just give back to society but

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