Aarti's Journey: How Pratham’s intervention transformed a Grade 4 student's education through their Summer Learning Camp

Aarti is a Grade 4 student from the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, who faced significant challenges in her educational journey. She lives with her father, Raju, a farmer; her mother, a homemaker; and her younger sister, Gudiya, who is in Grade 3. With her experiencing a difficult pregnancy, she relied on Aarti to help with daily household chores, which often caused her to miss school, leading to Aarti falling further and further behind in her learning.

When Pratham’s thirty day learning camp started in October 2023 at Aarti’s school, her attendance was sporadic. The school teacher confirmed her frequent absences, raising concerns about her academic progress. A Pratham team member visited Aarti’s home and discovered that her absences were due to her need to help with household responsibilities, especially as her mother was expecting another child and was not well.

During the home visit, the Pratham team member assessed Aarti’s learning level in front of her parents. It became evident that Aarti struggled with reading and basic maths. Her parents were initially skeptical about the value of regular school attendance, believing she wasn’t learning much anyway. However, after finding out about Pratham’s engaging and effective methodologies, they were persuaded to send Aarti to school daily.

Engaging with the Learning Camp

Aarti began attending the learning camp, a short, intensive teaching-learning initiative conducted by Pratham staff with support from the school and community to help children catch up and improve their learning levels. Children are grouped by learning ability rather than grade, using tailored methods and materials for rapid, impactful progress.

Aarti became engaged with the interactive and enjoyable learning activities in the camp. She particularly enjoyed listening to stories and participating in warm-up exercises, which sparked her interest in learning.

Overcoming challenges

Despite her initial enthusiasm, Aarti’s mother once again started keeping her at home to help with chores. Another visit by a Pratham team member highlighted Aarti’s noticeable progress — she was starting to read, despite some difficulty. Witnessing her daughter’s improvement, Aarti’s mother was convinced to allow her to attend the camp everyday and Aarti’s progressed remarkably!

Aarti began helping her mother in the morning so it didn’t interfere with her schooling and her confidence soared as her reading and math skills improved. By the end of the camp, Aarti could read stories and solve basic addition problems. She even joined the community children’s club, where she participated in daily learning activities.

Aarti’s transformation

Aarti’s happiness was palpable as she shared her newfound skills. She took pride in being able to read and understand her lessons and was excited to share stories with her younger sister and her newborn brother. Her mother expressed her gratitude, saying:

“We used to think there was no point in sending her to school if she couldn’t read or understand what was being taught, but now we have realised that regular attendance at school can help. The learning camp has taught her to read.”

The impact of Pratham’s Learning Camps

Aarti’s journey is a testament to the impact of Pratham’s learning camps. Her story highlights the importance of regular attendance and the right learning support. Pratham’s interventions have not only helped Aarti catch up academically but also fostered a love for learning, paving the way for a brighter future through education.

If you’d still like to join us in helping more children like Aarti take transformative learning journeys with Pratham. Make your donation today and change a child’s life.