Arjun: Catch-Up Camp Helps Improve His Reading Skills
Once struggling to read, he says, “Letters were puzzles, now they’re my friends”.
In a small village in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district lives 10-year-old Arjun. His father is a farmer, and his mother works both at home and in the agricultural fields. With long and tiring days, and with little time or resources, Arjun was often tasked to help with the farming work, which meant he missed many days of school. At home, there was nobody to help him with his schoolwork. As a result, even though he was in Grade 4, he had learning levels for Grade 1 or 2.
In May this year, Pratham started conducting CAMaL Ka Camp in his village. These catch-up camps are designed to help bridge learning gaps, strengthen core academic skills, and ensure that children are well prepared to adapt to their new academic environment.
During a baseline assessment, a camp volunteer found that Arjun could recognise only a few letters. When she asked around, the neighbours said Arjun is often seen playing on a mobile phone or just wandering around.
On the first day of camp, the volunteer invited Arjun to join—but he didn’t come. Even after a few days, he remained absent. Concerned, the volunteer visited his home. She spoke with his parents, explained Arjun’s learning gaps, and shared how the camp could help him catch up on his foundational skills. His father, though unsure at first, eventually agreed to send him.
The next day, Arjun arrived at the camp. The volunteer welcomed him and encouraged him to take part in games and group activities. Slowly, Arjun began to enjoy the sessions. The play-based learning activities caught his attention. As he grew more comfortable, the volunteer introduced word-building activities, and simple paragraph and story reading.
With consistent support and activities suited to his pace, Arjun began forming words. His confidence grew. A few weeks later, the volunteer returned to his home—not with concern, but with a positive update. She shared Arjun’s progress with his parents. He could now read words, and soon, he would be reading full paragraphs and stories.
Arjun’s father was moved. He said, “Farming feeds us, but education will shape his future. I promise to send him to the camp and later to school every day from now on.”
These days, Arjun’s favourite activity is using a self-made dictionary to learn new words. He now aspires to become a doctor one day.
“At first, the letters looked like puzzles, but now they’re becoming my friends. I want to learn to read stories and help others like a doctor does,” he says.
