Small Talk With Jyoti Thyagarajan

CHANGE leaders do great things, and often that is all we know about them. Here we want to get a different glimpse of the personalities that constitute the development space. Every month we ask one leader to answer our four quirky questions. We kick off with JYOTI THYAGARAJAN, Founder Trustee of Meghshala.

Meghshala aims to transform the education system by empowering our teachers. Meghshala creates teachkits. These act as multimedia lessons designed for classroom usage. The teachkits contextualize pedagogic practices into everyday classroom teaching. Using images, videos, activities, and creative strategies they convert the classroom into an active learning space.  

In less than two years, Meghshala is in the hands of over 300 teachers and 120 schools across Karnataka, from the Mangalore coast to the city of Bangalore. The growth is phenomenal and the scaling up has stood the test in a surprisingly short time. Meghshala is getting ready to storm the gates of surrounding states as well as those far-flung ones with a crying need for robust education. Meghshala is also looking at covering South East Asia and Africa. There is no doubt in their minds that the path is difficult, but the outcomes will be much needed.

Small Change:  Do you believe in the afterlife?

J.T: I don’t think of it as an ‘afterlife’ but as a sort of continuation of this life on another plane. A little like going to the edge of a tall building and you think there is nothing beyond, but the rest of the world is. It is just at a different level.

Why do I believe this? Because I was there!

Small Change: Name one thing you are really bad at?

J.T: Dancing! I hate the thought of people watching me dancing (slightly off the beat!)

Small Change: You have been forced to eat only four things for the rest of your life. What four items would you choose?

J.T: Multigrain bread, broccoli, Irish Cheddar and arugula. Tomorrow I might say sambar, greens, green beans and jackfruit payasam. But you won’t allow me to revise this, right?

Small Change: Where would you like to go for your next holiday?

J.T: Petra … before someone destroys the beautiful, sculpted buildings.

Learn more about Meghshala and the people behind it at www.meghshala.com

Aadeep