In a corner of Mumbai, 10-year-old boy Dev is trying to write his first story in English. Naturally, first-generation learners are confused by the questions — what’s the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’?; What makes a good introduction?; And what makes a compelling conclusion?
Dev knows that he cannot find the answers to these questions at home – his parents are illiterate. So, the young boy patiently waits for the morning. He takes classes at a makeshift school on the outskirts of the slum where he lives, believing that the young volunteers who teach him will have all the answers.
You can relate this reality to the millions of children living in poverty in Indian cities. For them these schools and foundations are places of hope. Places where they are allowed to dream. Uttam India Celebrates these people who free children from the effects of educational barriers.
India’s population has increased in recent times. The increasing level of population has led to an increase in the number of poverty. According to World Poverty Watch 2024 statistics, 3.44 crore people are living in extreme poverty in the country.
The victims of this fate are not often the younger generations whose future hangs in the balance. Late Chaitali Gupta became a savior for many such children of Mumbai metropolis.
Luzik Center and Community Welfare Association, which Gupta started with her husband Dr Amitabh Gupta, a retired IIT professor, has provided education to hundreds of children. This has enabled them to access health check-up camps, nutritious meals, libraries and extracurricular activities.
2. Elysium Smiles Foundation, Mumbai
The story traces back to the beginning of the initiative pani puri (a popular street food). Mumbai couple Subhash and Komal Udhwani were shocked when they saw this pani puri A vendor near their house used to accompany his son on most days.
“Or where do I leave him?” His response was when the couple questioned his decision. That day, Komal decided to teach the boy English and Mathematics. Today, he is channeling these skills in his corporate role.
From Komal’s simple idea, an initiative was born that attracted many children from the neighborhood who wanted to study but lacked the right resources. The initiative is based on a sponsorship model.
Komal explains, “We look after children of all ages. We have nursery children as well as children completing engineering diplomas.” She says that even though age is not a barrier, the financial side of the family plays a role.
“The most affected families get our allocation first. We also give priority to girls, children in senior grades (this is the age when parents withdraw children from school), children with disabilities and orphans. He added that the foundation has helped more than 1,000 children so far.
3. Kartavyapath, Ranchi
Children can be seen learning numbers in a village in Jharkhand the drum (drums). What better way to learn math anyway?
If you scroll through the initiative’s Instagram page (@kartavyapath7) you will be treated to a heart-wrenching sight; Children from remote areas of Ranchi are all smiles as they learn new words, engage in sports and check out the new school bags and clothes the organization provides them through donations.
At Kartavyapath, the team believes that there is a world beyond academics and only when children’s intrinsic needs are addressed, will they be able to truly focus on their studies. A multi-pronged approach is proving successful. According to Mrityunjay Sharma, a volunteer, 200 children have been affected so far.
4.Pahchan Street School, Delhi
To break the cycle of poverty, start with one child. This Delhi-based initiative believes. In 2015, when five friends came together to teach ten children from some of the poorest areas of the national capital, they had little idea of the scale of the idea.
Today, the organization takes pride in touching the lives of 1500 children through its centers across Delhi.
Socioeconomic background should not prevent children from accessing quality education. In keeping with this ideology, Pehchaan provides children with books, stationery and other learning materials, which are not easily available in underprivileged areas.
The school achieves excellence through curriculum development, regular assessment of children’s academic performance, workshops that nurture children’s personalities and activities that encourage critical thinking.
5. Suyam Charitable Trust, Chennai
What started as an idea by a group of young college students in Tamil Nadu in 1999 has turned into a beautiful endeavor impacting thousands of children. Dr. Uma and Muthu, the couple involved in this initiative, were no strangers to social service work.
Uma’s endeavors began at the age of 12 when she taught underprivileged children in slum areas. He was often joined by his friend and classmate Muthuram. These experiences left an indelible impression on the couple.
But they soon discovered, the educational landscape was not the only one that needed attention. The health and well-being of the communities in the slum area was as fraught as it was. In later years, the couple’s work expanded to volunteering at health check-up camps and financing the medical, educational and health needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Their Siragu School in Chennai is one of their successful projects. There are currently 250 children studying in the school.
6. eVidyaloka, Bengaluru
In 2011, two Microsoft India colleagues bonded over a common vision of merging volunteerism and technology to provide education to children in rural villages in India. The Bangalore-based social enterprise achieves its mission through a number of programs such as digital classroom programs and teaching through television programs.
By airing high-quality, engaging video lessons on local television channels, the program provides access to informative lessons in their regional languages to students from classes 5 to 10. In many cases, it has also reduced children’s reliance on after-school tutoring classes. The TTT program partners with local cable networks to deliver curated video lessons aligned with the state board curriculum, breaking the concepts into manageable sub-chapters for rural contexts.
To democratize access to quality education in rural India, eVidyaloka is using technology as a medium to bridge the digital divide and open up a world of possibilities for these children.
7. Sitare Foundation, Pan India
Watching his grandfather and father rise from humble beginnings to great success inspired Dr Amit Singhal. Through their journey, he understood the transformative power of education.
So, after working for 15 years as a software engineer at Google, he decided to change the course of his life and become a beacon of hope for children whose backgrounds prevented them from pursuing their dreams. Amit was accompanied by his wife Shilpa, a software engineer.
Together they opened the Sitare Foundation, which helped poor children with school fees, travel, accommodation and food.
8.Pahleh Akshar, Mumbai
The impact of children not having access to good quality English education can be huge. This was observed by founder Radha Goenka. In 2008, she realized the need to develop a program focused on first-generation learners—one that would tap into these children’s natural curiosity while building their communication skills.
Believing that good English vocabulary can replace children, Goenka developed a ‘schooling programme’, designed to improve these children’s English through a curriculum incorporating international best practices.
In 2017, the organization started training government school teachers on nuances of English. The learning ecosystem model at Pehlay Akshar boasts of digital aids, books and skilled staff.
–
In a makeshift school in a corner of Mumbai, Dev is getting all the support he needs for his story which is definitely unlikely to become a bestseller. On this full-circle note, we tip our hats to the changemakers who are lighting the way for children who don’t have access to resources. Through their efforts, these organizations are empowering the dreamers of tomorrow.
Edited by Pranita Bhat.