Chennai
Those who refer to this as a ‘notorious’ neighbourhood based on news reports must visit the ninth main road at 5.30 pm any day to witness the impact of an initiative taken by auto driver D Vasudevan and his wife Uma Maheshwari. The couple runs a free open-air tuition for hundreds of kids in the area, for free. Every evening, around 250 kids seat themselves on tarpaulin sheets, provided by a well-wisher, with their textbooks.
Around five teachers including Uma teach and clear the students’ doubts. Once this bunch of school students leave at around 7.30 p.m. another batch of class 11 and 12 students squat under street lamps in the locality and prepare for their examinations.
“We started the tuition centre five years ago after my husband fractured his leg. I have three children and tuition centres nearby demanded a fee of Rs 200 per student. We were not in a position to afford it. One evening, I started teaching my children outside my house. My neighbours’ kids joined in and the number grew each day,” says Uma who calls the facility Babasaheb Ambedkar Free Night Centre’.
The neighbourhood was in dire need of a facility that encouraged children to study. Uma, a class 6 drop-out had her limitations. As more students from higher classes came in, it became difficult for her to help them out.
“We then hired post graduate students who agreed to teach in the evening. However, they demanded remuneration. My wife pledged her jewellery and I had to let go of the autorickshaw that I owned to cobble up funds,” says Vasudevan, who has studied till class 10.
Students who were beneficiaries of this tuition class and went to college volunteered to teach these kids for free. They now have two such teachers. Five years down the line, the challenges continue. “Once the police questioned us about using public space for personal use.
We had to explain that we weren’t making any profit out of this. We need funds to erect sheds as conducting classes during monsoon would be difficult. An IAS officer helped us for three months but that fund support too has stopped,” she adds.
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