Educate Children Living on Construction Sites

Hello Friends and Supporters,

Here we are again with our latest report on what’s been happening at MMC! The first few months of 2014 have been busy, as always. Today, we are happy to share with you a glimpse of a latest event – the ‘Alumni Meet’, which thrilled us by revealing the extent of impact of our work!

The most challenging area of MMC’s work is due to the migrant nature of construction workers, who move in and out of the construction sites erratically, often at a day’s notice. Our research shows that 62% of the children attending our centres do not remain with us for more than 6 months as their families move from one site to another in search of work. Thus, organising an Alumni Meet was a challenging thought on its own, but we were delighted by its success. The Meet was set for 1^st February, 2014, with an aim to build a platform for ex-students from MMC’s daycare centres. 18 of MMC's alumni attended this meet.

The participating alumni were excited to be a part of this initiative, which gave them an opportunity to bond with each other after a gap of several years. They shared their life stories and the significant role MMC had played in it. It was satisfying to know that despite many hardships, many of them are now doing exceptionally well in their respective fields, moving beyond the walls of the construction sites.

In the words of alumni, Rajkanya Bhokare, a 21 year old Law student:

“Both my parents worked in construction site. There was no one at home to look after me and my siblings. That is when our parents enrolled us in the day care centre run by Mumbai Mobile Creches (MMC) on site. When I was 6 (six) years old, MMC teachers enrolled us into the nearby Municipal school. After that I attended private school and continued college education too. Currently I am studying law and will complete my course in the next two years. MMC has always supported me at different stages in my life. Even today I am very closely associated with MMC through various activities. I have spent my childhood with the teachers of MMC and hope to get their support in future as well.”

The active participation and enthusiasm among the alumni during the day, especially during the group activities, was truly inspiring. They were eager to extend support in expanding the network and came up with different ideas on how to do so.

The alumni network was named “Hamara MMC (Our MMC)”, and MMC created an exclusive Facebook page to facilitate communication amongst the group. This network will now be a platform for our alumni to share their experiences, give information about opportunities and help each other to progress while inspiring a new generation of MMC children. These empowered individuals serve as agents of change in their own lives and in their communities today. MMC has now formed an alumni network data base with their updated contacts and hopes to expand its members.

With the generous support of donors via Global Giving, MMC continues to work toward leading such vulnerable children into a brighter future, like the alumni featured today.