Teaching cancer afflicted children to kick pain, helping them become literate
21-year-old imparts play way teaching to kids undergoing cancer treatment in KGMU’s paediatric department
› I have spent time here and know how it feels when one loses hair or has to stay put for the medical treatment.
AKRITI CHAUHAN, teacher who herself underwent treatment at KGMU
LUCKNOW: Inside the King George’s Medical University ’s paediatric department, on the second floor of the building is a colourful room that turns in to a classroom to impart play way teaching to children undergoing cancer treatment.
While doctors attend to the medical needs, 21-year-old Akriti Chauhan, who herself has undergone treatment here, works to spread the light of literacy in the life of these hapless kids, majority of whom comes from a rural background and poor families.
“The idea is to ensure these kids keep learning and become literate,” said Akriti , who underwent treatment for a type of blood cancer .
The concept is not to teach them what they do not know but make them revise what they learned in schools they were in, to bridge the gap in education and to make sure the literacy level remains the same or improves when they go back to school after treatment. And of course, it makes them feel a little more normal.
In the ward that has been painted in bright colours and has toys and books for children, the play area is made the classroom. Kids are made to sit together and learn according to their ability. This classroom is not formal but the teaching is such that even the parents of these children take an interest in the activities.
Every day, Akriti, popularly addressed as didi , spends between 7 and 8 hours with the kids, making them draw, paint, write or colour according to their age group. “Each kid is given a task as per his or her age,” said Akriti. When asked how she got the idea to teach cancer afflicted kids, she replied, “I have spent time here and know how it feels when one loses hair or has to stay put for treatment. So when my treatment was completed, I decided to come here and teach.”