How This 25-Year-Old Is Teaching Kids To Use The Internet In A Punjab Village

Sukhdeep Kaur mentors children about their rights, showing them how to use the internet, improving their social skills and confidence levels in Takipur Village, Punjab.

Kaur used to do odd jobs to make ends meet. Her father suffers from drug addiction and does not work. Being the eldest child, it was her responsibility to take care of her family. But it wasn’t easy. At one point they were in a serious financial crisis. She was working at a petrol pump in Chandigarh but had to quit as she met with an accident. Around the same time, her uncle got incarcerated on charges of murder. So, there was no one to look after the family.

Despite these challenges, she was determined to improve her life. She works for RoundGlass Foundation and mentor children at the Digital Community Center (DCC).

Kaur says, “Initially, I didn’t have the required skills and lacked confidence, but I soon learned the ropes by observing other teachers. My confidence level also improved as did my spoken Punjabi and English. From someone who was painfully shy even to speak in front of children, now I was interacting with Panchayat members and getting things done for the DCC. Recently, I was promoted to Block Changemaker and I now support 10 Digital Community Centers.”

Initially she joined the community as her family was going through a severe financial crisis. “But today my driving force is the joy I find in serving my community. It also gives me immense confidence, and I feel proud to be making a difference to people around me with our initiatives,” she says.

Talking about the roadblocks she says, “When I started working, my brother used to stop me from going to work. He didn’t approve of me going door-to-door or inviting children to the Center, but I managed to convince him."

Adding, "Getting help from the Panchayat was also difficult initially because the Sarpanch and other members didn’t take me seriously. Technology was another challenge. But I learned as much as I could by watching others. Today, after seeing my work and enthusiasm, they appreciate and support me.”

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The most pressing issues that need to be addressed in your village is the need for a  hospital.

She says, “Whenever there’s a medical emergency, people end up travelling long distances to get medical care. But this is not a feasible solution as sometimes the patients are in a critical condition and cannot travel.

I also want to build a playground for girls in the village. We are trying to build awareness and win people’s support on this front.”

On why it is important to educate girls she says, “that girls and boys can and must be treated equally. Education helps in bridging this gender gap that exists in our society. A lot of women suffer since they are financially dependent and unaware of their rights. Education makes us more aware, confident and financially independent. It also allows us to take up a job or start a business and support our families, just like men do.”

Sukhdeep Kaur is a 25-year-old from Takipur village in Punjab. As narrated to  Vishal Chowla of RoundGlass foundation. The views expressed are the author’s own and not that of SheThePeople.