My name is Vipin, and I live at a slum in South Delhi.
When I started this program, I did not believe that I would be able to learn to speak English. But now I am realizing that I will be able to learn English very well. Before this, I was afraid to speak English. I wasn’t able to speak even basic simple words. I didn’t dare to speak English in front of anyone. I was embarrassed and I thought that people would just laugh at me, so I didn’t even try to speak English.
But after just a few days on the program, I realized that I can learn to speak English, that I will become fluent, and that I can learn to speak like a “gentleman.” Through the methods used on this program, I have found confidence in speaking. And even though I still make mistakes, this no longer bothers me. I know that to learn English, I need to practice and not worry about mistakes.
I have learned how to communicate with others, I am no longer afraid to speak English. I no longer hesitate. I have gained the confidence to speak. I could never even look at others before. Now I can face anyone! I’m no longer embarrassed about making mistakes, I know you can’t learn if you don’t practice.
The conditions in our slum are completely miserable. Despite this, parents send their children to government schools, in hopes of getting them an education. For some reason, however, the children are not able to learn in those schools. Some parents try to get their children a tuition, but the fees charged are way too high for us to afford. At other times, the families are so desperate, that the children need to work instead of go to school.
Now I have started to teach in my slum with the help of Charity United. The changes in the children in my slum have been amazing. The program is so simple, yet powerful. Hope has been restored to the children. You can see it in their eyes. You can see their dreams that had faded have come back to life and they again believe that a future is possible.
The parents are seeing this too. Because of the program, they too have started believing in education. As the word is getting round, the parents are now sending their children to our class. Every day we have 5 to 10 new students.
Our students are doing fantastic. They are learning new words every day, and with the use of flashcards, we are laying in the foundation of their education. We make sure that the students understand what each new word means, and we are building their English vocabulary.
If you don’t believe what I am saying, please feel free to come to our slum. You can personally check the students and you will see that they are really learning! You will see them actually using what they have learned. The children are starting to speak English among themselves. They take pride in using what they have learned.
The only thing that is holding us back now is materials. We are teaching in a field, or under the bridge, if it rains. We need a safe place to teach. We also need access to safe water for the students to drink, and we need the same materials for every student.
With these simple basics in place, I am confident we can have a better future. Our slum, in time, will cease to be a slum, but a place worth living. I know we can do this.