Hello and Namaste!
I am Rekha Kumari and I am from Jharkhand, but currently living in Mumbai since 2015. Since 2017 I have work as a teacher in the Love2Learn classes of Gabriel Project at the Joshua Greenberger Learning Center. I teach grade four, and English for grades 5-to 8.
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| Rekha (in blue) teaching her class |
What do you love about your job?
When I was young, there was a school near where I lived and I used to adore and admire the teachers teaching in the school. I always dreamed of being a teacher someday, and this dream led me to be a teacher with Gabriel Project. The happiness and eagerness of the children to learn something new is what drives me. To fulfill my dream, I completed my master’s degree in English literature and also finished my bachelor’s degree in Education. When I came to Mumbai, I saw a lot of children are unable to read and write. Now I can see a lot of students improving and I am happy to see and be a part of this evolution.
What have been the greatest challenges during the pandemic?
It has been very difficult during Covid-19, but Gabriel Project continues to impact the community a lot during this pandemic, providing food to the community and other essential items. Gabriel Project’s work has been so important for the people who lost their jobs. People in the slums have around 5 to 8 members in their family. People live with their children, parents, and their brother, his family and with unmarried sisters. With this this joint family system, the question of feeding and taking care of all the family members persists.
Despite the challenges people in the communities are resilient, and Gabriel Project programs work to maximize this. While conducting Covid-19 awareness campaign, we came across a boy who told us that his father is an alcoholic and his mother is a vegetable vendor. Since the trains are not working, she cannot go to collect and sell vegetables. To support her family, she started working in a Covid-19 rehabilitation centre. She feels happy to see the patients recuperating and going back home with a smile on their face.
Please consider contributing to our work and join Rekha and the rest of the dedicated GPM staff in making an impact to so many. https://www.gabrielprojectmumbai.org/donate
