a student named Eduardo wrote and sang a special rap song for my project called “ Rexpeita .” It is about gender equality . Because of this song , some students changed their minds about this topic . They started to talk about how girls and boys should be treated the same way . In classes , there is an activity which teachers support called “ Messengers of the Day ” in which we talk about the life and works of great women in society . We talk about women who are not in our books — great chemists , physicists , authors , and poets . In this way , we could show fellow girls that we too can be intelligent . We raise awareness among the students about the importance of supporting girls who live in sexist societies worse than ours , like Malala Yousafzai . The documentary “ He Named Me Malala ” was shown to all students in school . Her story is starting to become an inspiration for them .
We also talk openly about violence against women , so everybody can understand this problem and
realize the importance of solving it . We also work with kids in other schools in the city and in partner projects . We use chats , songs , and stories for children . Our activities happen in big spaces in schools where we interact with other teenagers and discuss the inequality of gender and the struggles of women in society . With children , we talk about prejudice against girls and tell true stories of great women like fairy tales . These events and activities are supported by students from other schools .
In Brazil , many girls choose to leave school because they don ’ t know the opportunities they could have . This is a problem the project wants to solve . If we give freedom to young girls today , we will plant a seed which will germinate and set them , their daughters , granddaughters and great granddaughters free .
The most interesting thing about this project is that it can
About the Author
be adapted by other countries and regions based on their own realities . All activities are made with standardized banners and panels . It can contain specific information for each country such as statistics and inspirational female figures . Other activities such as film screenings can be adapted too . The entire project execution follows a carefully prepared schedule and its expenses are cheap .
The Rescuing and Valuing Woman Project doesn ’ t need a big structure , or a large amount of money . What it needs to survive is to pass on the information and knowledge to more girls and motivate them to follow their dreams .
Big changes take time to happen in society but little things like this are very significant in making a better world for all girls .
Raphaele Godinho is a 17-year-old student based in Brazil in São Paulo state , in Mairinque city . She took part in a government program called “ Youth Parliament of MERCOSUR ”, which supports her project : “ Rescuing And Valuing Woman ”.
8 Change Magazine September 2017 www . changemag-diinsider . com
cross-class empathy. A large
and diverse volunteer base of
children coming from English
medium schools will use drama as
a creative medium to enhance the
English speaking skills of children
at municipal schools and provide
meaningful experiences for them.
The Beginning
Jazz Hands, a nonprofit
organization, was founded by
Arya Diwase and her friend
Rastogi while studying for their
Freshman Year at New York
University. Although they came
from privileged backgrounds
and were lucky enough to have
studied at the premier educational
institutions in India, they were
aware of the huge gap that existed
in the academic and extracurricular
inputs being provided by private
schools when compared to public
schools. Underprivileged children
who completed their education
from these municipal schools,
found it very difficult to compete in
the college entrance exams with
their counterparts from English
medium schools. Thus, a large
section of aspirational India, that
dreamt of better wages and a
better life were doomed to failure.
While competing in NYU
Stern School of Business’
Social Impact award under the
Reynolds Programme for Social
Entrepreneurship, they put
forth their idea of improving the
18
very low levels of self-esteem
prevalent in under privileged
children. Not only did they aim
to improve the children’s grasp
over spoken and written English
but also by teaching them the
language through a drama-based
methodology that would enhance
their freedom of expression.
They went on to bag a stipend of
1000 USD for their concept which
they decided to initiate as a pilot
project in their hometown in Pune,
India, by registering a nonprofit
organization named Jazz Hands.
Jazz Hands
www.jazz-hands.com
Jazz Hands aims at bridging the
learning divide that exists between
children coming from different
sections of society. This is made
possible by encouraging children
from privileged backgrounds
to contribute towards the
capacity building of children from
underprivileged communities. It
hopes to erase the class gap by
connecting volunteers attending
private schools or colleges with
underprivileged children from
public schools, resulting in greater
Change Magazine September 2017 www.changemag-diinsider.com
A one-of-a-kind drama-based
curriculum has been developed
with the help of faculty from
Pune and New York University.
It is tailored to adhere to the
requirements of the curriculum
as prescribed by the Education
Department for English Language.
The main objective of the
program is to provide a platform
for the volunteers and children
to work toward a common goal.
It aims to improve both written
and spoken English fluency in
children and provide an outlet for
creative expression which boosts
confidence and facilitates self-
exploration.
Jazz Hands is able to adapt to
the specific needs of partnering
schools due to the flexibility of
their curriculum which is modified
to support the school’s existing
teaching patterns. This method of
collaborative teaching allows Jazz
Hands to establish a meaningful
bond with their educational
partners, ensuring a synergetic
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