Site visit report: Bhumi’s Science classes for children of Seva Samajam orphanage, Chennai. By Ganesh Murthy

Date: September 5th 2015, 9:30 AM-10:45 AM

Class location: Lady Nye Nursery and Primary School (opposite Seva Samajam orphanage), 75 Bajanai koil St, Pallipattu , Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 606113

SummaryType of visit: UnannouncedNumber of volunteers noted: 7 (Preeti, Vijay, Raju, Deepak, Meena, Kutti, and one more)Number of children who participated: about 25Topic of training: ScienceOverall impression: Good. I was not there long enough to gauge the technical content of the trainings, but I was encouraged to see rapport between the volunteers and the children. The children seemed to know the volunteers well, and looked genuinely excited to see them there. I came away with the thought that for the children to have such mentorship and interaction with potential role-models was probably more valuable than whatever the training could impart.

BackgroundPrior to the visit, we had requested Dr. Prahalathan for a list of locations where classes were being conducted in Chennai & Bengaluru. A WIP list was provided thereafter, with the names of centers, and contacts. I decided on the morning of September 5 th to visit Seva Samajam classes from that list, based on suitability of location & time. (Btw, for other’s that are interested, the WIP list provided to us is available here: https://goo.gl/bhSrjI)

Detailed Breakdown of EventsI arrived at around 9:30 AM at Seva Samajam, where I was advised that Bhumi classes happened at the Lady Nye Nursery and Primary School, which sits opposite to the orphanage. Classes were not set to begin until 10AM, so I waited in the school’s courtyard, where I met one of the Bhumi volunteers, Raju, who had already signed in. We chit-chatted, waiting for other volunteers to show up. Raju had about a year’s history with Bhumi & said he liked it for the opportunity to meet new faces in Chennai and do something satisfying.

By around 10AM, the children started showing up – many stopping by to say hello to the volunteers, whom they seemed to know very well. One of the children said that it was his birthday, prompting the volunteers to wish him. Other children were playful, inviting the volunteers to play volleyball.

One of the volunteers was not yet there, so the team waited until about 10:10 AM before starting to gather up children for their groups. Classes were by grouped by age/grade, with 2-3 volunteers together handling each group. The children were playful… so it took some time for them to settle down into their respective groups. I was told that the classrooms were locked for some reason, so the groups settled down on the steps of the school’s verandah. One of the volunteers mentioned that since they were starting late, they’d probably run the classes until 12:30 PM.

By around 10:20 AM, the children had settled down in their different groups. Each group was discussing a different topic. One group (6th graders) was discussing the powers of magnets. Another group (7th graders) was discussing atmosphere, oxygen. A third group of girls huddled around a lady volunteer, Preeti, discussing how the throat functioned. I saw one group use Bhumi’s book, while other volunteers seemed to bring in their own notes. The children listened and responded actively as the Bhumi volunteers explained details and asked them questions.

I had to leave around 10:45 AM, so I was not there long enough to gauge the technical content of the trainings, but I was encouraged to see rapport between the volunteers and the children. The children seemed to know the volunteers well, and looked genuinely excited to see them there. I came away with the thought that for the children to have such mentorship and interaction with potential role-models was probably more valuable than whatever the training could impart.

Pictures

The school courtyard; Volunteers gathering up under the tree

Classes underway – group 1

Classes underway – group 2

Classes underway – group 3

Additional links to moviesClass in progress #1: https://goo.gl/QKfIwbClass in progress #2: https://goo.gl/vzSPqX

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