Unleashing Dreams through Project Khwaab

In a world filled with endless possibilities, dreams serve as a compass guiding us towards a brighter future. Yet, dreams can appear distant and unattainable for many, especially for those facing challenges or are unsure of the journey ahead. That’s where ‘Khwaab’ comes in - a transformative project aimed at nurturing the dreams and potential of young minds through confidence and capability building.

Team Khwaab

It was a team of 5 second-year undergraduate students at O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana.

Let’s meet the team!

Ananya Sampath, Anisha Anand, Gopika K Nair, Joann Susan Wilson and Manan Singh

A glimpse into the project

The heart of our semester-long project Khwaab was to inspire and empower middle school children to dream big and recognize their endless capabilities. Our focus group were the 8th-grade students at the Government Model Sanskriti Primary and Middle School (GMS), Model Town in Sonipat. The primary reason for choosing the group was the high dropout rates in government schools of the region. The 8th grade can be a critical juncture for these students to understand the importance of education in helping them realize and fulfill their dreams.

As the former President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said, “Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in actions.” We believe that for students to achieve their goals it is important for them to have a dream and they need help to understand the path and various opportunities ahead of them. Our project was centered on working on essential skills like communication, comprehension, writing and attentiveness, while making them aware of various national and global issues along with potential career opportunities.

Recognizing the students’ lower economic background, we felt that the students needed extra foundational support to help accomplish their dreams. This is why we attempted to help them in whatever small way we could.

One session at a time

We intended to be the guiding hand that helps these young students recognize their potential and realize the efforts required to fulfill their aspirations. Over the course of four thoughtfully crafted sessions, we embarked on a journey of capacity-building that incorporates a holistic approach to education.

Building blocks of our sessions

Throughout the course of our sessions, we aimed to introduce them to a range of topics that are not typically taught in classrooms as subjects. The theme of communication was constant across all sessions as we believe it to be an essential skill for all areas of life.

The first session was a general introductory and icebreaking session between the team and the students. It acted like a basic interactive communication and listening exercise.

The second session focused on ‘self-introspection’. Additionally, we provided letter-writing instructions to help students communicate effectively with authorities to address their concerns, for academic use and to help their families and people around them in writing formal letters.

The third session was on the theme of ‘environment’ and the myriad of climate related issues we are currently facing globally. We also provided them with contacts of first responders who can be contacted at time of need. The theme was followed by a small plantation drive within the school campus during the next session.

The fourth session was an interactive ‘Meet your Heroes’ session. The students got the opportunity to hear from leaders across various fields. This session was planned to motivate and inspire the students while showing them the importance of hard work.

The Project ended with a campus tour for the students at the O.P. Jindal Global University to provide them exposure along with a bit of fun. A session on education and working hard to achieve their goals was held, they were trained in making newspaper bags (to play their role in creating a sustainable environment around them) and the day ended with games and lunch.

We believe that by investing in these young minds and providing them with the additional tools and knowledge they need, we can work on their individual development, help uplift their families and inspire positive change within their communities.

What more….

While we worked with the students, our intention was also to convey a message to the larger audience and dismantle the belief that students of government schools in India are not capable of achieving their dreams and are not ‘smart enough’. We used our social media platforms to discuss and share insights about our sessions and project. We also interacted with senior authorities at our University to reach out to the wider university community.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/project.khwaab?igshid=MmU2YjMzNjRlOQ==