Mumbai: From dusk to desk

PATH BREAKERS: Nikita Ketkar and Kaushik Shaparia. Pics/ KIRTI SURVE PARADE

Chasing away the proverbial Monday morning blues, the opening of an Evening Learning Centre (ELC) in Sion yesterday morning offered a ray of hope and was a small but significant shout-out for educational equality and inclusivity for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community. This centre, opened by Deutsche Bank as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Masoom, which works in the space of empowering, transforming and strengthening the night school system, offers educational support to sexual minorities, to help them finish their Std X (SSC) and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) examination. The term sexual minorities broadly is used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual or non-heterosexual individuals. It can also refer to transgender, non-binary or intersex individuals.

History made

The inaugural event started with a speaker from the sexual minorities community, Praveen S who said, "I want to thank those responsible for creating this space for us. I use the pronouns he/she/they so I identify as non-binary and represent the LGBTQ community. While such opportunities bring us some cheer, we must remember that as a community, we are still very far from the mainstream."

History is not always made by some epochal, earth-shaking happenings, or pronouncements with immortal speeches by world leaders. It is also made in classrooms, with mere mortals present there, amidst honking traffic and the routine of daily life going by like it happened yesterday. "This is a historical moment," said Nikita Ketkar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Masoom, and added, "This is in line with our vision of strengthening the night school movement. If this ELC model is successful, we can replicate it across India."

Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, of Deutsche Bank Group India, said, "We do business but we also give back to society. We focus on the four Es: Education, Environment, Employment and Enterprise. Here, with the opening of this centre, the focus is on education which will lead to employment. We will have a second centre up soon and a third one is coming up in Pune."

Fearless, forthright

Three students representing the sexual minorities community spoke candidly on the occasion and their bravery touched the heart. Student ‘Swara' who had finished her Std X earlier and is employed told her community who was in the audience, "I advise you to attend classes and study. Get ahead in life. Do not miss out on Sunday classes, especially." Jhanvi from the sexual minority community said, "I studied till the eighth standard. Then a family member did something wrong to me, I fell apart mentally, and I could not complete my studies. It is NGOs like Humsafar who taught me how to live and NGO Gaurav who held my finger and taught me how to walk. I will pass my X and XII exams too," said Jhanvi determinedly as applause rang out at her resilience.

It was Urmi, a transgender activist, who shattered stereotypes as she spoke out strongly. Urmi who is employed, said, "We are stereotyped as a community who does not work, likes to get money by begging, does not bother to get an education. Amongst all the barriers that we have to overcome, there is the mental harassment aspect too. A lot of kids from the community are harassed in childhood in their schools. That haunts them and is one of the reasons so many do not finish school, they drop out mid-way. I was assaulted in the school washroom when I was in the seventh standard. In fact, why look outside? Family members have also raped sexual minority members within their family. This happens, it is a fact. These experiences the horror and trauma, stay with us, and are one of the reasons, that may see us opt out of the academic system and never go back. Centres like these, with their wonderful staffers, need to look at the backstory too of the students. This should also serve as an eye-opener for all those who ask why we do not study and earn money through employment and prefer to beg. This may not be true for everybody, nor is it the sole factor, but it is certainly true for many in the community. Mental health problems as a result of sexual assaults are definitely one contributing factor for the high dropout rates."

Post Urmi's upfront speech Shaparia suggested that this ELC should think about employing a counsellor at the classes, as the inauguration wrapped up. A night school transformation programme helps reintegrate adults who have dropped out of school for different reasons into a formal education system, improving their employment prospects and general standard of living.