Reality Gives Staff...Peter, our new Director of Sports Programs

Peter and Reality Tours' CEO Steph with the girls of the Yuwa Girls Football Program during the Mumbai Marathon 2013

My name is Peter Woolcock and I have just joined Reality Gives as Director of Sports Programs. I am originally from Exeter in the UK and I moved to Mumbai last January from London. In the last months I have been volunteering with the "Goal Program", a women’s empowerment program that uses sport (particularly Netball) for development. I also coach swimming part-time at the American School of Bombay.

Before moving to Mumbai, I was working in London on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I have also worked as a PE teacher in China and spent time on Sport Development projects in Namibia.

I am sport fanatic (especially water polo and football) and I am really looking forward to working with the Reality Gives and Yuwa Girls football Program and Project Front Foot Cricket Academy. I have been passionate about sport for development since pursuing my degree in the same subject at university in Liverpool. I really believe in children having the right to play, having fun, and expressing themselves as well as sport’s ability to teach leadership and responsibility.

I can’t wait to further develop a sporting culture in the communities we work in at Reality Gives. Sport is a great means of escapism and it provides an opportunity to learn new skills, be healthy, and have fun. This is what I want to achieve and any sporty people out there who would like to get involved - please contact us!

Peter with the kids of  Project Front Foot Cricket Academy

Reality Gives Stories...The three new ELS teachers Krishna, Farheen and Akila

A good family friend of Reality Tours & Travel CEO, Stephanie, Aliza recently spent three weeks in Mumbai exploring the city while learning about and volunteering with some of Reality Gives' projects. A resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, she recently graduated from high school and will attend Middlebury College in Vermont in the fall.

While attending the classes of our English Language Support Program she got to know our three new teachers Krishna, Farheen and Akila. 

Krishna

A resident of Sion, Krishna recently joined the Reality Gives team. She is in her final year of graduation in commerce. A teacher of Grade 1, Krishna also went through a training in which she “learned more there than in [her] whole life.” At the commencement of her year with ELS, Krishna had no confidence. Through the application of her training and practice in the classroom, she now manages her class with ease. When not in the classroom, Krishna enjoys reading both novels in Hindi and bedtime stories in English.

Farheen

One of the youngest members of the ELS team, Farheen is 19 and has 5 siblings. A native of Mahim, Farheen is currently pursuing graduation in the arts. She is unmarried and enjoys playing badminton and carom with children. As several other teachers mentioned, she enjoyed learning theory behind the Muktangan method during her training. At first, she found difficulty in presenting a lesson in front of students and collaborators. Today, however, support from fellow teachers and staff members has transformed her into a confident, capable teacher.  

Akila

Akila, 23, has recently completed her undergraduate in commerce. After one year of training and just a few months of classroom experience, Akila has experienced no great challenges. At the beginning of the school year, Akila’s Grade 1 students knew very little English. Through Akila’s instruction, the children’s English is improving and they now utter words and phrases in English (as opposed to their mother tongue). As fellow teachers can attest, she leads a very active class. Outside of her class, she is also active and enjoys dancing, listening to music, and reading.