Mahi’s Light: Finding Her Voice at Saksham Skill Centre
In
the heart of a lively joint family, where the voices of elders, cousins, and
siblings constantly fill the air, Mahi,
a quiet 10-year-old fifth grader, is carving out her own identity—one word, one
lesson, and one brave step at a time.
Mahi
is the youngest of three siblings. Her home is filled with warmth, but also
with the pressures that often come with large families. Her mother, managing a
household full of responsibilities, can be stern—sometimes reprimanding Mahi harshly
when she misbehaves. “When I do something wrong, she scolds me a lot,” Mahi
says in a small voice, “It hurts, but I know she loves me too.” Her family is
supportive of her education, often reminding her that school is her way to a
better future—but gentle encouragement isn’t always easy to come by.
That’s
where the Saksham Skill Centre,
run by the Let’s Give Hope Foundation,
changed everything.
Eight
months ago, in November, Mahi’s friend—also a student at the Centre—invited her
to come along. Mahi didn’t expect much, but curiosity pulled her in. And what
she found was a place unlike any she had known. A space filled with patient
teachers, bright walls, and kind voices. A place where no one shouted when she
got something wrong. Where mistakes weren’t punished, but gently corrected.
“It
was different,” Mahi says, smiling softly. “People here listen. They don’t get
angry. They tell me I can do better, and I believe them.”
Since
that first day, Mahi has hardly missed a session. Even on days when the sun
beats down mercilessly—when the
temperature soars to 42°C and walking feels like a challenge—she still
makes the trip to the Centre. “It’s hot,” she says, wiping sweat from her brow,
“but when I reach Saksham, I feel happy. I forget the heat.”
Over
these eight months, Mahi has grown in confidence. She now reads English stories
aloud, participates in discussions, and helps her classmates when they
struggle. She speaks more clearly, listens more carefully, and has even learned
to express her emotions in healthier ways.
“I
used to cry when I was scolded at home. Now, I try to talk instead of hiding,”
she says, her eyes steady. Her family has noticed the change too. Her sibling
call her “the smart one” now, and even her mother—still firm—has begun to
soften, asking Mahi to tell her what she’s learned each day.
More
than grades or language skills, Saksham
has given Mahi something deeper: the belief that her voice matters.
“I
want to be a teacher when I grow up,” she says. “One who understands. One who
never yells.”
In
a world that once felt too loud for her to be heard, Mahi is learning to speak, to dream, and most importantly—to believe in
herself.