Stories Behind the Screens!
“Yahan computer chalana sikhate hain?”
The question, spoken with simple yet sincere curiosity by a young girl, interrupted my conversation with my manager. We had just arrived at the Medha Career Center in Gorakhpur and were discussing the day’s agenda when her hopeful voice caught my attention.
This was my first field visit with Medha, and it was about to transform my understanding of the stories I had been telling from behind a desk. As part of the marketing and communications team, my role is to tell stories of our Medhavis—accounts of growth, resilience, and transformation. I had celebrated their achievements from afar, writing about the impact of our programs and the power of education. But being there in person, among the students, made me see everything in a new light.
The young girl’s question took me back to a memory from school. I was in class 8 when I received my first smartphone. It felt like a portal to a different world—one where I could learn, explore, and express myself in ways I never had before. But as the years passed, I began to take that access for granted. It became just another tool. Seeing the students around me hold a laptop for the first time brought that old feeling of wonder rushing back. For them, this was a long-awaited milestone, and I felt grateful to witness it.
The next day, I sat in on a session from our Technology Advancement Bootcamp (TAB). The students were learning the basics like typing, using web WhatsApp, and doing simple tasks like cut, copy, and paste. What I expected to be an ordinary session turned out to be anything but. Each small step they took was full of meaning and momentum. I could see it in their expressions—the excitement, the nervousness, the determination.
One moment that stood out was when a student began cleaning her laptop before using it. She handled it with the kind of care you might show to something priceless. Her every movement was gentle, deliberate, and full of respect. It was deeply humbling to see technology treated not as a convenience, but as a symbol of possibility.
This sense of hope was further amplified by a young married woman in our program, whose story deeply moved me. Her goal was not just to improve her own life but to ensure that her future children would have the education, tools, and opportunities she had missed. I was surprised and touched to see how far the impact of our work could reach and how a little support can help individuals break the cycle of illiteracy and create new career paths!
Watching these students learn, ask questions, and celebrate their small wins shifted something in me. What had once seemed like simple, everyday digital tasks now appeared as powerful steps forward. These moments highlighted how significant these seemingly simple skills are in opening doors to new opportunities and enhancing their futures. This visit was much more than a professional assignment. It was a moment of reflection. It made me aware of the privileges I’ve carried and the assumptions I didn’t know I had. The stories I had been telling now felt more real, more urgent. I could now hear their voices, see their eyes, and feel the weight of their journeys.
Returning from Gorakhpur, I carried with me a renewed sense of purpose. The experience reshaped my understanding of our mission and the impact of our work. Each story of success is rooted in real human experiences, filled with hope, struggle, and resilience. As I continue to share these narratives, I am reminded of the true power of education and technology to change lives, and I am committed to conveying these stories with the depth and respect they truly deserve.
This story is a part of Field Notes, a series where Medha team members share their opinions and experiences from working on the field. Click here to read more stories like this.