Gowri B is one of the oldest volunteers at AASHA. Her passion and commitment for the cause
shine through the fact that she used to travel a long distance, braving the Bangalore traffic, to
teach the kids at the Bommanahalli Govt School. She’s known for her kindness and empathy she
shows towards the students. Ever conscious of the hardships faced by the disadvantaged section
of the society, she believes that even disciplining children must be done with compassion. No
wonder the students love her and always ask for her.
It is only natural that she won the best volunteer award conferred by the BEET Force (Bangalore
Effective Education Task Force).
While most parents are willing stakeholders and encourage their children on the path of
education, there are several instances when they don’t understand the need for it. It is not
uncommon to assign students to volunteer teachers only to realize that the student keeps skipping classes or there’s very little family support to ensure the learning happens smoothly without external disturbance. For every such instance, Gowri talks to the student’s parents and counsels them on the importance and value of this program.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way education reaches students. AASHA migrated to the
digital platform soon enough. Gowri has been one of the strong pillars who has made this shift to
the digital world possible. Although her heart is in teaching, she took upon herself the mammoth
task of connecting a needy child to the team at AASHA. The activity is laborious because govt
schools rarely have the contact details updated on their records. Once Gowri gets an interested
student on her list, she assesses the student’s level for fundamental reading, speaking, and
comprehension through a detailed assessment sheet prepared by the AASHA team that grades a
student on levels between 0 and 5. Further to the assessment, she notes down finer details of the
student’s specific areas of improvement like spellings or grammar.
The value of education is priceless, more so when offered for free. This sentiment, perhaps,
needs more social awareness for it to be appreciated. When the fundamentals like food, clothing,
and shelter attain the status of luxury, it is presumptuous to assume education gets its due. And
yet, education is THE ticket to a better life and greener pastures. AASHA wonders if attaching a
small fee to the program will kindle the commitment and tenacity among the beneficiaries to
make the best use of the opportunity.
It is easier to let go of students when due to impeding factors but volunteers like Gowri uphold
AASHA’s mission through all circumstances. Despite all odds, she has managed to connect 90
students to 90 teachers during this pandemic; an achievement worth applause and respect.
Aasha Infinite Foundation 