Tuitions over phone for students appearing for boards

Kalaivani Chittaranjan, founder and CEO of mintbook.com, a digital education program, saw the recent floods wash away children’s books and put a spanner into their preparations for the board exam. “I saw many children trying to salvage their books and dry them out wherever they could. And I wanted to do something more than just provide books. Despite the floods, the board exams will still take place as scheduled. I anticipated that schools, even after they reopen, will be in a rush to complete the portions. Students have already lost time. So, we set up an infrastructure, where students from all across Tamil Nadu can call on a tollfree number and a teacher will explain the concepts. The 30-minute session will be followed by 10 minutes of question and answer, where the students can clarify their doubts,” she says.

Kalaivani adds that 25 students can log in at a single time. “This is like a conference system. The students have to let us know in advance, which subject they would like to be coached in and their standard. The response so far has been good. We have had teachers from Salem, Madurai and Tiruchy teaching subjects like maths, physics and biology. 

The idea is to ensure that the students understand the concepts, rather than just mug up. At the end of the day, the board exams are important and the marks can affect the lives of many students,” she says, hoping to reach out to students from flood-hit areas of Cuddalore and other villages across Tamil Nadu. 

To access this service, students can call on 91-88922-95967 or email info@mintbook.com.

A city-based NGO is reaching out to children, who have been affected by the floods, helping rehabilitate them through music, dance and art. Sriram Ayer, founder and CEO of NalandaWay Foundation, says children need a channel to express their feelings, especially after a tragedy. “It is important to help these children understand their fears and give them an opportunity to express it out in a peaceful and creative way. Through dance, music, art and storytelling, we try to give them a feeling of reassurance. Engaging with children, who have been through a tragedy, is vital as it can affect their personality in the long run,” says Sriram, who is hoping to conduct sessions in all the relief camps across the city.

Another volunteer Monisha Vasanth Kumar says, “Through art and other activities, we are trying to restore a sense of normalcy in their lives.”

Musician Vedanth Bharadwaj, who conducted a session at a relief camp in Saidapet, says it was a healing experience. 

“I performed a song for them and even taught them to sing Kinaare lagaao, by Mirabai. The children were happy and it was a productive way to keep them engaged. Any form of art, especially indulged in together, has a potential to heal. For me, it was certainly a healing experience,” he adds.