Deepalaya - Enabling Self-Reliance

From the 27th April - 7th May, Deepalaya played host to a team of Teachers Training students from the Netherlands. They were here as part of an Education Exchange Program which aims at exchanging information/knowledge with counterparts from foreign countries.
The group had a packed schedule. They were acquainted with the system (basic) of education in India through presentations and interactions with students of TTI ’s in Delhi (Maharishi Valmiki College of Education and Vidya Teacher training College). Together with their Indian counterparts, the EEE group made lessons plans and taught at three of the Deepalaya Schools. According to Ms. Monideepa, Headmistress Deepalaya School Sanjay Colony , “their style of teaching was more child friendly and elicited instant responses from the children. We had a lot to learn from them.” They also had a taste of the facilities and orientation in the rural areas as they also taught at some schools in Tauru(in Haryana). “Although not much teaching really happened, the interactions conveyed the children’s optimism and their joy in learning, despite all the limitations they face,” felt the Dutch visitors. However it wasn’t all academics. The visitors had a field day as they organised sports activities for street children from Shalimar Bagh and Gandhi Basti projects. Needless to say a trip to Agra, a shopping spree in Delhi and a ride on the cycle rickshaws added to the sheer joy of being and learning in India.