Manish has stars in his eyes

Eight year old Manish is a student in Pratham’s Early Literacy and Numeracy program (Balwachan), which is designed specifically for first and second grade students that are falling behind. Balwachan helps children develop and improve upon their reading and writing skills, recognize numbers up to 50, and solve simple addition and subtraction problems.

Balwachan includes creative learning activities that are not often part of the government school curriculum. Pratham aims to build both literacy skills and self-confidence through activities such as Picture Reading, where a child builds a story through pictures, and Story Time, where the students tell their own tale. Students also learn the concept of time and how to tell the time.

Manish’s favorite subject is Hindi, and he has proved to be a very talented writer. He also loves solving puzzles. When we first met Manish, he tells us enthusiastically about his dreams for the future. ‘When I grow up, I will be a doctor, and I will treat poor people!’

For more uplifting stories and to see how your donation is making a difference, please visit http://pratham.seeyourimpact.org/readathon2013/ and scroll to the
stories section at the bottom of the page.