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The Anudip training centre in the large village of Magrahat is situated within a complex of low-rise buildings just opposite a small reservoir. The early evening breeze was slowly nudging the children back home from the nearby school. They meandered through the streets, slowly walking along the dirt roads back to their homes dotted in the surrounding paddy fields. We crossed the road and made our way into one of the buildings. In a small sized room sat a group of 20 something-year-olds sitting crossed legged on the floor. Their eyes focused on Rukshanda, an Anudip English teacher dictating in loud, enunciated English.
As we waited we met Tirthankar, the manager of the centres in the area. Initially working in data entry for a Kolkata BPO, he joined Anudip as a student seeking better training and more opportunities. Now an employee and in a senior role, his job consists of ‘mobilizing’ the youth and developing relationships with local partners. From giving talks at schools to managing trainers and getting students’ employed, Tirthankar solves everyday issues at Anudip. When asked about the difference between his jobs he said simply, “I was creating profit, now I create livelihoods.”
In the picture, Rukshanda is seated extreme right with Tirthankar-da beside her.
Rukshanda noticed the wavering attention of her students as we were talking. As she finished, she greeted us with a warm smile and asked me to sit with her. She was teaching a new batch that had just started this morning. With pride she explained that now all her students can formally introduce themselves. It didn’t seem that impressive at first, as I knew that English was taught from the beginning in all schools – but I was mistaken. Most of the schools outside the cities are in the Bengali or Hindi medium where English is a “secondary concern.” As one of her students explained, his school English teacher was hardly ever at their lessons and would rarely provide any learning materials. “Many of my students do not know basic grammar, the difference between his and her or their and there… knowledge that should’ve been taught at primary school.”
Rukshanda has a master’s in English and once had an opportunity to pursue her further education abroad. However, her traditional background determined that she settle down. But I still wondered why she wanted to teach from the fundamentals. “Teaching flowery English did not interest me… the majority of people here do not know even the basics,” she replied.
Rukshanda’s enthusiasm for teaching and her duty towards her community led her to Anudip. From the beginning she found the job rewarding, “A couple of months ago, after my morning class, a student invited me home for lunch on his birthday. I was extremely touched. His family can hardly afford to feed more mouths and yet he asks me to join him!” There is a sense of unity she feels in being part of the organisation, “Everyone is grounded – from my boss, Tirthankar-da, to my fellow colleagues. I never feel that I am being spoken down to.”
About the author
Abhiram Nandakumar was born in Chennai, India and lives in the UK where he is currently doing his Masters in Chemistry from the University of Southampton. Recently he has become the Chairman of UNICEF on Campus where he will be organising events to raise awareness. Last year he raised over £10,000 for charities including Amnesty International, British Red Cross and Greenpeace. He has strong ties to India and loves to visit regularly. In his spare time he enjoys writing, travelling, tennis and playing the classical guitar.
