Add 5610 and 3675. Multiply the result by 7895 and 6342. Divide the result 1897 and then by 12!!!!!!

Before you can make it to the calculator, 11 year-old Brian Lara will proudly tell you the answer. A resident of Periyavillai village in Kanyakumari district, Brian is the fastest child in his school.

For 60 children in the tsunami-affected villages of Periyavillai, Kodimunai, Kurumbanai and Vaniyakudi, speed and accuracy in mathematical calculations has become a matter of pride.

ActionAid India and local partner organisation, SED (Social Education for Development), have been holding abacus classes three times a week to help children to sharpen their skills and promote enjoyment in learning.

It seems to be working – once children have enrolled they rarely miss a session.

Abacus classes began as one of a range of activities set up by ActionAid and SED to help children recover from the trauma and disruption left in the wake of the tsunami.

Once adept at using a real abacus, the traditional calculation tool is handed on to other students and children rely solely on their mental arithmetic abilities.

The speed of the entire process is breathtaking. Before you can bat an eyelid the toughest of calculations is solved.

Sahaya completes the count in just 18 seconds and Antony does it in 21 seconds. Most of their classmates finish within 26 seconds.

“Using an Abacus improves our concentration and memory power – who knows, we may become mathematical geniuses,” say Sahaya and Antony . For these 12 year-olds and many others, arithmetic has become a passion.

“The counting speed is monitored on a one-on-one basis. If a child is lagging behind, they are given individual attention”, says Caroline Beulah, the abacus teacher who was trained by the Tamil Nadu state university with the assistance of ActionAid India and SED.

Nine year-old Shalu, whose second greatest fear (after the tsunami) was mathematics is ecstatic about the classes. “I am getting great marks in maths now. I am working on improving my speed. I no longer hate arithmetic.”

“The students are trained to handle the abacus with their left hand as the cerebrum portion of the brain acts faster in the calculation,” says Sheela, the 21 year-old teacher.