Keerthana is 9 year old. She lives in Narapanenipalle, a small village in Telangana. Once there were 70 children in this upper primary school. But slowly with time passing the rural education scene has changed as parents migrate towards urban centres or shift their children to English speaking convent schools. It is a true crisis. Today in Telengana over 2200 schools have zero or near zero enrolment. But in Narapanenipalle, the story is different. Keerthana is the only student in the whole school. Her father stood firm in his decision to keep her enrolled fearing that once a village school closes, the community loses a vital pillar that may never be restored.
This school is a beacon of light. I has kept its door open for this little class IV girl so that this girl maintains her right to education. Every morning the bells ring, and Uma her teacher comes everyday and follows the curriculum in the same was as any school would. “Every child is entitled to an education,” a district official noted, “and as long as Keerthana is enrolled, our doors remain open.”
The story of this school shows the shift in the education scene in India.Parents are now more aware and tighten their belts till it hurts to send their children to an English Medium school often a convent. It is time our law makers look at education in a proper manner keeping in mind the rapidly changing scenarios of employment opportunities. It reinforces the idea that education is not a commodity to be discarded when the numbers don’t add up, but a fundamental right that must be protected at all costs and necessary changes need to be made in the state run schools to lure back parents.
But kudos to this little school who gives true meaning to the words: no child should be left behind.
I had decided to celebrate my 74th quietly, without much ado but that was not to be.With the very eclectic social circle I have, it is quasi impossible for me to have one big bash, not that I like those. But everyone needed to be satisfied. So planned a small lunch with two of my favourite people on the eve and planned a lunch with my granddaughter at the mall food court.
In the morning Shamika kept insisting I accompany her to the Govindpuri Centre.The Okhla and Govindpuri staff were there with a big cake and hot samosas. Still par to the course.
But a phone call changed it all. The Yamuna centre staff asked if I would be home and whether they could drop by for a few minutes. Four children and two teachers came by with the most soul stirring gift I have ever got in my life. A huge basket of fresh vegetable picked in the morning by the children from their fields and beautifully wrapped. It was the children who had thought of this. And with it a beautifully penned card that thanked me for having brought education to their doorstep and with time convinced their parents about how important education was. I asked the 4 children who had come what they aspired to be: one teacher, two doctors and a police officer. Way to go. You have to dream and dream big and Project Why will be the wind beneath your wings. But you children have taught me so much too: the hard toil needed for farming, respect for nature and above all the ability to stay grounded something that your urban peers have forgotten. You have taught us all that you can hold on to your values and need not cast them away in the lure of what we call urban dreams. Stay this way beautiful children. That is my prayer for you.
There were many messages from across the planet from my Project Why family and my amazing team; many videos from each and every centre with heartfelt messages from my wonderful children.
All in all, it was the best birthday in a long time.
A few days back Xavier informed us about the visit of Serge an old friend of Project Why with his new bride Saranya. We decided to do something special for them. It was to be a surprise.
Serge carries India in his heart and his bride has never visited India. It was decided to welcome them at every centre with traditional Indian marriage customs. There was the exchange of garlands, the bride entering the ‘house’. after kicking a pot of rice, games newly weds play when the pride first comes, traditional wedding songs, wearing of toe rings and more.
Each centre did a fabulous job and the newly weds enjoyed every moment;
I came across this beautiful article recently. What caught my eye was the title:”When joy becomes simple, life becomes extraordinary“. I read it and was drawn to every word as it resonated with everything I have gone through. If you have time, read it.
It took me a long time trying to find an image to illustrate this post. I waded through the hundreds of pictures I had and fell on this one. This is my darling Popples bathing in a five star swimming pool for the first time. A simple joy indeed but at that moment life for the tiny soul was nothing short of extraordinary.
It was time to take a walk down memory lane. True I am a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and my life has had its share of ups and downs but did it ever feel extraordinary. The answer is NO!
What has made it extraordinary is the last 25 years of Project replete with simple joys: the trusting smile of a child, the sticky sweet put into my mouth by a child who has just passed her exams, the pride of children who have come to share their exceptional result, the loud GOOD MORNING MA’AM of the little creche kids as I pass by their class, Manu feeding me with his grubby hands, Utpal taking his first step, my special needs kids dancing with abandon, the child who has had a heart surgery walking back to class, and I can go on and on. And all these are the simple joys that have made my life extraordinary.
On a more personal note I also understood why I became a recluse in my golden years. The author ends with these words The deepest journey of life is always inward, towards the unmasked self, waiting quietly within. Now I understand that your one and only lifetime long best friend is YOU. I did not become a recluse; I just found my best friend.
I came across a short clip about what the future will look like as AI moves in at a speed we cannot imagine. It covers many industries where jobs as we know now will disappear. To survive you will need to adapt and work with AI
This is what it says about education: AI tutors that adapt to each student personalised learning at scale, traditional classroom models that become obsolete . Teachers who survive will be facilitators and mentors not lecturers. The one who cannot adapt replaced by algorithms that teach better, faster and cheaper. This is not a prediction. It is happening. The question is whether we will be ready when they do.
And happen it will sooner than you think. A recent article proves just that. The journalist decided to feed class X both. basic and advanced maths question paper, having 15 pages each to ChatGPT. The AI assistant solved both in less than a minute. And that is not all and I quote “What stood out was not just the speed, but the structure of the answers. ChatGPT solved every section in detail, writing step-by-step solutions with proper headings, clear working, and neatly presented final answers, closely resembling how a student would attempt the paper in an exam.
So what awaits us? Sridhar Vembu, the creator of Zoho says that Ai automation may not kill jobs but bankrupt the middle class if the government does not act fast and deepen economic quality. He says: If robots take your job, don’t panic – just be ready to cook, care, sing or farm! Human only professions will rise. The remaining things humans do may get paid well — as an example, taking care of children, home cooked meals, nursing sick people, priests that minister to people, people who take care of soil health, water health, crop health and cattle health (we used to call them farmers), forest restoration specialists, local live performing musicians and so on may get paid much more,” he writes. For Vembu, the future isn’t about machines replacing humans — it’s about whether governments can adapt fast enough to ensure no one is left behind.
I am no tech person or economist but I see the writing on the wall. I also am aware that I have the future of over 1000 children in my hands. So in spite of resistance from my staff who are weary to change and adopt new ways I know that it is imperative to introduce gentle change today.
So what are the jobs that AI. will. not replace:
Jobs safest from AI are those requiring high empathy, complex human connection, physical adaptability in unpredictable environments, or strategic leadership.
Healthcare & Empathy Roles: Nurses, therapists, counselors, and home health aides are secure because they require emotional intelligence, trust, and physical, bedside care that AI cannot replicate.
Skilled Trades: Plumbers, electricians, and technicians are safe because their work is highly physical, requires adaptation to unpredictable environments, and often involves complex, non-repetitive problem-solving.
Strategic & Creative Leadership: Managers, leaders, and strategic planners are needed to navigate complex human situations, build trust, handle ethical dilemmas, and motivate teams.
Specialized Human Services: Social workers and lawyers (especially in courtroom settings) are secure because their roles require navigating complex, non-black-and-white situations and legal liability, respectively.
High-Touch Services: Personal trainers, hairdressers, and specialized repair technicians remain safe due to the need for personal connection and physical skill.
Why These Jobs are Safe: AI excels at pattern recognition and data processing but struggles with unstructured, real-world physical environments and genuine emotional connection. Jobs that combine high physical skill with empathy are the most resilient against automation.
But there is a dilemma we need to face. Parents across the board still dream of their children being doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, software engineers, in short al the jobs that have been top of the range till now. I know that by the time our children, particularly those in the primary section enter the job market, it would be totally transformed and that the time to steer them in the right direction is NOW!
But how do you tell a parent with huge dreams for their progeny that it will be better for their children do be a plumber or a hairdresser, more so in a country where dignity of labour is not prevalent. That is a huge challenge but unless we find a solution and ADAPT we will fail in our mission.
Now the reality. India is a young country and we will have 12 million young people entering the job market annually. You can do the math. While AI poses risks of displacing routine, low-level service and manufacturing jobs, it will create new, high-demand opportunities in specialized tech sectors. Key growth sectors will include green energy, healthcare, and space technology. So that is where we need to. focus.
Some sectors require specialised training and skills. But sector like health care will see a massive demand for professionals due to an aging population, with growth in assisted living, nursing, and specialized care.
To remain competitive, the workforce will need to move beyond basic technical knowledge to focus on:
Adaptability and problem-solving.
Advanced technical expertise (AI, robotics, data science).
Human-centric skills that cannot be easily automated.
Some may think it is speculation and. I agree none of us is a crystal ball gazer, but unless we see the writing on the wall what we are teaching our children today will be quite useless.
At Project Why we have always strived to remain ahead of times. Our challenge is to be judicious and work out a solution that will benefit all.
The first step is to explain this reality to our team and work out the best plan together.
In my almost three decades journey with Project Why there have been many moments that have made me proud be it a child who has passed an exam or a heart surgery that was successful and everything in between. But today my heart is swelling with pride, my throat is choking and my eyes are moist because Aman one of our alumni made a donation of ten thousand rupees to Project Why!
Aman’s story is nothing short of a miracle. He was a student of our Khader centre and we soon discovered that he was very good at Art and had a dream: that of becoming an Artist. Initially the family was not supportive and pushed him to join the commerce stream but his heart was not in it. We managed to convince his family to allow to pursue Art and helped him enrol in the Delhi school of Art. A kind soul supported and mentored him and he passed his BA. He then wanted to join a masters programme and Lady Luck smiled again and he got a seat in the Delhi school of Art!
He struggled for a while and finally got a job as an Art Director in a budding company and decided to donate ten thousand rupees to Project Why!
Over the years while studying and after he spent Saturdays at the Project teaching Art to the children and took on the task of mentoring the students who were in need.
The reason why I feel so proud today is that when I created Project Why I wanted to give wings to the dreams of my children and give them the opportunity to dream big. Aman did that! But there was another desire, one that I barely expressed. It was to see our alumni come back and remain part of Project Why. Aman did more than that he became a donor. Even I hadn’t dared dream of that.
Aman is a wonderful child – yes to me he will always remain a child, my child – gentle kind and always smiling. I wish that every single dream he has comes true and as some of you know I believe in miracles and know that it will happen. He is a blessed child.
