May 2023 Issue
Ritinjali: Updates and Success Story
Bringing hope where there is none: Ritinjali has been working in the area of education and community development since 1995. Ritinjali’s mission is to provide holistic education to nurture and promote responsible citizenship.
Over the last 28 years, Ritinjali has worked extensively with diverse communities – slum dwellers, poverty-stricken individuals, victims of war and natural disasters – through various educational and development initiatives that have provided these communities with access to a better life.
Ritinjali began its work with disadvantaged youth in 2005 by setting up a night school in INA market for the Coolies. Subsequently setting up a residential education & skill-development initiative called the Second Chance School taking in disadvantaged students from across the country.
Early Childhood Care and Education, Mahipalpur
Ritinajli works through various educational and skill development initiatives to provide opportunity and learning as a means to awareness and access to a better life. They work with children and adults from marginalized communities and the government schooling systems along with an expansive volunteer and professional network.
One of the verticals at Ritinjali is the Skilling Programme. At the centre in Mahipalpur, they run the NIOS certified - Early Childhood Care and Education program. The NIOS Certificate Course in Early Years Care and Education helps future educators to gain comprehensive knowledge in the fundamentals of early childhood education such as educational psychology, different developmental stages, the importance of play, and learn how young children explore their surroundings. It equips the candidates with effective teaching methods for young learners and prepares them to carve a successful career as a 21st-century early childhood educators.
The programme has a total class strength of 24 students between the ages of 18 and 25. The programme provides support in formal education through NIOS and DU and reduces learning gaps by designing and implementing individual and small group lesson plans, providing appropriate instructions and activities, evaluating educational progress, identifying student needs, and motivating them to succeed. The organization's goal is to improve employability skills and enhance the livelihoods of its students, and empower them to participate in volunteering activities, sessions, and workshops.
In line with its mission to provide valuable learning experiences to its skilling students, Ritinjali organizes various workshops, seminars, and activities. These events, some of which are organized by Vishwa Yuvak Kendra in Delhi and others held to celebrate International Women's Day, youth festivals, and cultural programs, have broadened the horizons of the students.
Ritinjali works with the students to improve their employability skills and enhance their livelihoods. Ritinjali empowers them to participate in volunteering activities, sessions, and workshops.
Throughout the year, Ritinjali's skilling students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of sessions, workshops, seminars, and activities that broadened their horizons and provided valuable learning experiences. These events included sessions organized by Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, as well as celebrations of International Women's Day, youth festivals, and cultural programmes. Through participation in these events, the skilling students were able to gain new knowledge and skills, expand their perspectives, and engage with a diverse range of people and ideas. Ritinjali is proud to offer such opportunities to their students, as it believes that exposure to real-world scenarios and learning experiences is essential for their personal and professional growth.
KPMG Events
Recently, Ritinjali's skilling students had the opportunity to participate in a Science Fair Project Competition on the topic "Mathematics in Everyday Life" at KPMG Office in Gurugram. The students displayed great enthusiasm and effort, which were recognized and rewarded with certificates and gifts. In addition, the students attended a session on "Interview Skills" with a team of KPMG volunteers. The session was highly interactive, and the students gained valuable insights on how to perform well in an interview. Furthermore, two of the students attended an informative virtual session on Women’s Empowerment. These experiences provided the students with exposure to real-world scenarios and helped to broaden their horizons.
English Classes with Inlingua
To help its students improve their English speaking skills, Ritinjali has partnered with Inlingua, and 18 skilling students practiced their English Speaking Skills with the Inlingua team from 9th of March, 2023. Additionally, 21 skilling students attended an informative session on Goal Setting organized by the Inlingua Team.
Awareness on Personal Safety
Ritinjali prioritizes raising awareness on personal safety and recently organized a session on female sanitation, personal hygiene, and issues related to the menstrual cycle. Over 100 packets of sanitary napkins were distributed to the students during this session.
Teacher Participation
The teachers at Ritinjali play a crucial role in the success of its programmess. Five teachers participated in an interactive session organized by KPMG volunteers and conducted by Swati Gahlaut at KPMG office, Gurugram. This informative session was based on Women’s Empowerment and turned out to be an informative and interesting session.
Success Stories
Another success story is that of Jyoti, who completed the Early Childhood Care and Education course and secured a teaching job at an institute in Mahipalpur, earning Rs. 8,000 per month. She later found a better opportunity at Vishwa Bharti Public School, Dwarka, where she earns Rs. 18,000 per month as a teacher. The job has given her financial independence and a sense of empowerment and she has completed her B.ED course and cleared the CTET.
The organization takes pride in the success stories of its students, such as that of Rose Kispotta, who, through Ritinjali's support and her interest in extra-curricular activities, was able to pass class 10th and 12th with 74% and 71% respectively from NIOS. She is now enrolled in the Early Childhood Care and Education programme and hopes to become a Fine Art teacher.
In conclusion, Ritinjali firmly believes in the transformative power of creative activities to boost the creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-expression of their students. Their focus on collaboration and provision of basic, low-cost materials helps students to unleash their imagination and create unique works of art. Ritinjali remains committed to providing quality education and skilling opportunities to the local communities in Mahipalpur and looks forward to continuing to empower our students through various programs and initiatives.