Each One Teach One: Bridging the Digital and Educational Divide in India

In the heart of India’s rural landscapes, where internet connectivity flickers like a distant star and quality education remains a distant dream for millions, a revolutionary initiative is lighting the way forward. Pathanam, an indigenously developed education technology by a passionate group of young Indian techies, is transforming the lives of underprivileged children—one digital lesson at a time.

Recognizing the urgent need to bridge the educational gap, Rotary Club of Calcutta, Avyanna partnered with Pathanam to launch a unique Literacy Day initiative in September, 2022. Thus, the Each One Teach One movement was born—a powerful collaboration where young mentors from urban India guide rural learners, fostering not just literacy but hope, connection, and digital empowerment.

The Genesis of Change: How Each One Teach One Works
The program identifies bright young mentors—students from classes 8 to college—who are trained to teach spoken English to children in the remote Sundarbans region of West Bengal. The only requirement? A basic smartphone and one hour, twice a week.

• Customized Lesson Plans: Pathanam designed 12 structured lesson plans for the pilot, ensuring easy, engaging, and practical English learning.
• Flexible Learning: Mentors and learners mutually decide on timings, making education accessible without disrupting daily routines.
• Digital Training: Mentors are trained in both teaching methodologies and navigating Pathanam’s tech platform, ensuring smooth digital interactions.

The Three Pillars of Transformation

Empowering Rural India with English Literacy:
1. For millions of rural families, English is not just a language—it’s a ladder to opportunities. Parents dream of their children speaking English to break barriers in higher education and employment.
2. This initiative ensures that even in the remotest corners of India, children gain confidence in basic spoken English, opening doors to a brighter future.

Fostering Civic Responsibility in Urban Youth:
1. Urban students often remain unaware of the struggles faced by their rural counterparts. This program bridges that divide, instilling empathy and a sense of duty.
2. By teaching just one child, these young mentors realize that change begins with them. The vision? If every educated student mentors at least one child, India’s literacy crisis can be tackled collectively.
3. Future expansions could include basic arithmetic and reading, strengthening foundational learning.

Digital Literacy: The Need of the Hour:
1. In today’s tech-driven world, digital fluency is as essential as reading and writing. Yet, rural students in West Bengal—and across India—remain far behind due to poor infrastructure and lack of exposure.
2. Many government and private sector initiatives struggle with implementation, leaving rural youth unprepared for the digital economy.
3. Pathanam integrates IT-based learning through these mentorship sessions, ensuring children don’t just use technology—they master it.

A Success Story in the Making

The pilot project’s overwhelming success has proven that:

• Technology, when used innovatively, can overcome connectivity barriers.
• Young Indians are eager to contribute to nation-building.
• Sustainable change is possible when urban and rural India work hand-in-hand.

The Ripple Effect: Scaling Across India
Rotary Club and Pathanam are now expanding this initiative to more states, with a vision to:
✔ Reach 10,000+ children in the next year.
✔ Incorporate regional languages for wider accessibility.
✔ Partner with CSR initiatives and state governments for scalability.

A Call to Action: Be the Change
India’s literacy revolution will not be led by policies alone—it will be driven by people. If each one of us takes responsibility to teach one, we can rewrite the future of millions.

Join the Movement. Teach One. Transform India.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
Let’s arm every child with it.

(This initiative is a collaboration between Pathanam and Rotary Club of Calcutta, Avyanna, supported by young changemakers across India.)

Would you like to mentor a child?