Management pupils to help ‘'sitaras'’ shine

Around 180 management students of SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) will mentor 90 children from economically weaker sections as part of their course from July 2009.

Called Abhyudaya, the project carries 1.5 credits and the students have to spend
60 hours yearly mentoring the children, called ‘sitaras’.

“Children from the deprived sections are adopted from BMC and aided schools. SPJIMR plays the role of a catalyst to give financial and other kind of support so that they can realise their full potential. The main objective is to bring out their strengths till the children complete formal education,” said institute dean ML Shrikant.

Professor Rukaiya Joshi, project leader, said, Abhyudaya, started last year, included effective study habit workshops and disbursement of school and tuition fees.

However, the mentoring programme was initiated in 2009 by students of Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM-1 year) as a non-classroom experiential learning.

“Even as one talks about shining India, there is another section which doesn’t have the basic necessities. It’s here that we need to contribute and take ownership for what we do. This is what we are attempting through Abhyudaya,” said Sachin Deshmukh, student project coordinator, PGPM batch.

Now, the 2009-11 batch of Post Graduate Diploma in Management will mentor 90 children by monitoring the academic growth and teach and guide them in subjects.
Mentors need to prepare mentees for scholarship, competitive/talent exams, encourage extra curricular activities and interact with their family.

Joshi said that even though most B-schools follow KSA (knowledge, skills and attitude) principle, attitude is mostly ignored. “It is also very important to create the right attitude by sensitising students towards social responsiveness. This is what Abhyudaya aims at. It will be growth for both the mentor and the mentee,” she said.

Besides mentoring, each ‘sitara’ will receive Rs15,000 yearly till they complete graduation.

“Each year, we’ll adopt 45 children. The idea is to primarily look at BMC school students of Std 7 and work upon their performance so that they can be absorbed in slightly better schools in Std 8. Most municipal schools are only till class 7. The project will subsequently continue till they graduate,” explained Joshi.