About the Organisation: This charity started some 15 years ago to bring education to children who couldn't afford it. It runs fully-equipped classroom buses, also several study centres in slum areas for children who couldn't study at home, a kindergarten for pre-school children, an out of school programme and a community library.
Who they are: This organisation has its headquarters in a quiet residential part of
Pune, where administration and several teaching and training programmes take place.
Poor families in these areas refuse to send their children to school for a number of reasons - they can’t spare the money, the small earnings these children brought home were vital to their families and most of the poor construction workers move from job to job thus making it impossible for the children to attend regular school. Keeping in mind all these problems faced by slum and street kids and the children of construction workers, the founders of this organisation brought the schools to these children.
These altruistic individuals constantly work to evaluate the educational needs in the community and develop strategies for addressing them.
What they do: The
Pune branch was set up in 1993 and develops tailor-made programs to address the needs and circumstances that prevent children slum and pavement communities from receiving education. The organization works in partnership with the government run schools to organize excursions, competitions, library services and extra coaching to improve the quality of learning in over-enrolled schools and thereby lower the drop-out rates.
What you can do: You'll use all your skills and ingenuity to find innovative ways of encouraging and enthusing children to continue to learn in some very difficult circumstances as well as helping them with basic English and other subjects. You might even come up with innovative ideas for them to earn a living. One gapper came up with an idea for the children to make and sell beaded straps for sunglasses and the project encouraged it!