Page 52 - EducationWorld March 2022

People

closed, they had put their children to small initial investment (Rs.2 lakh).
work. If I had not intervened with my On principle, we do not charge par-
street classes, most children would ticipation fees. Of the six editions of
have dropped out of the school- the competition, three latter editions
ing system,” says Nayak, a science were sponsored by friends,” says
graduate of BB College, Asansol, who Kikani.
earlier worked as a primary teacher To encourage children and young
at Bamunia Free Primary School. adults to develop Gujarati language
Remarkably, Nayak has also been proficiency, Kikani has translated
able to persuade women of the village Tuesdays with Morrie by Ameri-
to attend street classes. “Today can author Mitch Albom and Iran
2,000 mothers of my students Awakening by Nobel Prize win-
are attending classes with their ner Shirin Ebadi from English into
children. I also persuaded them to Gujarati. Moreover, she writes a
get vaccinated against Covid-19. With weekly column for Chitralekha, a
schools having reopened recently, well-known Gujarati portal with a
I have shifted my street classes to million subscribers. Last February
early mornings and evenings before (2021), Kikani earned an entry into
and after school hours,” says this World Records India for compiling
education missionary whose unique Kikani: mother tongue champion a 12,500-page handwritten story-
initiative won him second prize in book comprising 2,000 entries she
the Unicef Photo of The Year 2021 1,300 students and teachers across received for Vartamelo’s annual
contest. Gujarat before the Covid-19 pan- competition.
Future plans. Nayak is networking demic outbreak. Direct talk. “I believe that children
with corporate and government Newspeg. In early February, Kikani should receive primary education
agencies to raise funding to take his concluded Vartamelo’s sixth edition in their mother tongue as it gener-
teaching-learning model to the most after receiving 642 student and 86 ates a sense of belonging and fosters
backward rural hinterlands of India. teacher entries. “About 50 schools respect for one’s culture and heritage
“My street school model has worked across Gujarat participated in the apart from developing creative think-
wonders to contain the learning competition this year, an excellent ing skills. Vartamelo was launched
loss of children. I am confident response far exceeding the entries six years ago to encourage thinking
it’s an effective model for bridging of the pandemic year. To motivate and writing skills in Gujarati. While
learning gaps accumulated during interaction with elders in the family, teachers are given specific topics,
the pandemic among underprivileged we urged students to write stories students are free to write on topics of
children,” says Nayak. involving them,” says Kikani. their choice. There are three rounds
Wind beneath your wings! History. A polymath lawyer, of elimination with entries assessed
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) company secretary and business by professionals and Gujarati lan-
management postgraduate of IIM- guage experts. Writers of the best
Vartamelo ideator Ahmedabad, Kikani was a practicing stories are awarded cash prizes from
Rs.11,000 onwards at a specially
company secretary for over a decade
managing a client base of 50-plus organised ceremony. Moreover,
hmedabad-based companies. This was followed by about 20 stories are shortlisted and
mother tongue advocate- a two-year stint with Reliance published in book form annually,”
Aentrepreneur DARSHA Infrastructure Ltd and six years with explains Kikani.
KIKANI is an independent director the highly reputed Ahmedabad- Future plans. Vartamelo’s website is
of several public limited liability based Educational Initiatives (EI). currently under construction. “Once
companies. She also organises the “During my stint with EI as vice it is launched, it will enable stu-
annual Vartamelo (story fair) in president (languages), I discovered dents and teachers to submit stories
Gujarati language creative writing that neither teachers nor parents online and access our counselling
competition open to class VII-XII were concerned about children’s programme on improving Gujarati
students and teachers. proficiency in the mother tongue. writing skills. Simultaneously, we
Launched in 2017, this annual Awareness that creativity and origi- will try reaching out to special needs
storywriting competition held in Jan- nal thinking in the mother tongue children and students in tribal belts,”
uary-February every year attracted is a neglected area, inspired me to says Kikani.
participation from 200 schools and launch Vartamelo in 2016 with a Aruna Raghuram (Ahmedabad)

52 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2022