Sanju: Bringing Magic to Math Through CAMaL Ka Camp
She joined the camp to help children and found the courage to chase her own goals
In a small village just outside Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, 18-year-old Sanju was at a crossroads. Her Grade 12 results had just come in. While her friends chatted about college admissions and next steps, Sanju quietly stared at her marksheet—she had failed in one subject. The disappointment was hard to shake off. The questions began swirling: What now? Where do I go from here?
Sanju lives with her parents and two younger brothers. Her father runs a small grocery shop, which is the family’s main source of income. With their financial constraints, this exam result came as a setback for the entire family but Sanju decided to not give up and started weighing her options and planning for the upcoming supplementary exam.
At that time, a Pratham team member started volunteer mobilisation in her village for P&G Shiksha–Pratham's CAMaL (Combined Activities for Maximized Learning) Ka Camp—a summer initiative that brings activity-based learning to children in communities to strengthen their math skills. Sanju was invited to join.
She hesitated at first but eventually agreed. “It felt like someone believed in me again. I wanted to give it a try," Sanju recalls.
She joined the Pratham team and began going door to door to invite children to the camp. And when the camp started, she transformed into ‘Magic wali ma’am’, as the children fondly began to call her.
Chalk in hand, a wide smile on her face, Sanju conducted her sessions with ease and confidence. “She makes learning feel like magic!” one child exclaimed.
With stories, drawings, and hands-on materials, Sanju brought numbers to life. Her warmth and creativity turned math into something joyful. But as the children’s confidence grew, something else began to shift—Sanju was beginning to believe in herself again.
She remembered her own dream: to become a nurse. One of the Pratham team members noticed her spark and stepped in to support her—sharing biology notes, encouraging her to study for her supplementary exam, and cheering her on.
Sanju also enrolled in Pratham’s Digital Readiness course through Pratham’s Education for Education (EfE) initiative, where she learned day-to-day digital skills like sending emails, attaching files, and using tools like Google Lens—something she found especially useful.
Today, Sanju is back to studying and continues to teach children in her village. Children continue to visit her for help with learning, and parents trust her as a local educator. She’s no longer unsure of what’s next.
“I used to think failing in an exam meant the end,” she says. “But now I know—it was just a pause. This camp gave me confidence, a role in my community, and a reason to believe in my dreams again.”
