Dadar inside Dharavi
If you travel by the Mumbai local trains, you’d have noticed that the foot over bridges in the stations and the roads leading up to them, are full of people selling all kinds of cheap stuff – some essential, some useless and many ‘let-me-peep-in-who-knows-I-might-find-some-good-deal’ kind of things. I have picked up so many things for my class from these stations – laminated charts sell for Rs.10 each, while rhyme books, colouring books and maths workbooks sell for Rs 20 each. A steal
Though it’s very crowded, Dadar station is a paradise for such items. Last month, on my way out, I picked up some fridge magnets, that are now helping my children pick up new English words and construct sentences. These cheap magnets have come in handy by kindling their curiosity and firing up their imagination. As with any other teaching aid, I’ll retire these after a while and introduce something new. And, I’ll keep looking out for cheap stuff and trinkets on these bridges and roads that’ll create magic inside the classroom. Do tell me if you have any such ideas !
The stories from our Teach For India journey 