My Nonprofit Reviews

“We are seeking a person to help establish and initiate an English tutoring program for a range of ages in our new Learning Center in Kolkata” through the Felix Fellowship was the beginning of a wonderful adventure and opportunity to travel to India. I was awarded the Fellowship in June, 2022 then the summer was spent researching resources and learning about Kolkata, India as well as the Bengali language. I also spent time learning more about Her Future Coalition and how the Fellowship would support the organization.

September, 2022 seems like such a long time ago now but it was the beginning of teaching and working with the staff and students at the center in Sovabazar in Kolkata. The center staff were very friendly and welcoming and the English Language classroom is a beautiful space to teach in. Being the first Fellowship teacher meant that I brought resources with me from Canada and developed a basic plan in place to begin teaching levels from beginner to advanced English students.

During my time in Kolkata I worked with many different people in the and was so amazed at how the staff at Her Future Coalition supported everyone in the center as well as local community groups. I met and coordinated with partner organizations who are all working so hard to empower and support the women that they work with.

There was also a short trip to Nepal to meet with partner organizations and their facilities. The highlight was a visit to Anjali and her school in the countryside as well as a short teacher training with the teachers in the school.

The three months passed quickly with lots of laughter and learning. It was amazing to see the confidence build in the students and also see some of them move on to start their careers. I am continuing to work with the Advanced group with a weekly online meeting and assignments on Google Classroom. It is fulfilling to see the continued desire to learn. I look forward to keeping contact with other students and hearing about their growth as they continue their English language learning.

I feel extremely fortunate to have visited and worked in Kolkata with this organization. Their impact on the community is difficult to measure but the joy in everyone is evident. I will continue to support Her Future Coalition in any way that I am able to.