Over the past two months, I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in SAHELI’s initiatives and see firsthand the scale of their work, the diversity of programs being implemented simultaneously, and the impact these efforts have on individual lives. For context, SAHELI supports 28 intervention schools across Uttarakhand and runs a range of initiatives for students at different grade levels.
Several core programs anchor this work. The Digital Equalizer Literacy Programme teaches students in grades 6 through 8 foundational computer skills, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, as well as basic digital literacy. Computational Thinking supports students in grades 9 and 11 as they learn introductory coding skills. English for Employability helps students in grades 9 through 12 practice English commonly used in workplace settings. In addition, SAHELI provides remedial sessions for students who are falling behind in their classes.
Beyond education, SAHELI’s livelihood vertical includes two market linkage centers in Dugadda and Haridwar, where women learn sewing skills to earn income alongside basic IT training. These centers play a critical role in expanding livelihood opportunities for women in Uttarakhand.
Outside of these formal programs, I also had the chance to observe daily life inside the schools by sitting in on classes and observing what daily life looks like for students. Along the way, I had my fair share of memorable experiences. At Arya Kanya Kotdwar School, students insisted on giving me dance lessons, which I later performed in front of the entire school. At GIC Jhandichaur, I was given the honor of planting a golden spruce sapling. At GGIC Ghamandpur, I shared stories about my life in the United States while learning more about the students’ own experiences. At the market linkage centers, I spoke directly with beneficiaries to better understand their goals, challenges, and how learning to stitch through SAHELI has shaped their lives. These moments continue to remind me how meaningful my time in India has been and how much I am learning each day.
However, learning Indian dance moves was not my primary goal during these field visits. When I first arrived in India, it quickly became clear that the project I expected to work on would look different from the work I would actually be supporting. While I knew my focus would be on SAHELI’s education and livelihood verticals, conversations with my supervisor revealed just how many potential areas there were for me to contribute to. Narrowing this into a single, feasible Fellowship project proved more challenging than expected.
We ultimately decided that the best use of my time would be to spend as much time in the field as possible observing, listening, and identifying the most pressing gaps and opportunities within SAHELI’s education content and livelihood programs. What follows are a couple of takeaways from this fieldwork.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this experience has been seeing the difference between initiatives on paper and how they unfold in the field. My first few weeks at SAHELI typically involved sitting at my desk and sifting through countless pages of education curricula to understand what content students are being taught. When I was in the field, the content was rarely taught in the specific way outlined in the curriculum. Each school facilitator had their own approach to teaching the content, and each school had its own unique set of challenges that impacted how the material could be taught. Watching students engage with the material in real time has been an invaluable way to identify gaps, opportunities, and challenges within SAHELI’s curricula.
Some of my first observations revealed why SAHELI’s work is so critical in supporting these children. In some classrooms, as many as ten students were sharing a single computer. How can each student fully understand how to type in Microsoft Word, edit cells in Excel, animate slides in PowerPoint, or code when nine other students are trying to learn at the same time?
I spoke with numerous principals to better understand the challenges students face outside the classroom. At Inter College Pokhri Ajmir, nestled on the peak of a mountain in Dugadda Block, I met students who walk for hours each day to and from school to pursue their education. Obstacles to teaching digital literacy were common. Power outages frequently rendered the already limited computers unusable. These experiences reinforced the importance of keeping resource constraints and contextual realities in mind when developing SAHELI’s education content.
Measuring Outcomes vs. Output
SAHELI does a strong job of monitoring the outputs of school facilitators. Numerous indicators track the number of students supported and sessions taught across SAHELI’s education programs. This is valuable in ensuring the organization is reaching the scale it aims for.
However, I noticed an opportunity to move beyond measuring outputs alone and also to measure outcomes. Assessing student understanding of the content being taught would be beneficial in several ways. It would help verify that SAHELI’s content is effective, allow the organization to identify areas where students are excelling or struggling, and provide meaningful metrics to demonstrate impact on learning. SAHELI conducts baseline and endline exams to measure how student understanding has changed. However, more frequent measurements may be explored to better support and assess students’ current needs.
Competency-Based Learning
In many classes, school facilitators did an excellent job explaining the material. However, when students were asked to practice what they had learned, the class structure often fell apart. Facilitators relied on their own activities to help students practice, but there was a clear gap in standardized materials to support the development of computer skills.
In some cases, students who demonstrated clear proficiency were paired with students who could barely type. Furthermore, some students completed the activity quickly and spent the rest of the session unfocused, while the school facilitator concentrated on students who were struggling. By creating materials that support students at different skill levels, those who are excelling could continue to challenge themselves with more advanced content.
Observations like these highlighted an opportunity for competency-based learning. If students had materials aligned with their current skill level, facilitators could better support learning without leaving some students behind while others wait.
Opportunity for an E-commerce Platform
At the livelihood centers, after speaking with beneficiaries in Dugadda and Haridwar, many women shared the challenge of securing enough orders for their sewing products. Limited market access and reliance on middlemen prevent them from achieving the livelihoods they aspire to. Creating a digital market linkage for these women could improve income opportunities and reduce dependency on intermediaries.
Looking Ahead
These observations, coupled with research I have been conducting on best practices for digital literacy curricula in low-resource environments and digital market linkage creation, will serve as a strong foundation for discussions with SAHELI staff on how these issues can be addressed in ways that make their work more effective while supporting, rather than straining, their ability to focus on beneficiaries. Over the next few weeks, I plan to work closely with SAHELI staff in the field to begin addressing these gaps.
I can’t wait to observe more of SAHELI’s initiatives in the field and maybe learn a few more dance moves along the way.
