We are very proud to share that our alumna, Kainat Zakarya (Class of 2019), is making a difference through the Teach for India Fellowship. She been finding new hacks that are making learning fun.
Kainat is passionate about making an impact and helping uplift people at the grassroots level. She says she was ‘disturbed’ by the extent of ed-inequity in India. As a graduate of Political Science from New York University, Abu Dhabi, she wanted to leverage her learnings and gain practical knowledge about ground realities. This was motivation enough for her to join the Teach For India Fellowship. “Our Students do not have the same starting point as Students studying in private schools,” mentions Kainat. Teaching second-grade Students in New Delhi was challenging for her. Low academic rigour, a lack of understanding of moral values, etc., greatly disturbed her. Kainat thought of putting together innovative techniques that are different from textbook learning.
Apart from implementing interactive learning modules, Kainat took small steps to make big strides for her Students. She started screening English movies with moral values, which was a great success in her second-grade classroom. She then started story-reading sessions to help them understand and bridge the gap between gender stereotypes — boys and girls can do the same work and are not different. She also designed sessions and workshops for developing critical thinking skills among her Students. Kainat recognises that her second-grade Students have a lot of potential. Despite facing adversity, she finds them remarkably resilient. “I’ve witnessed children overcoming extreme poverty and living in difficult conditions,” she shares. “Their resilience is what drives and inspires me during challenging times.”
One example of Kainat’s dedication is her work with Maira, a Student struggling with comprehension. Daily extra sessions have significantly improved Maira’s reading skills and overall grades. Kainat’s story exemplifies how small, consistent efforts can lead to significant change in education.
We celebrate Kainat’s commitment to empowering education.
