The teacher is a catalyst to bring change in society
By Anna Ferello and Laura Hospital / Development Volunteer team July 2024
Anna and Laura have been volunteering with Humana India at the teachers training (NeTT) in Baruasagar, district Jhansi, Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, since October 2024.
Soon their 6 months are over and they will be heading back to CICD.
We look forward to seeing them again soon and hear all about their experiences!
Sports day with students and teachers
On the 8th of January, we helped the Humana staff to organise a Sports Day Event for around 120 students.
The objective of the event was for all students to have the chance to practice different sports and learn new skills, while having fun playing within teams and bonding with their classmates. Some indoor games, like Carrom or Chess, were also available to make sure everyone was included.
The event started with an opening ceremony led by the Principal and continued with a common warming up. Two different schedules were set for girls and boys respectively. During the morning girls played volleyball and badminton, while the boys had a cricket match, tug of war and European games. After that, some snacks were provided for the students and the organisers and everyone enjoyed the shared meal. During the afternoon girls played cricket and kho-kho, while boys were involved in volleyball and badminton. At the end of the day, winning teams of the various competitions were awarded with a trophy and all the participants received a certificate to attest their participation.
Everyone had fun and enjoyed the sunny day. This day also helped the students to gain more self-confidence while practicing sports, and to realize the huge impact and advantages that physical exercise has on body and mind. Mostly for girls, it was an opportunity to have the space to practice and to improve their sports skills. Furthermore, this event also strengthened the connection among students and the teachers, who were sharing and enjoying a nice day together.
Establishing a kitchen garden
This month at DieTT, we’ve launched a Kitchen Garden Club as part of our Friday Afternoon program. These sessions are designed to provide students with opportunities to develop skills beyond the standard academic curriculum. Students themselves selected the activities they wanted to participate in, and the kitchen garden emerged as the most popular choice in a recent survey, alongside art and global issues. The kitchen garden initiative is a collaborative effort involving Humana workers, government teachers, DIs, and students
The responsible teachers carefully selected the location for the kitchen garden within the DieTT, choosing a fertile and available space. Three main factors were considered in the decision: the size, access to sunlight, and water availability. Afterward, a fence was built to protect the area from animals.
Once everything was in place, the first session of "Friday Afternoon" took place. The session focused primarily on organizing and planning the structure and dynamics of our Garden Club. An agenda was presented to introduce the different aspects of the kitchen garden, and five teams were formed. Students had the opportunity to choose a team based on their preferences and interests. The teams were as follows: (1) soil preparation, (2) garden design, (3) seed selection, (4) water system, and (5) garden security and maintenance.
Once the soil was prepared, the seed selection team compiled a list of recommended seeds along with an estimated budget. The selection process considered factors such as the current season and the local climate to ensure the best possible growth conditions for the chosen plants.
In our next session, we gathered to discuss the detailed plan for planting all the seeds. This session was led by the garden design team. We carefully considered factors such as plant companions, sunlight access, soil conditions, and the growth habits of each seed to ensure optimal conditions for every plant. Once this was decided, we went to plant the seeds in the garden.
The next steps focus on the ongoing maintenance of the area and the care of the seeds. Labels have been created to guide students along designated pathways throughout the area, ensuring they can move around without disturbing the plants.
Overall, the kitchen garden is creating a sustainable space where all members can come together to grow fresh produce, foster a sense of community, and promote eco-friendly practices. By cultivating this garden, we aim not only to encourage healthy eating habits, but also provide an opportunity for learning, collaboration, and reconnecting with nature.
What is the NeTT programme?
From Humana Indias website:
“Our two-year Necessary Teacher Training (NeTT) programme is implemented through an innovative pedagogical framework called the Doctrine of the Modern Method (DMM).
The programme provides an essential balance between theory and practice, blending seamlessly with the state curriculum frameworks for teacher education.
Teacher is a catalyst to bring change in the society via education. Therefore, teacher education becomes the factor of utmost importance in education.
NeTT is an elementary school teacher-training programme adopted and implemented by State Governments. It offers course to transact with the two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) with District Institute of Education and Training (DIET).
NeTT programme was started in the year 2009. Until now, 19,276 teachers have graduated with this programme from 31 DIETs in six states. Currently, the programme is implemented in 21 DIETs across three States.”
