Teaching with eVidyaloka
- A treasure trove of delights

Navigating the challenging times of Covid was a daunting task for everyone, especially in the realm of education. My own children struggled immensely despite having access to the structured virtual curriculum devised by their school. I shuddered to think how drastically the pandemic could have set back students who lived in rural India with inadequate access to educational resources. I wondered if there were avenues to volunteer and help out on that front. In March of 2020, a dear friend suggested I check out eVidyaloka. I visited the website and was initially hesitant to volunteer as I wasn't sure the time difference would enable me to teach online, given that I reside in the US. I registered on a whim and within two days, I was contacted by a coordinator and designated as an English teacher at the GHPS school in Nilogal, Karnataka. Thus began my journey to teach in rural India with eVidyaloka!

I logged on at 9.30 PM California time (10 AM India time) and started teaching a 7th-grade class of approximately twelve students. As soon as they saw me, they welcomed me with a resounding 'Good morning, mam!' greeting. While some of my students were shy and took some time to warm up to me, they were always polite, sincere, and eager to learn. On days when there were fewer students, it was always due to some valid reason, such as having to help out their parents in the fields. In addition to completing their homework in a timely manner, they created thoughtful greeting cards and drawings for occasions such as Teacher’s Day.

The three years I have taught online in rural India—each year bringing in a smiley and energetic batch—have gone by in a jiffy. I find that at the beginning of the school year, I have to use more Kannada to converse with my students, but they are quick learners; they make an effort to use English in class after just a few reminders. Their enthusiasm is contagious when they call out answers as I review flashcards on Quizlet or plead with me for their turns to read stories on StoryWeaver.

The memories I treasure most from my online classes in rural India are when a fairly large group of my students huddled over a phone just to attend my class as the computer wasn't working; when a baby who was being literally raised by the village showed up regularly to say namaste; when children from other classes came in to offer me ‘Prasada’ from a pooja; and when my old students popped in just to say hello.

Post-Covid, I had the pleasure of visiting the school and was delighted to see it set up with solar panels so as to not let power cuts interfere with learning. My students welcomed me into their homes for a cup of coffee, took me on a tour of the fields, and also secured a coconut for me from the tree nearby!

As I commence my 4th year of teaching with eVidyaloka, I can't help but be in awe of how my students in rural India have progressed from barely knowing their alphabets to being able to read short story books. My journey to volunteer and teach online with eVidyaloka has been fairly seamless and could not have been possible without the support of the class assistant, Ms. Nagarathna, who is truly dedicated to the organisation's mission.

Mallika Thoppay is an author and social advocate based in California. She teaches English at GHPS Nilogal school in Karnataka.