Nurturing Curiosity- Jayanthi Angothu, our Young Changemaker!
Jayanthi Angothu, a curious young science enthusiast from Nalgonda District in Telangana joined TribesforGOOD in October 2021 to gain exposure and meet fellow students from across the country. Jayanthi is a 9th grader from GBHS Himayathnagar Amberpet currently staying in Hyderabad with her mother to pursue her education. However, she fondly remembers her childhood days in Nalgonda and her life in the village.
Jayanthi is a student at Inqui-lab and studies in a Teach for India school through which she got to develop her skills and explore opportunities. Our team recently had a conversation with her to learn more about her experience with us. She participated in the 3 week Internship Accelerator Program focussed on Education. There were 6 students selected and Jayanthi was one of them. The program exposes the students to interact with leaders, understand real world issues and most importantly gain an experience which would help build their profiles. We also have seen how students are nervous at the start of the program and gradually build their confidence levels.
Take a look at how the conversation went:
Can you tell us about your school and current life in Hyderabad?
I study at an English Medium School called GBHS Himayathnagar Amberpet in Hyderabad. Compared to a lot of other Government schools, my school has better facilities and infrastructure like library, Computer lab(approx 10 computers) etc. The school also comes under the mid-day meal scheme because of which the students who face financial difficulties at home can have nutritious meals at the school itself. However, I think holistic education is something that is lacking in my school. I strongly feel that students my age should have access to physical training to have a healthy-fit body.
And about Hyderabad, it is the best possible place for me to pursue my education considering my current circumstances. However, I still miss the lifestyle back in my village with the rest of my family.
Can you tell us about why you joined TribesforGOOD ?
This was my first internship experience. I have never been part of any internship before!
Mainly I joined to engage with new people and build a network. I also wanted to work on my communication skills and be more confident. I have explored problem solving with Inqui-lab and I wanted to sharpen those skills to solve real social issues through this program. I also wanted to learn how other participants would share their ideas with the leaders.
What were the biggest challenges that you faced during the program?
Initially I struggled in understanding what my fellow interns were speaking since they used to speak fluent English. I also used to get a bit nervous to speak in public and express my opinions. It was a bit difficult but it was indeed a great learning experience.
I got to learn about a lot of new things. I had never used Google Doc, Slides, Sheets, Video editors etc and the program gave me an opportunity to gain new skills. Everything I did with TribesforGood was a first-time experience for me.
Which was the best moment that you cherish from the Internship Accelerator Program?
The best moment was when we showed our videobooks to Mr Santosh Phad, the Founder of Thinksharp Foundation. Apart from that it was great to work in a team, brainstorm and develop a pitch presentation to enhance the performance of Digi Library App. The fact that we all got to pitch in was great.
What were the skills that you acquired during the program?
Definitely, digital tools. Apart from that I learned to present my idea to a crowd with confidence.
What are your future plans?
As coding is something that I am really interested in, I think I would want to pursue engineering later. I want to go abroad, study and gain new experiences. Later, I want to come back to India and work for my country.
Teach for India has an intervention in your school. Can you tell me about the work that they have done in upskilling and mentoring you?
I have been a TFI student since Grade 3. Every two years there is a new set of Bhaiyyas and Didis who join our school to teach. Currently, I am in my 9th grade and we have 4 TFI Fellows with us teaching all subjects apart from regional languages. The English I speak and whatever I am today is all because of Teach for India Fellows. They have also brought about a lot of positive changes and opportunities to my school. All of them are really kind and we all love them!
Can you tell us about how you improved your language skills?
TFI Fellows played a major role in building language skills since smaller grades. Apart from that, the students try to speak in English with each other during school hours. It really helped us be comfortable with the language.
How long have you been associated with Inqui-lab? How have they helped you?
I have been with Inqui-lab since my 6th grade when new TFI fellows joined. Inqui-lab was associated directly with the TFI fellows through which they supported few students from my school. Inqui-lab helped us identify problems and design solutions that are both innovative and useful. We had weekly classes with them which was super interesting. All of us used to be very excited to attend their sessions.
What is the project that you have done with Inqui-lab?
I did multiple projects with Inqui-lab. I noticed the lack of proper lighting in one of the streets in Hyderabad and raised a complaint towards GHMC( greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation). A few days later, they contacted me and solved the problem. I followed up with the same issue by interviewing passerbys of the street. The next project that I did was regarding helmet usage during summer time. People used to avoid helmets because of the sweat and heat that builds up in it. My idea was to develop a solar helmet through which there can be a small fan that can cool the helmet and provide relief to the passenger.
Last year, the world faced a huge crisis situation- Covid-19. When the classes shifted online, how did you cope with the same?
There were so many challenges starting from internet issues to smart phones. I had to use my mother’s phone for classes which created a lot of inconvenience for her. Apart from that, attention span is also low in online classes. However, I am very grateful for the opportunities it has opened up for me. We are able to talk now in spite of being miles apart only because of digital tools. A lot of time and resources can be saved in such a way.
How was your learning experience since last year?
I used to learn via TV like all other Govt school students. Since there was no option for communication, TV learning was quite difficult. Our teachers were not familiar with laptops and digital tools to efficiently teach us. They used to have a lot of trouble adjusting. TFI fellows took a lot of effort to assist them with the digital transformation- be it zoom classes, recording, assignments etc. Apart from that, TFI fellows used to take classes on Zoom to teach and clear our doubts.
Do you think a better digital access would help you in learning better especially considering the current situation?
Access to laptops or computers would have helped a lot in learning better. The tools, softwares, screen- everything is better in a laptop. Apart from that, I am learning coding using scratch coding language. Although smartphones have been good enough for classes, access to digital tools and softwares become very limited.
TribesforGood programs gives exposure to students who wish to learn by doing through community service. We inculcate the habit of problem solving and learning by doing to make students active citizens of the future. Check out our blogs to read more about stories of impact.