U&I Teach

As the co-founder of U&I, a non-profit based in India, I'm a firm believer in social change that is driven by the community – you and I – working together for the greater good. Having trained in youth leadership development in Australia (post graduate diploma), my strengths revolve around inspiring and rallying young people to be the change that they want to see. As co-founder of this movement, I get to formulate strategy and cast vision, but my passion lies in motivating and catalysing successful young people to understand their potential to create meaningful impact in the lives of underprivileged children every year through the U&I Teach program. The last ten years of leading U&I, along with my co-founder Satish Manchikanti, have been challenging but also enormously rewarding as we witness the tangible results of our work in the lives of 2,500 underprivileged children every year. 

While the majority of children in India are enrolled in school, the quality of education in low-income schools is a pervasive problem. Due to teacher-student ratios of upto 1:60, poor classroom resources, the lack of role models for these first-generation learners, and no affirmation, by some estimates nine out of ten children drop out by high school and find themselves in dead-end jobs. Through U&I Teach, we address these issues at our after-school Learning Centers by pairing passionate, successful volunteer tutors with children in a 1:2 ratio so that each child receives individual mentoring. We also provide learning resources each child requires to thrive in the classroom Our culture is based on affirmation as we seek to build confident learners who stay in school, complete their education and have access to better-paying jobs. In 2019-2020, 2500 volunteers mentored 2500 children at more than 50 U&I Learning Centers.

Globally, 85% of lower secondary school-age children are in either primary or secondary school, and only 65% of upper secondary school-age children are either in primary, secondary or higher education (UNICEF). In India, based on the data from National Family Health Survey-3,it was found that only 75% of the children in the age group 6 to 16 years were attending school. The dropouts among the children belonging to illiterate parents were four times higher than that of the literate parents.  Evidence also indicates that children are not learning at expected levels. According to the National Achievement Survey 2015, less than half the reading comprehension questions and mathematical questions posed in the survey were answered correctly by Grade 5 students. Additionally, foundational skills are not laid in elementary skills –  of Grade 1 students, only 7% are able to match grade-level competency in language skills and only 16% could display early numeracy competency. According to  the UNESCO, India is one of the 21 countries where less than half of children are learning the basics. The need for investment in education and mentorship of students by non-profits, therefore, becomes crucial in the current scenario.

U&I began in 2011 with the aim of giving underprivileged children high-quality education and personalized mentorship by leveraging the strength of India’s educated and successful youth. We do this by setting up learning hubs across the country where we provide after-school tutoring for disadvantaged children through a 1:2 teacher-student ratio. Our uniqueness lies in that we follow a volunteer-centric model. Our tutors volunteer with U&I for nine months and teach for 2.5 hours a week. Each tutor receives training to understand our culture and on classroom management. We also provide all the teaching and learning resources that are required in the classroom, from books and stationery to tablets and laptops in some cases. Our project also includes a module for holistic education through which we conduct workshops on art and drama, music, as well as medical camps and health classes. We also believe in a positive classroom environment at each of our Learning Centers and have incorporated tools like affirmations and social contracts to develop a culture that is conducive to learning. The goal of U&I Teach is to empower children to become confident lifelong learners and to help them beat the cycle of poverty through education.

U&I works to improve the lives of underprivileged children across India by giving them high-quality education. Every year, our volunteers mentor between 2,000 and 2,500 children between the ages of 5-15 years old from India’s urban areas (cities and big towns). Most of the children we serve live in orphanages or shelter homes and a smaller percentage live with their parents in low-income neighborhoods and slums. These children attend government schools where often they are left behind because of the extremely large classrooms (sometimes up to 60 children a class), teacher absenteeism and other factors. In order to understand the needs of those we serve, we work closely with the Learning Center Partner (usually a shelter home) to grasp student background and needs. We also hold one-on-one informal chats with each child and assess them academically at the start of the year so we can plug them into the appropriate level of tutoring. We also involve the children in the learning process by asking them to help draw up a ‘social contract’ which defines the culture of the classroom. Every class also includes personalized affirmations where each student is lauded for their efforts and their work.  

Through this project, we give children from underprivileged backgrounds a step up by creating equal education opportunities for them. In India, the gap between the rich and the poor is especially glaring in the education space, where children from middle-class homes have access to learning resources while those from disadvantaged backgrounds get left behind. Through U&I Teach we create opportunities for these children to get the individualized attention and resources to thrive in their learning. We catalyze successful young people to serve as tutors by building momentum, providing training and creating a platform where they can bring meaningful transformation.

U&I Teach started when a few friends with a heart for social justice decided to give free computer classes for a group of boys who were part of neighborhood non-profit. One of the friends ran a small HR firm – the office space had several computers and no employees after work hours. We had the space, we had the resources, we had the volunteers, we had a group of underprivileged children who were eager to learn. And, while we didn’t know it then, that was the first U&I Learning Center. We noticed that many of the boys we taught didn’t know basic conversational English, a requirement for higher-paying jobs in India. A few more friends joined the cause and we began English tutoring classes. Two of us (Satish Manchikanti and myself) decided to take the lead on expanding the movement. We decided to form a government-recognized Trust in 2011 and hired our first two team members. Over the last 10 years, we have witnessed exponential growth with 50+ Learning Centers across India impacting between 2000-2500 children every year. And we believe that the story is far from done.

Growing up in a privileged home in India and then moving to Australia after college for a graduate-level course, I’ve always been aware that millions didn’t have the same opportunities as I did. I come from a background where social justice for the disadvantaged has always been a priority. My grandmother founded a children’s home in the 1970’s to care for the children of those with leprosy in south India and my grandfather, a government officer, set up sports facilities that gave talented but under-served young people a leg up. After being trained in leadership development, I had the skills to create change instead of simply complaining about the plight of the economically disadvantaged in my city. I knew that education was a game-changer. Every statistic I read pointed to the fact that those with more years of school behind them could earn higher salaries. With this information, coupled with my innate passion to serve the underprivileged as well as my skills to motivate and catalyze young people, creating a movement for social justice was the only logical course of action to pursue. After ten years of leading U&I, I believe that this is my purpose and passion.

Even as a teenager, I volunteered in various capacities and found myself not just pitching in to a cause but also motivating others to join me. After college, I pursued an advanced diploma in leadership development which helped me hone my innate skills to motivate, inspire, challenge and provide structure to others on their journey of becoming leaders. Today, as the co-founder of U&I, a movement that inspires thousands of young people to serve underprivileged children, I am able to marry my leadership skills with my innate passion to see the underdog being given a fair shot at life. U&I provides the ideal platform to empower young people to be the change by giving them a well-structured system to invest in a child’s life. Several times a year, my co-founder and I meet with U&I’s young leaders from across India at 2-day summits where we invest in them so they own the cause. Because of the culture of every leader taking responsibility and passing on the baton, we have seen exponential growth in our non-profit: from one learning center in one city 2011 we have now expanded to more than 50 learning centers in 25+ cities across India. At the heart of our mission, however, is not growth or numbers. It is the child who deserves a good education so he or she has the chance to beat the system and one day become a leader who inspires others.

Having led U&I for ten years, we’ve faced multiple challenges as in the case of any start-up with a solid game plan but also a limited budget. We’ve dealt with funds being tight especially in the first five years and red tape when starting new projects. Most recently, because of the pandemic, we’ve had to deal with suddenly stopping our volunteer tutoring program. But we overcame this adversity, by quickly pivoting to meet the immediate needs of the underprivileged by leveraging our volunteer manpower to serve over 25,000 people who were stranded without basic food supplies for weeks on end. We were quick to assess the need, generate support and create an ecosystem to serve the needy. U&I volunteers teamed up with others to supply food to India’s migrant community, as well as the shelter homes with whom we partner for our classes. Today, as the pandemic rages in India, we’ve pivoted our program to include virtual learning opportunities and are currently setting up digital classrooms. While the work on the ground is challenging, we think on our feet, apply our collective energy to the situation and overcome adversities by taking calculated risks and going the extra mile.

Eleven years ago, the deplorable condition of a government-run residential institution for special-needs boys came to my attention. When I visited the home and saw its run down state and how poorly the boys were treated, I had to do something about it. I started serving there every week – talking to the kids, playing games with them – and realized that these abandoned children had had no visitors before. I rallied together a group of friends and we made this project a priority in our weekly schedule. We cleaned, we painted, we pulled weeds, we made these children feel like they mattered. I believe that my service-based leadership galvanized others for a cause that was not on anyone’s radar. Our efforts inspired so many that we had a waiting list of volunteers. While it was outside my comfort zone, I spoke with government officials to allow U&I to work with these children to help improve their lives. Today, we have a group of staff members (caregivers, physiotherapists, special needs educators) who work full-time with this once-ignored institution. I was able to lead by example and inspire a movement ( U&I Care) that changed the lives of 80 special-needs children.

When we first started U&I, we were told by leaders in the business world that our model was not "workable" - that expecting volunteers to commit to nine months of helping a child is not a viable solution to the education crisis. Ask any of the 10,000+ children we have had the privilege of mentoring over the last 10 years and they will tell you a different story. U&I is a non-profit that thinks like a tech start-up with heart. We always have the child at the front and center of what we do - but we also believe in pushing the envelope in our structure and operations. One of the main ways we've grown exponentially in the last 10 years is through gamification especially with our volunteer recruitment, performance and retention. Through online competitions we are able to keep volunteer morale and enthusiasm high, therefore creating a richer impact on the children we reach. We're also really big on creating a positive environment at each Learning Center and every class includes affirmation time and what we call "launch" (an encouraging thought or story that we share to motivate the children). U&I is also extremely particular about monitoring all aspects of our program and all impact indicators are tracked offline through classroom monitoring and online through Google forms and our management information software. Over the last decade, we've created a vibrant culture of volunteering and thousands of young people have not just stepped up to lead but owned the cause.

Through our U&I Teach program we currently serve 2,500 children every year.

We see this number going up to about 3,000 in one year as we are currently working on setting up digital classrooms by providing devices and connectivity to our Learning Center Partners.

In five years, we see our U&I Teach program reaching 15,000 children across India.

As the co-founder of U&I, we have big plans to expand the organization through an initiative that we're calling A Million Dreams (AMD). We are positioning AMD to be a one-stop volunteering platform that connects young people who are passionate about social justice with non-profits who don't have the bandwidth to connect with potential volunteers.

In its current state, volunteering in India is best described as ad hoc, informal and unorganised. With the exception of few NGOs who gainfully use the skill sets of volunteers, the potential of India’s vast and talented volunteer network is largely ignored. While India has the unique advantage of having the world’s largest population of young people (65% of its population is under 35 years of age), we haven’t harnessed the power of this generation for social and civic causes.

The project seeks to revolutionise the way volunteering is run in India, changing the dynamic between potential volunteers and grass-roots non-profits to create maximum impact over the long haul.

The vision of A Million Dreams is to foster and facilitate volunteering to create dynamic change across India.

The mission of AMD is to provide vetted and organised opportunities for volunteers to meaningfully contribute to the non-profit space thereby creating maximum impact in important social causes across India.

Through our AMD project, we are poised to try something new - be a one-stop platform that connects potential volunteers with grassroots non-profits. As with all start-ups, this venture comes with several risks and barriers that we have to overcome in a market where volunteering is not a norm.

Culturally, NGO's tend to see volunteers as a potential disruption to their work. We will need to work with India's NGO's to revise this mindset by explaining to them the AMD model which will include online and offline training. While 

Logistically, there are several challenges like getting the backend software for our AMD app up and running without any glitches. Currently, we have a team of volunteer engineers who are working to create the AMD app but the on-ground issues won't come to light till we are operational.

Financially, while we are approaching corporates to help us promote volunteering part of India's culture, there's still a long road ahead.