Operation BlackboardA ‘Board Game’ By

Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram, Chennai• Participants:

– Sahaana Sekhar– Akhil Prakash– Hriday Lunawath– Vardhaman Lodha– Ronak Rathore.

• Coordinator: Radha Venugopal• Technical help Kumaran R.

1. FEELFor Design for Change, we wanted

to do something where ONE POSITIVE step taken by us would make a difference to MANY PEOPLE over a LONG PERIOD OF TIME .

As students one issue we all identified with was EDUCATION.

2. IMAGINE Once we decided on

education we had to decide on WHAT ASPECT of education to focus on.

We visited a few schools for less privileged children and realized lack of basic infrastructure was a major problem in many schools.

Many schools we visited did not have even basic blackboards.

Realizing how essential it is to have visual inputs for learning, we decided that THIS would be our focus –

Providing Blackboards to the classrooms so that children are able to learn better.

STORY “BOARD” We chose Chennai

Girls Higher Secondary school, Rottlers street.

We met the principal of the school and offered to provide blackboards for the classrooms.

PRE “BOARD” Next we got a mason

and a carpenter to inspect to the school and give us an estimate of how much it would cost to repair the damaged boards and get 6 new ones.

The estimate given by him was Rs.8000/-!

BOARD MEETINGWe had the problem and the solution …….

but How do we mobilize funds for this in

a week?The various options given were:

Approach sponsors Junk saleDonationsFun fair, etc,.

THE DECISIONWe wanted to do something where

we could involve as many students as possible as well get us the required funds in a short time.

Finally, we unanimously decided on a four day T-20 cricket match involving our school boys, their friends and students from neighboring schools.

BOARD GAME In two days (August 18th and 19th) we

managed to form six teams – Each player had to pay a participation fee.

We divided ourselves into groups for various duties.Medals and trophiesMaking bannersRefreshments and first aidUmpiring and commentaryVolunteering

The matches started on 20th morning and so did the rain. Through the four days rain played spoil sport.

BOARD GAME

Several times the matches has to be abandoned, we had to scoop out bucketfuls of water from the pitch, mop it up with gunny bags, put sand on the pitch.... But the match went on. With all of us working relentlessly, we completed the tournament in four days by sheer grit.

After all the expenses, we had enough (Rs. 10,000) left for our project.

CRICKET’BOARD’

We met the mason and carpenter and asked them to begin work on the black boards.

They managed to repair some of the damaged boards and get a few new ones.

Repair work on the other boards is in progress.

BOARD WORK

THE CHANGEWhat we changed:We provided blackboards in the

classrooms Brought smiles on the faces of all the children in the school...

and help them learn better...

While we learntOrganising skillsPlanningTeam work and persistenceThe hardships children have to go

though to get basic education while we take things for granted.

And above all the “Joy of Giving”

NAME BOARD

As privileged children, the least we can do to our lesser privileged brethren is to make learning easier for them... and any investment in education impacts generations to come.

Sahaana,Akhil,Ronak,Hriday,Vardhaman