Entrepreneur facilitates online mentoring of Kullu village kids
Abhinav Vashisht
Kullu, September 12
Ankit Sood, an entrepreneur in the Tirthan valley of Banjar subdivision, has come up with a novel concept of providing online mentoring to students of villages in the ecozone area of the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) through volunteers across the country.
As his cottage, meant for tourists, was lying vacant due to the Covid-19 crisis, he started the ‘Sunshine Learning Centre’ there where he is providing free Internet connectivity to students coming there to attend online classes.
Empty space put to noble use
- As Ankit Sood’s cottage for tourists was lying vacant amid the pandemic, he started the Sunshine Learning Centre there.
- Students come to the centre to attend online sessions on various subjects like communication skills, photography, career guidance etc.
These sessions are taken by volunteer mentors from across the country.
Ankit said volunteers were teaching different skills to students online and some of them had even visited Banjar to take motivational sessions of students. He said this was a volunteer tourism concept, wherein people travelled for a noble cause. He said these volunteers cherished the beauty of the valley and at the same time, shared their expertise with the local community.
He said online seminars were also held by reputed persons to guide students about career options. Children have so far interacted with an Army colonel, a scientist from the ISRO and a computer engineer from DELL. Giving examples, he said volunteer Tarun gave insight to students in photography. Abhijeet Kothale from Mumbai donated a camera for the children. Lessons are being provided to students in English speaking and communication skills as well, he said.
They have also started a library at the centre. He said that he wanted to set up more libraries with the help of volunteers in the remote areas so that interest in reading books could be created among children of rural areas. He appealed to the masses to donate books in English and Hindi languages.
Monika, a student, said she came to the Sunshine Learning Centre daily and was thankful to her mentor Nalini of Pune for teaching her English. Bhuvneshwari said through the centre, she was able to get geography classes from her mentor Nisha of Mumbai. Piyush thanked his mentor Sarita and said the centre was providing the facility free of cost, which was an appreciable step. He said motivational sessions by mentors opened up new avenues and encouraged them to opt for various professions.
