Edited by: Ananya Khandelwal
One of the community service clubs on campus, Ruhi, has been active for three years now, with its main focus on mobilising the student body to give English lessons to members of the working staff. Recently, the club has taken this project a step further by offering a co-curricular around these classes. We spoke to the head(s) of the club to discuss the progress and the circumstances around Ruhi’s workings.
I: One of the main ways in which Ruhi seems to be trying to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity is through language. How have the staff responded to these English lessons?
Vasundhara: I would like to answer this question with an example. Vighnesh Hampapura, one of the tutors at Ruhi developed a close bond with his tutee. They practised reading, writing and speaking together. Little did both know that this would fetch her a better job outside Ashoka. They have both kept in touch since.
I: Ruhi’s work involves promoting a better relationship and understanding between the students of Ashoka and the work staff. What are the challenges that you face in this regard?
Vasundhara: At the beginning, when we wanted to gauge the support staff’s interest with regards to learning English, only 60% of them responded positively. However, as Ruhi grew, even those who were sceptical initially came to us to get themselves involved. Seeing their colleagues make new friends, learn and teach in the process, they decided that Ruhi would be a worthwhile endeavour.
It has also been difficult to coordinate and bring together the students and staff. From the staff side, it is often difficult to get permission from their supervisors for them to attend and participate in events. Our heads last year, Nethra and Roshani, saw the importance of institutionalising the process of teaching and worked closely with members of the administration last year. Finally after putting in a lot of effort, Ruhi became an official 2- credit course at Ashoka.
I: How did the idea of Ruhi come about?
Vasundhara: Ayushi Jain, an alum, used to teach a didi on her floor. She came up with the idea of making this a campus-wide activity. She approached me because I was already working with the didis on a project on menstrual health and hygiene with the support staff on campus before Ruhi was born. As mentioned previously, we faced challenges with regards to convincing the staff members of the need for change. Together, we decided to start a society that is recognised as an official course today. Ruhi is the making of many who have given their soul to a cause.
I: Where does the club plan to go from here? What activities and events have you planned for the coming semesters?
Vasundhara: I’d like Aditi and Vrinda, the current presidents to answer this question.
Aditi and Vrinda: As mentioned, Ruhi’s teaching work has been institutionalised. The Teach English 101 co-curricular course is running smoothly, with our core member Rosheen Dhar as the Teaching Assistant. The students enrolled take lessons with didis and bhaiyas every day, to teach them vocabulary and grammar. They also teach them skills like how to write an email or how to sit for an interview. The co-curricular helps us communicate better with the support staff for our other work-like activities and workshops.
We are now expanding our focus in terms of social welfare. By organising events on topics such as menstrual hygiene, worker’s rights and financial planning, we hope to increase our impact. Building upon this initiative, we are in talks with other clubs to collaborate on their projects.
I: What are the most valuable lessons that you’ve learnt from your work and experience at Ruhi?
Vasundhara: Ruhi has been a great learning experience for me. It has helped me oversee challenges and ideate on solutions across the entire value chain. Because of the nature of the club, Ruhi requires interaction with various spheres on-campus- support staff, administration, professors and student body. Thus, it has made me adept at communicating with various stakeholders. Ruhi has shaped my experience on campus. Taking an idea and converting it into a live model has been an exciting process. Moreover, being able to convince so many student volunteers to put their time, effort and heart into a shared vision that Ayushi and I saw has been an exhilarating experience. Ruhi has been a great learning experience for me. It has helped me oversee challenges and ideate on solutions across the entire value chain. Because of the nature of the club, Ruhi requires interaction with various spheres on-campus- support staff, administration, professors and student body. Thus, it has made me adept at communicating with various stakeholders. Ruhi has shaped my experience on campus. Taking an idea and converting it into a live model has been an exciting process. Moreover, being able to convince so many student volunteers to put their time, effort and heart into a shared vision that Ayushi and I saw has been an exhilarating experience.
(Photos were provided to us by Vasudhara Gupta)