My first Unsung Heroine of Pune " Mrs Malti Kelkar"

My first Unsung Heroine of Pune is Mrs Malti Kelkar, a teacher by profession and a friend to children of all ages. 

 

After teaching students from classes 9th to 12th at various schools in Delhi, she moved to Nepal for two years teaching the students from class 4, 5, and 6 which was a new experience for her. She went on to set up a Science lab for them. A funny experience motivated her to take up an initiative of teaching Science in an innovative and interesting way for children. The children said that they did not want any classroom teaching in Science and wanted to do see what was in the Science lab. To pacify them she promised to take them to the lab some day. The very next day the classroom was empty and the children were nowhere to be seen. While she was looking around for them, she heard them screaming “Good Morning Teacher" from under the tables in the science lab.  Thus began her journey of innovative and new approach of teaching young students the subject of Science in an easy and fun way. 

She then decided that she wanted to do the same for underprivileged children in India. She moved to Pune and took up a teaching job at the Bal Kalyan Sanstha which is a center for handicapped children. As a teacher, she realized that the children do not get any opportunity to get any hands on experience for leaning Science. In order to create a platform for children to get exposure to practical facets of science and maths at the right age she set up Quest - a Science and Maths Hobby Club about ten years ago.  

This journey of setting up Quest though very satisfying came with some hurdles too. In the beginning she started a center by collecting some underprivileged children from around the neighbourhood. When they first came to her they were eager to learn, but soon the bully of the area started making unreasonable demands on her. Though she tried getting the children back without paying any heed to their demands, the attendance of the children dropped and Mrs. Kelkar realised that she would need some support for running a successful programme. With the help and encouragement of Mrs.Paranjpe who is a dear friend and the founder of Doorstep School, Mrs Kelkar was able to take up her initiative of teaching underprivileged children. She trains about 120 children of Doorstep school every year. Quest also trains teachers from this school.

Recently Mrs. Kelkar has also started the science club on every Monday for deaf and mute children of Bal Kalyan. She said “These children who had read the word “PRAYOG” (experiment) had never seen one. It was so satisfying to see the smiles of these children when they performed these experiments”.

 

In the last decade Mrs. Kelkar has trained a number of children and I am one of them. As a thirteen year old it helped me to overcome my fear of “MATHS”. I am sure a lot of products of Quest have become “Successful Scientists”.  The favourite experiment is making Icecream which I am sure all of us will agree tastes the best at Quest even though it may turnout to be a “Cold Vanilla Milk Shake”.

Through Quest “Kelkar Aunty” has touched the lives of many little children and brought about a difference in their lives.