During SAKAR’s work in 65 slums of Bhubaneswar, we tried to address different issues by providing necessary aid to the underprivileged communities. We not only found the provision of a school and a teacher, but also observed that a responsible and responsive parent is essential for a child’s growth.
After a series of discussion with children, parents and teachers regarding education being one of the most important means of growth, we understood the importance of an ‘instrument’ who is essential to relate with all these three components.
An experiment was conducted and as a result, we coined their job role as a ‘motivator’. They have specifically been assigned to prepare children and parents to derive the benefits of schools and prepare the teachers to leave their inhibitions, thus showing acceptance towards these poor children. Children need guidance for home work, but without a proper shelter there is no scope for them to get their work done efficiently. Poverty
coupled with illiteracy of the parents add more to their misery. The child generally has no other option than to go to school in an empty stomach, shabbily dressed and without completing homework. The school atmosphere which seemed so nice and attractive till yesterday, all of a sudden turns out to be dreadful and discriminatory. The child prefers not to go to school, instead opt for work and earn money. Parents too accept the money and never raise any issues as to why the child does not attend the school. This cycle continues and that is when the need of the ‘Motivator’ arises.
This concept has to be institutionalized by opening any time learning centers for children and Child labour. The ‘Motivator’ acts as a bridge between students /children, school, parents, govt. agencies and social activists.’
