An accidental founder. This is how Nasmina refers to herself. Even though no part of her story transpired solely on account of good fortune. Between the reclusive 12-year-old that she was and the eloquent orator that she has transformed into lies an episode of recognition that she cherishes.
“I used to be an academically struggling child who barely made her presence known. In 7th standard, a new Malayalam teacher joined our school, and he saw in me the potential that nobody had ever recognised before. He praised my writing and communication skills and pushed me to appear for elocution competitions. Surprising even myself, within a year, I was delivering speeches at inter-school events and bringing back awards. Now, I often wonder who I would have turned into if his eyes had not spotted me because no woman in my family or locality has ever ventured into anything beyond household work,” she says.
It was while she was doing her graduation in Malayalam Literature that a friend of hers connected her with a Dubai-based HR professional, Zeeshan, who wanted to start an organisation that conducts training in building oratorial skills. Although the intention was to focus on CBSE and ICSE schools, Nasmina ended up hosting the first event, “Panjimittayi: ithiri neram, othiri neram,” for underprivileged children in a coastal locality in Kozhikode. The event was well-received and appreciated.
As Nasmina, who was then pursuing the second year of her undergrad, went about networking and ideating more events, her inclination towards social service seeped into iLab’s framework. What started as a business venture turned into a non-profit organisation, and in the meantime, Nasmina and Zeeshan got married!
- Nasmina
Nasmina organised after-school educational activities for children under the aegis of iLab. As a response to the children’s frequent requests for more events, she launched a month-long project that turned into a year-long one approved by the Kozhikode Corporation as an educational project. Soon, iLab’s reputation grew; collaborating with the Short Duration Program of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, they conducted a study that revealed a 50% dropout rate in schools in coastal Kerala. Upon studying the situation carefully, iLab decided to intervene.
“Mainstream society considers those living in coastal areas less worthy members of society than others. As a result, the children grow up with a sense of low self-esteem that greatly damages their potential. Moreover, being caught in cycles of debt leads to low academic interest and dropouts after high school. We met numerous high school students who had trouble writing their own names. iLab acts as an alternative school for these students and attempts to instil aspirations in them,” Nasmina explains.
So far, iLab has helped 1800 - 1900 students through their programs, and the team has grown considerably. Currently, a cluster of programs are being coordinated by the iLab team. The Coastal Education Enhancement Mission (CEEM) decentralises education so as to reach every community. iLab realises this through micro learning hubs and neighbourhood learning centres close to the students’ houses. Under the Coastal Livelihood Acceleration Program (CLAP), 75 women are selected and encouraged to engage in different income-generating activities.
iLAB works with different stakeholders in coastal communities, including children, women entrepreneurs & more
The Digital Literacy Program chooses 50 youngsters and acquaints them with new technology. Pebbles, a school intervention program, and Mission TEN, focusing exclusively on students in 10th standard are also currently in full swing. The Community Ambassadors program (CADETS) identifies ex-students of iLab who are interested in working with iLab and recruits them as paid part-time fellows. This is one of the ways in which iLab ensures that their facilitators are from within the communities they are aiming to impact. Thus, a bond is forged between the students and teachers, inviting the students to identify their future selves with their teachers and encouraging them to aspire.
“Ever since the inception, we have been picking any space from playschool buildings to open fields as venues for our events. We have been yearning for a space of our own, and recently we soft-launched SkillHub. It is impossible to talk of iLab’s recent ascent without mentioning Mr Balagopal Chandrsekhar, former IAS officer, who has not just facilitated funding through Anaha Trust but also placed his faith in us. We hope that in the near future, we shall be able to expand beyond Kozhikode, to more coastal regions in Kerala,” Nasmina says, her eyes glinting.
She opines that social work needs to be dignified and better networking must be facilitated for changemakers. “That is exactly why I respect and love aikyam space. I was introduced to the space through my friend Mehar, and ever since, I have loved the space for being a shelter for changemakers,” she says. “I have faith in aikyam’s intentions and in the fact that aikyam has a prominent role to play in the social sector scene.”
“If you could change any one thing in this world, what would it be?” I ask. “May I change two?” she asks. I nod, laughing.
“First, I would give every child all the opportunities and support they deserve. Second, I would somehow make it possible for women to pursue what they want.”
As we reach the end of our conversation, little Omar hops into Nasmina’s room and peeks into her phone. She asks him to say hello, and he shyly turns away. I smile, thinking how proud he will be of his mother once he grows up.
Nasmina Nasir is the Founder and Director of iLab Innovation Laboratory which empowers youth from Kozhikode, a coastal area in Kerala, to excel academically and dream bigger. She envisions reaching out to more children throughout coastal Kerala and helping them focus on their academics. You can connect with her here.
