Bengaluru NGO offers free afterschool classes

A Bengaluru-based NGO is running a free afterschool programme for government school students in Madhugiri in Tumakuru district.

The initiative is led by S Raghavendra Prasad, son of noted Karnatik vocalist A Subba Rao.

Prasad founded Sahabalve in 2016, starting with a 60-day summer camp in Bidar in north Karnataka. “We hired space on a residential campus and invited Class 9 students from a few government schools to stay and learn,” he recalls. The programme, modelled on the gurukul system, later evolved into evening and weekend classes. In the following years, it was also held in Mysuru, Kalaburagi, and Tumakuru weekly or once in 10 days.

Last year, the NGO wound up its Bidar operations and opened its own facility in Madhugiri, catering to students from Class 5 and up. Over the years, it has reached more than 3,000 students.

At age 50, Prasad quit his job as deputy general manager at an MNC to promote gurukul-style learning. “As a musician, my father always had students at our home in Jayanagar. My mother cooked for them. It was an inspiring atmosphere for learning,” he says.

He says Sahabalve does not compete with government schools but supports them. Alongside science, maths and English, students are taught music, yoga, karate, art, life skills and the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. “We say, ‘Don’t just be a farmer; be a knowledgeable farmer.’ That’s how we help families and children see the value in what we do.”

Prasad claims that within a year of their intervention in Bidar, there was a marked improvement in the students’ academic performance. “Girls have become more confident in public speaking. Some students have enrolled in professional courses. Parents now believe their children don’t have to settle for odd jobs — they can help develop the village,” he adds.

Prasad funds the NGO, and also receives some support from friends and former colleagues.